Fujifilm today announced the new Fujifilm X30, a premium compact, fixed lens camera aimed at enthusiast and professional photographers. The Fujifilm X30 gives enthusiast and professional photographers a vast array of new features. The optical 4x manual zoom lens allows quick, precise control over composition. The lens is made up of 11 glass elements in nine groups, including three aspherical lens elements and two ED lens elements. The result is an ultra-bright lens with a wide-angle maximum aperture of f/2.0 and telephoto maximum aperture of f/2.8 for beautiful, high resolution images. The X30’s unique image stabilization mechanism shifts five lens elements to compensate for camera shake by up to 3.0 stops.
With a magnification of 0.65 xs and a display lag time of just 0.005sec., the X30 has the largest and fastest viewfinder in its class. It offers a clear, high-definition Live View thanks to the new 2.36M-dot organic EL electronic viewfinder and newly-designed dedicated lens. The Live View display can also be set the ‘Preview Pic. Effect’ function to reflect shooting conditions or offer a natural view close to what is seen with the naked eye. For the first time the viewfinder’s eye sensor will automatically switch the visible information when the camera is positioned vertically.
The X30 features a 2/3-inch X-Trans CMOS II sensor which has a unique, random pixel array to control moiré and fake colors without needing an optical low-pass filter. Since the low-pass filter – which would cause a drop in image quality – is not required, light from the lens goes straight to the sensor to deliver excellent resolution and low noise.
The new FUJIFILM X30 now includes two rings on the lens: a manual zoom ring and control ring. The control ring is positioned behind the manual zoom control and allows the immediate change of aperture and shutter speed settings while fine-tuning image composition. Functions such as ISO sensitivity, film simulation, white balance and continuous shooting can be assigned by pushing the control ring setting button at the front. Two top-plate dials and six function buttons positioned on the back of the body also offer faster access to regularly-used features for a more instinctive operation.
The X30 also includes a large tilting 3.0” 920K-dot premium clear LCD monitor, increased battery performance, and a strong, yet lightweight, die-cast magnesium alloy body that is superbly designed to add a real sense of style and elegance to the camera. Metal rings milled from aluminum are used for the lens, while the large 3 dimensional rubber grip fits well in the hand and enhances overall operation. The FUJIFILM X30 will be available in late September 2014 for $599.95.

