Nikon Z30: My review after using it for a year + Useful accessories.
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- Опубликовано: 22 июл 2024
- This is my opinion on using the Nikon Z30 after owning and using it for a year. I have used it mainly as a video camera but also for photography.
Accessories I own:
SmallRig 3859: Wind muff for Nikon Z30
SmallRig 3858: Cage for Nikon Z30
SmallRig 3765: Top Handle Lite
Nikon FTZ II: F-mount to Z-Mount lens adapter
My video on the Steam Deck was entirely recorded on the Z30.
You can check it here: • Is the Steam Deck wort... 
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The Z30 is a mini D500/D7500 without the viewfinder. It’s an amazing little camera. Perfect for holidays.
I purchase a 2nd battery; and a USB-C external charger that will charge 2 batteries at the same time. So at night at the hotel; I can charge BOTH at the same time. Also; having a separate charger that will use usbc; allows me to basically in a pinch; charge the 2nd battery in the car or even with a power bank in the backpack. I've done that plenty of times... Then you won't run out of juice.
Very useful video, thanks. :)
greetings..thanks for this..just what i was looking for..from Nairobi,Kenya.
Glad it was helpful!
Very good, down to Earth video. Subbed. I am really considering this camera, and your video is helping me make my final conclusions on that decision. My Panasonic HC-v180 is getting a bit old, lol. Merry Christmas ❤
Thanks for the sub!
Great review. I want to buy one for travel purpose.
I just did a video on how Nikon is offering $0 down financing for the Z30 and some other cameras now. Only my 2nd video but it might be useful to you.
Thank you 🙏
Hey nice review Frederic! I have this camera in my shortlist and was wondering whether the 8-way d-pad can be used as an autofocus joystick? For me apart from the lack of AF joystick this is perfect and would like to buy it.
Thanks!
Thanks for the nice comment! About the autofocus joystick: Pressing the OK button in the middle of the d-pad activates a mode where you can move the focus area around with the d-pad. When OK is pressed again, the camera will try to track that particular point when you move around. When focusing, it will focus to that point. As far as I can see, when full time autofocus is activated, the camera will try to keep the chosen point into focus when moving around. I haven't played much around with that feature but I can test it more thoroughly if you like.
@@Frederic_Cervini Thanks a lot for replying Frederic!
" Pressing the OK button in the middle of the d-pad activates a mode where you can move the focus area around with the d-pad"
This is exactly what I was looking for, no further information required. Nobody has covered this in their reviews for some odd reason. A competitor to the Z30 is the EOS R10 which does have an autofocus joystick which seemed to be huge advantage. I have been learning the basics of photography using an old Lumix GX1 and now would like to upgrade to a decent camera, hence the question
Thanks again for replying and best of luck to you!
♥
Can u review the new 12-28 lens with the Z30, and compare especially the image stabilization
I don't have the new 12-18 lens yet. It is an interesting one because it has built in VR and Power Zoom. If I'll ever get my hands on one I will make a video about it but for now I can't.
@@Frederic_Cervini thanks
@@Frederic_CerviniI’ve had the 12-28 for about 5+ months and would highly recommend it. It is as sharp as the 16-50, with minimal vignetting. The electronic zoom is actually pretty smooth and not at all annoying. I use it just for still photography.
@@craigcarlson4022 Thanks for sharing your experience!
can you do a review using a zoom up to 300 for action shots - ie soccer.
I have a 80-200 mm 2.8 ED lens but since it is an older one it doesn't have a focus motor in it. So the test wouldn't be very useful as auto focus is rather important in sports.
Thank you, nice review
I have Nikon D7200. Are D7200 lens compatible with Nikon Z30 ? Should I upgrade to Z30 ?
You can use your D7200 lenses with the Z30 but you need the FTZ II adapter. I talk about at 8:27. I have one and I reuse all my D7000 compatible lenses.
The Z30 is lighter than the D7200 and can do 4k video which the D7200 can not. If you don’t mind the absence of a viewfinder then the Z30 is a decent choice. If you need a viewfinder you can look at the Z50. The Z50 is more photography oriented while the Z30 is more video oriented.
Which L bracket should I use for it ?
If you do not want the full cage (See in the video description) then SmallRig has an L bracket especially designed for the Z30: SmallRig 3860 L
There is also a Smallrig baseplate: SmallRig 3857 Baseplate.
Hi,,for street photography (beginner here) , i saw specs, but wich do you recommend for your own experience ? this or lumix gx9? thanks
Get the z30 for the superior af
@@chiefdenis yes, more af but less stabilization...that is muy doubt
I think AF is more important than stabilization in photography (You can increase shutter speed). I'll probably would go with the Z30 here.
@@Frederic_Cervini ok,,heard a lot of overheating issues with nikon even at 1080p..i love fuji but here are so expensive... nice video!
How many photos can the Nikon Z30 take on one battery charge? and how many minutes of video
I never really did a proper test but I can say that the battery use can be high because there is no viewfinder and to take pictures or shoot video the flip screen needs to be on all the time. This doesn't help in preserving battery power. But it it has been never so short that it would annoyed me.
That being said: I always carry a spare battery since they are small anyway. You can always use a larger battery pack trough the USB-C connection but it makes the camera less portable of course.
I need help. I am not sure if I should buy a Canon EOS 250d 18-55 or a Nikon Z30 16-55. I am studying Cinema, and I want to record cinematic videos.
I haven't tested the Canon EOS 250d but as far as I know it is a DSLR which in my opinion is a technology which will fade out. The Z30 is a mirrorless camera and therefor is lighter and more compact. Nikon's kit lens is also super light weight. Both have an APS-C sensor (although Nikon's APS-C sensors are usually a tiny bit bigger which is better for bokeh). Then again the Canon has a bit more megapixels but you won't see that much benefit in video. The Nikon is 3 years younger so it has a slight technology advantage (also higher bit rate) and is specifically geared to film making. Getting cinematic video's depends a couple of things: Good lenses with low aperture, good lighting, camera movement, some color grading... I did see some decent cinematic results with the Nikon kit lens. Good luck with your course.
@@Frederic_Cervini I have one more question😅. Should I buy Sony A7II or Nikon Z30? I am o confused. especially in Night shootings which one is better. Which one can I use for long-term shooting?
The Sony A7II does not support 4K video. Honestly, I do not buy camera's anymore that don't support 4K. Although most of the time the end product is Full HD, the ability to crop in and reframing during editing without quality loss is a big plus. The A7II is probably better in low light due to the larger sensor but that also depends on the lens anyway. fast glass (Low F-stop) will give better results in both cases. That being said, when aiming for cinematic videos it is better to fully control your lights anyway.
Might help your buying choice to know Nikon is now offering $0 down financing on the Z30. I just did a video on it if you want more info.
I would like to buy nikon z30 for travel videography, is best one for that..?
If you want an affordable decent camera then then my opinion is that this one will do nicely. If you like to travel light and compact: It weighs only 544 gram with kit lens and battery inside.
@@Frederic_Cervini thanks 👍
The stabilization has been frustrating so far for me. THinking about a gimbal but just dont want another item to carry around.
I understand. For what it is worth, I can confirm it works nicely with a gimbal. I got a Zhyiun Weebill.
Is there 8 bit 422 or 421 option if use atomos?
Unfortunately it is 420 for recording to memorycard but also when recording trough HDMI on an Atomos. The Ninja V’s only benefit for example is to record in ProRes for easy editing.
@@Frederic_Cervini i have z50 then bought z30 for video work. Did research and found an article that z50 can record 8 bit 422 with atomos. One of my client ask for 8 bit 422, im really happy if those z50 and z30 can record 8 bit 422 with atomos. I also have Lumix S5, but i love nikon's color and their flat profile is easy to grade.
Actually, I replied a bit too quick without doing proper research. So it depends on when the subsampling is happening. Is it happening before it comes out of the HDMI port of the Z30 or is it happening when encoding it in the Ninja V. The Ninja V supports up to 422 but I find different information on what the Z30 is actually putting out over HDMI. I checked the reference guide but could not find anything on it. Some say 420, others 422. Now 420 is good enough unless you want to shoot green/blue screen. With 422 it will be easier for pulling a matte. So no clear answer. It would be interesting to do the comparison (especially in a green screen situation). I might do in the future.
How would you say it compares to the Sony ZV-1?
Other than in-body stabilization on the ZV-1, the Nikon Z30 is the better camera for video quality
These are similar camera's with a similar price point. I think the Z30 has slightly better specs. I haven't tested the ZV-1 myself but the biggest difference is the capability to change lenses on the Z30. That opens up a huge amount of opportunities. Buying lenses is usually a big investment. This makes the Z30 a better starter camera. Only keep in mind that if you want to upgrade to a full frame body a couple of years later that you best check for full frame lenses with a Z mount. APS-C lenses will be cheaper but then you have to stick to APS-C bodies down the road. I already had quite a bit of F-mount lenses which are usable on the Z-mount with the adapter.
It’s a very capable camera. However there is no n-log are pro res or pro res raw features. Any updated z30ii will need these features.
My opinion after using it for 6+ month: will bring it back to the shop. It does not work with any of my power banks or chargers with usb-c. Yes, it does charge, but when it swithceh on, it does not take any power from any of my PSU's. It does show external power indication, but at the same time it continues to drain my battery. The biggest dissapointment for me. This is my first camera with this kind of problem.
Thanks for your input. I haven't run a decent power bank or PSU test while using the camera yet but I remember having a bit of trouble when I first got my camera too. I have since upgraded the firmware to 1.10 and although the firmware notes do not mention anything about power improvements it seems that My camera works with a PSU or power bank plugged in. As a quick test I have the camera running for over an hour with the power bank and the battery indicator still shows a full battery (Not recording video, just idle viewing). The PSU's that I use deliver at least 45W of power. The Power bank can give 18W of power. When attaching a Watt meter between the wall and the PSU it displays a usage of around 7 to 8W when recording and about 5W when just having the camera on with the display.
As a side note: You do need a battery present for it to work.
I hope you get better results with this information.
@@Frederic_Cervini Thank you for the information ! Yes, I try to work with battery inside. This is so unacceptable for me, because all of my gadgets simply work from the wall chargers and power banks. But with this USB-C I need to buy sme special power deliveries. It is like when you buy a car with very special type of fuel which is 300 miles away from home and to reach that station you have fuel only for 200 miles...
Page 412 of the Z 30 Reference Guide clearly explains how USB power delivery works. Also note that USB cables have a chip inside that communicates their power handling ability. That's why Nikon want you to use their cable. And, there are different versions of higher than basic power delivery in "USB land", one of which is called "USB Power Delivery" (different versions exist) and another is 'Qualcomm". Mess these up and you can't get what you want with your Nikon, smartphone, whatever.
Thanks for your input on the matter.
It should be pronounced knee'kon
You are right. It comes from Japan and there they pronounce it as nee-kon (or knee'kon). Actually in my motherlanguage we also say it the Japanase way. I guess I picked up the American way of saying it.