The Nikon Z30

 

Didn't I promise not to post technical articles and gear reviews? Yet, we are going to talk about a camera and its lens system below. But for me, the decision to use this camera is not technical. It is a practical decision. On the other hand, I too have seen Youtubers defending gear from the lower end of the scale and praising its merits, or at least the money you can save by not going for the top-of-the-line gadgets. That's true, but even if you are on a tight budget, buying cheap is not always the best advice. And you should know that there are shortcomings and things you will miss. So, let me tell you.

This article got longer than I thought. So I had to break it into sections.

• My main System
• The second Camera
• APS-C Problems
• Z30 Problems
• Summary
• Alternatives
• Video
• Tips

My main System

I currently use mainly the Nikon Z5 II. It is my workhorse and a camera I love. I have some stellar lenses from the S-line of the Nikon Z system, f/1.8 lenses, the 105 MC and also zooms. I love their natural rendering and their flare resistance. Would it make sense to upgrade to the f/1.2 lenses or the Nikon Z8? Not for me. Both are way too heavy and clunky for my non-professional travel and family photography. The downgrade to the Z7 II (in terms of AF) would make more sense because of the higher resolution for landscapes. But I never could convince myself after the Z5 II came out. It is the best camera for my purposes.

The Nikon camera system is not only technically on a high level. I also would not want to miss its useability. Their cameras all have a good grip which lies nicely in my hands, bright EVFs and displays, many configurable buttons, and  a solid build quality. I tried others, but liked the Nikons the best. So I would not leave the system unless forced to do so. Clearly, being acquainted with their logic also helps.

Sorry for not reaching the point of this post yet. So, why the Z30? 

The second Camera

The Nikon Z full frame cameras are heavy and large. The Z5 is the smallest of them, and yet it weighs well over 1kg with each of the better lenses and is not at all pocketable. You could use the smaller 28mm f/2.8 or the 40mm f/2. I do that sometimes. But what is the point having the best lenses and not using them? And even with these smaller options the Z5 is not compact. 

So, the logical choice for a second camera which you can have with you more often is the Nikon DX line of cameras, the Z30 being the most compact of them. You could even use your full frame lenses, couldn't you? Well, here lies a problem. None of the Nikon Z DX cameras has IBIS, and none of the full frame primes has VR (with the exception of the 105mm macro lens). For my photography, this lack of image stabilization is a big disadvantage. If you are shooting moving objects anyway where image stabilization is of no use, it would not matter. You will only have to overcome one stop of less noise performance or dynamical range. More on this later.

But all zoom lenses for the Nikon Z DX system do have VR. That saves the day for me. Most zoom lenses, however, are slower than their FX counterparts. The exception is the 16-50 f/2.8 DX VR which is equivalent to the 24-70 f/4. This combination makes the Z30 an ideal travel camera, very compact and totaling only 735g, versus 1175g for the equivalent full frame version. Only the default kit lens is smaller and lighter with the same zoom range, but f/3.5-6.3. If you are okay with these f-stops, the 18-140 travel zoom is another alternative, at the same size and weight as the 16-50 f/2.8. But I would always select the latter because of the full frame equivalent f/4 aperture, even at the long end, i.e., at 75mm full frame equivalent focal length.

In fact, I went for the 12-28 f/3.5-5.6 DX PZ VR. I love wide angle and this lens starts at 18mm full frame equivalent. It ends at 42mm which is almost a standard focal length. It has a reasonable short focus distance too. I tested it extensively against my 14-30 f/4 lens for full frame, and it holds well for all practical situations. The combo with the Z30 weighs only 610g. The Z5 feels like a brick in comparison. This makes a huge difference for me.

Below is a comparison of the Z5 II versus the Z30. The missing viewfinder alone makes for a more compact format. But what you do not see are the weights. The Z5 with the 24-70 f/4 and the 50mm f/1.8 are around 1100g, and even the Z30 with the 16-50 f/2.8 is only 730g. 

Z5 vs. Z30

APS-C Problems

At that point we need to discuss the things we will miss when we use an APS-C. I already covered the much slower standard zooms. This matters in two cases, namely for low light and for object isolation. There are some situations you cannot handle anymore. E.g., to compensate a 85 mm f/2 lens for portraits, you'd need a 50 mm f/1.4 APS-C lens. The zooms are way slower. You could try the long zoom end at 140 mm and f/6.3, but it does not work as good and is optically inferior. For another example, you might be able to shoot at f/2 in a museum with an ultra-wide 14 mm lens hand-held. To compensate, you'd need a fast 8 mm lens for DX. But aside these extremes, those VR zooms for Nikon DX can handle a lot. One should also mention that you can mount the 70-200 f/2.8 VR full frame lens and get a really nice telephoto lens up to 300mm full frame equivalent.

In terms of picture quality, the Nikon Z DX lenses are very good. They can hold against the corresponding full frame lenses, albeit not against the primes. In theory, the resolution of the APS-C system is lower by the simple fact that the image has to be magnified more. You could argue that the lenses can be made sharper across the smaller sensor. But in fact, the Nikon Z for full frame are sharpest in the center. In practice, however, the difference in sharpness is much less pronounced than we think. The primes are a different story. They might even visibly provide better results. As a warning one should add, that light and technique always matter more than the lens, not to mention the content of an image. For the finest results in the best situations and using the best techniques, full frame is better, no doubt.

How about noise handling? The APS-C sensor gets the same light per area at the same f-stop. That is the point of f-stops. Consequently, at almost the same pixel count (20 MP versus 24 MP), each pixel gets only half the light. That one stop less is, of course, interpreted as the same brightness level. As a result, the levels of brightness in the image are one stop closer to the noise. In darker areas, the consequence is a bit more visible noise. Because the dynamic range is defined as the distance between the noise and the maximal capacity of the pixels, you can also say that it decreases by one stop. In some scenes, you either have to blow out the highlights one stop more to white, or to live with a bit more noise in the darker areas. Unfortunately, scenes with much contrast are very common. To handle them without much issues, simply accept the blown out lights or the dark areas and do not force them too much for details. I found the noise problem not something which holds me back from using APS-C.

I should repeat the facts about equivalence with respect to sensor sizes here. The factor that the sensor is smaller is called the crop factor. The Z30 has a crop factor of 1.5. You need to multiply the true focal length of the Z30 lens by 1.5 to get the equivalent focal length of full frame, i.e., the same angle of view. E.g., 28 mm is 42 mm full frame equivalent. To get almost the same depth of field and background blur, i.e., object isolation, you need to multiply the f-stop by 1.5 too. E.g., f/5.6 is equivalent to circa f/8 full frame, one stop. To get the same noise level, you need to multiply the ISO by the square of crop factor, which is also one stop. E.g., ISO400 on the Z30 looks like ISO800 on full frame, regarding to noise. What does this sum up to? You can get equivalent setups in most pictures, but not in all. E.g., 1/60, f/8, 75 mm, ISO800 on full frame can be matched by 1/60, f/5.6, 50 mm, ISO400 on the Z30. 

Problems of the Z30

Are there any other issues that I met at the Z30? Indeed, there are. The most obvious one is the missing viewfinder. I used it rarely anyway, but sometimes was happy to have one. For the low or high angles, it is useless. But at bright sunlight and for precise focusing, a viewfinder is almost necessary. It also does not help that the Z30 screen is not as bright as e.g. the one on the Z5 II. Another issue is the underpowered battery. I recommend a spare one. Due to less space, the Z30 has not as many buttons as the Z5 and no joystick. None of this is a problem for me. The AF-ON (AF-EL can be configured for this) button is still placed nicely for back-button-focus, and there are still two wheels and two front buttons. Almost everything is working as on the bigger cameras. One important point is the single SD card slot. On the Z5 II, I use the second one as a backup and leave the second card in the camera at all times.

The auto focus of this camera suffers a bit from the older processor. My full frame Z5 II focuses faster. It does also focus better at lower light, partly because of its AF system and processor, partly because of the faster prime lenses. The Z50 II, however, has the newer processor, but also focusses only down to -4 EV, where the Z5 II manages -10 EV. This is a noticeably better low light AF. 

Summary

In summary, this camera is very capable and can be recommended as a walk-around camera, especially for photographers who are acquainted with the Nikon system and also use the full frame Z cameras. The combo of this APS-C with equivalent lenses is always considerably more compact and lightweight than the full frame version. Even the Sony full frame line cannot cope with its form factor. The low prize will also be very welcome by users, and some will be selecting this camera because of it.

I think I would even recommend the Z30 as the only camera for photographers in search of a versatile, very good, and not too expensive system. Bundled with the 18-140 DX VR you get a very capable system for around 1000€. That is hard to beat. It is not a system for me, but might work well for anyone who just wants to go beyond the smartphone. 

Maybe the Z50 II with its viewfinder and more modern processor is an even better, but more expensive choice. If feels more professional. The display is a bit larger and brighter, and the new processor makes the camera handle everything a bit more satisfyingly.

Alternatives

There are alternatives. The most obvious alternative is the Z50 II which has a viewfinder and a newer processor for a faster AF. It is 150g heavier and not as compact, however. For me, the compact alternative to my Z5 II is the Z30. If Nikon ever updates the Z30, I might switch. The Fuji cameras have a more traditional interface, and are well known for their emphasis on colors for those that shoot out-of-camera. I don't and I also find the modern PSAM style more practical. Sony's A6000 line is very similar and has now a modern menu and user interface too. Both systems have IBIS, the recent Sonys even a very good one. But they are also much more expensive. Canon has an alternative too at a reasonable price. But it cannot cope with the compactness of the Z30.

Video

I have to excuse myself for not considering the video features of the Z30. After all, this is a camera that was made for video. It has a stereo microphone and input line, but sadly no headphone jack. Video modes are okay, but some log formats will be missed by users. The videos are stabilized by software. I cannot really comment on the quality. 

Tips

• The camera is so similar to the other Nikon mirrorless cameras that I could use most of my settings explained here.
• By default "Active D Lighting" is on. Lightroom then imports the pictures from the Z30 darkened after the development has started. The embedded preview looks good and is then replaced by a darker version. The reason is underexposure of your RAW file, which you do not see, because the preview is fixed by some HDR treatment. Switch to OFF!
• The default display of the Z5 II is much clearer and brighter. It helps to increase the brightness of the display in the Z30 by two stops, even if that consumes a bit more battery. After all, the display is your main tool for composition. Unfortunately, Nikon did not include the version with no info and only picture that is present in the Z5 II.
• I change the Auto white balance just a bit towards the cooler side. This looks more natural and more like the Z5 II. I also apply a bit of sharpening to the standard picture mode, but leave it otherwise unchanged.