Don’t Walk Under Falling Bicycles – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Chrome Bypass”
There are a number of X-Trans IV film simulation recipes that I’ve had multiple requests to create versions for that are compatible with X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras. LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass are two that are commonly requested. These recipes require JPEG settings that don’t exist on the “older” cameras, including the Classic Negative or Eterna Bleach Bypass film simulations. I knew it would be impossible to recreate those recipes for X-Trans III and the X-T3 and X-T30 cameras, but I wanted to get as close as I could. After much experimenting, I came up with some settings that are sometimes similar to the LomoChrome Metropolis recipe and are sometimes similar to the Bleach Bypass recipe, and sometimes not like either.
What the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass recipes have in common are that they’re both high in contrast and low in color saturation. There are some other similarities between them, but there’s plenty that’s different, too. This recipe with certain subjects and in certain light situations can resemble one or the other, or neither. It’s as close as I could get. If you like the LomoChrome Metropolis and Bleach Bypass recipes, this is your best bet for X-Trans III and X-T3 and X-T30 cameras (aside from doing double-exposures). While it’s not as “perfect” as I was hoping to achieve, I think it’s a pretty good recipe for capturing dramatic pictures. It’s kind of (but not really) the low saturation version of Dramatic Classic Chrome.
Because these settings resemble both the LomoChrome Metropolis and the Bleach Bypass film simulation recipes, I decided to name this recipe Chrome Bypass, taking a little from each name. I don’t currently have access to an X-Trans III camera, so I don’t have any samples captured with a Fujifilm X-Trans III camera, but it should look very similar.
PRO Neg. Std Dynamic Range: DR200 Highlight: +3 Shadow: +4 Color: -4 Color Chrome Effect: Off or N/A Sharpness: -1 Noise Reduction: -4 Grain Effect: Strong White Balance: Auto, +2 Red & -5 Blue ISO: Auto up to ISO 6400 Exposure Compensation: 0 to +2/3 (typically)
Sample photographs, all camera-made JPEGs, captured with a Fujifilm X-T30 using this “Chrome Bypass” film simulation recipe:
Mountain Teasels – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Cloudy Branches – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Summer Tree – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Country Fence & Old Tires – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Tulip Pot – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Colorful Tulips – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Handy Dandy Grill – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Little Bit of Green – Farmington, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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Green Mountain On Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
A creative option found in many photo editing programs is texture. The texture, which might be canvas, paper, cloth, wood, etc., is added as a layer which can be blended as strongly or subtly as one might want. It’s a fun technique that adds an unexpected element to pictures. I used to occasionally do this when I used Alien Skin Exposure software. There are even some specialty films that have texture built-in, such as Revolog Texture films.
When I was experimenting with my Faded Color and Faded Monochrome film simulation recipes, which use double-exposure photography to create a vintage film aesthetic, it occurred to me that I could use the double-exposure feature of my Fujifilm X-T30 to add texture to my pictures in-camera. I could get a textured look without software. Incredible! So I begun to experiment with textured JPEGs, and the results were interesting.
Canvas Daisy – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
You might ask, “I can do this in Photoshop in only a few seconds, so why would I want to do this in-camera?” That’s a good question that deserves a lengthy explanation. I used to shoot RAW, but I rely on camera-made JPEGs now. Why? It saves me tons of time and makes my photographs more honest. Since I started shooting JPEGs, my photography production has gone through the roof while my total time investment in photography has noticeably dropped. I’m creating more with less. It’s all thanks to Fujifilm’s superb JPEG engine. The honesty statement is a little more controversial, but it’s clear that photography in general has taken a large perception hit when it comes to integrity. Non-photographers (photography consumers) don’t take a picture at face value anymore, and “Photoshop” has negative connotations. People ask me, “How much is this Photoshopped?” I answer, “None of it, this is how the camera captured it. This picture is unedited.” You’d be surprised at the overwhelming positive responses that I get from this answer. People find it refreshing. Photographers don’t see anything wrong with photo manipulation; however, many non-photographers feel that it’s not the image that’s being manipulated by the photographer, but the general public. They feel as though they’re being tricked by dishonesty. Whether or not that perception is fair or should exist is a whole different discussion, but you can avoid it altogether by shooting JPEGs. People are looking for authenticity, and this is one way to move in that direction.
To capture a photograph with texture on your Fujifilm camera, you will first need to enable the double-exposure feature of your camera. On the X-T30 it’s found on a knob on top of the camera. You can use any film simulation, but note that double-exposure pictures on the camera will be flatter (have less contrast), so Velvia, Classic Chrome and Acros work best because they have more contrast. Astia and PRO Neg. Hi work alright, as well. You will want to have Highlight and Shadow set no lower than +2, and more might give better results. Don’t be afraid to try +4 on one or both. I also recommend DR100, and DR200 if the scene has a lot of contrast. I find that for the main exposure, exposure compensation typically needs to be in the +1/3 to +1 range. The second exposure, which will be the texture exposure, typically needs exposure compensation set to -1 to -2, and I usually start at -2 and adjust as necessary. The camera will show you what the picture will look like, and it also allows do-overs if you need it.
Hanging B&W Picture – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
For texture, I found the best results came from a white stretched canvas for painting. I also tried other things, like burlap, cloth, paper, wood and metal, but the results weren’t as good in my opinion. I recommend trying different materials and seeing for yourself what you like or don’t like. After capturing the main exposure, capture a second exposure of the textured object. It’s really that simple. The camera gives a 50/50 blend of the two exposures, but because the first exposure is brighter and the second is darker, it will appear more in the neighborhood of 70/30, which is what you want. It might appear as though the image is actually printed on a textured surface.
This is a simple but creative way to use the double-exposure feature of your camera. You could really play around with this and get inventive. Try different settings, different subjects and different textures and see what happens. Below are examples of textured pictures I created using this technique on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Afternoon Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Spring Green Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Backlit Sycamore Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Hazy Light Tree Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Tree Trunk In The Corner – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Weed Flower Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 -Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Yellow Flower on Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Crop of the above image.
Yellow Blossom Burlap – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Burlap
Bottle Still Life – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Coffee Still Life – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Metal
Blue R – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Film on Canvas – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
E To H – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Canvas
Zenit E on Wood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Wood
Wood Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Wood
Knot A Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Wood
Window Birds Texture – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Cloth
Is this camera for me? That’s the number one question those searching the web for camera reviews are hoping to find the answer to. Usually you wait until the bottom of the article to find the reviewer’s opinion. To save you time, I’m placing my answer to the question right at the top: the Fujifilm X-T30 is indeed the camera for you! Or, really, any of the X-T00 series, which also include the X-T10 and X-T20. These cameras combine the right design, features, usability, image quality, build quality, size, weight and price to be appealing to anyone, no matter your skill level. This could be a great option for a beginner’s first interchangeable-lens camera, and this could be a great option for a pro’s take-anywhere camera or backup body. This series is the Goldilocks of cameras, and it is no wonder that it’s Fujifilm’s best-selling line. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s move onto the rest of the review.
The Fujifilm X-T30 is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera with design inspiration from classic film-era SLRs. It has an APS-C sized 26-megapixel X-Trans IV sensor. The advantage of X-Trans, aside from not being susceptible to moire pattern distortion, is that it contains more green-light sensitive sensor elements (which is where luminosity information comes from) than an equivalent Bayer-pattern sensor with the same pixel count. Because of this, X-Trans has a slightly higher apparent resolution, a larger dynamic range, and better high-ISO performance than a Bayer-pattern sensor. Of course, “slightly” is the key word in that last sentence, but every bit counts, so it’s worth mentioning for those who might not know. X-Trans takes more processing power, and the big challenge that Fujifilm has faced is heat dispersion. This new X-Trans IV sensor, which is back-side illuminated, runs cooler, and that allows Fujifilm to crank up the speed of the camera. Quickness is the advantage the new sensor.
I want to make my point-of-view for this review clear, which is probably a little different than most. I’m an experienced Fujifilm user and a JPEG shooter. That’s the lens from which my opinions are coming through. There are things about the X-T30 that other reviewers might focus on that I won’t, and there are things that I will talk about that might not get much attention from others. You can expect this review to be a little different than many others that you’ll find on the internet. Hopefully this will be useful to some of you, as I suspect there are others with a similar point-of-view as myself.
This last weekend I went to Moab, Utah, and made almost one thousand exposures with the Fujifilm X-T30. I kept about 25% of the pictures. The time it took me to post-process the trip, from reviewing to editing to transferring to storing the images, was less than three hours total. That’s actually quite amazing, and it’s all thanks to Fujifilm’s wonderful in-camera JPEG engine. Before using Fujifilm cameras, I used Sony and Nikon for a little while and shot RAW. With those cameras it would have taken me a minimum of eight hours to finish post-processing that amount of exposures. Five years ago I had a Sigma Merrill camera that would have taken me eight hours to finish only half of the exposures! I’m thrilled with all of the time that I save by using Fujifilm and shooting JPEGs.
Red Mesa – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Red Rock Castles – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
One thing that I have noticed with the X-T30, and I have not seen much discussion on this, is the improved sharpening that the camera is applying to JPEGs. Fujifilm has programmed a better sharpening algorithm into the X-T30 than the X-T20. On X-Trans III cameras, such as the X100F, X-Pro2 and X-T20, all of which I have used, I felt that +2 was the highest Sharpness setting that one should use, and even at +2 there were occasionally artifacts and weird side-effects of over sharpening. Eventually I settled on 0 as my standard Sharpness setting for those cameras. On the X-T30, which has the new X-Trans IV sensor and processor, I can go all the way to +4 Sharpness, and I’m not experiencing artifacts or weird side-effects. Besides that, the amount of sharpening that’s being applied at each setting is slightly more heavy-handed on X-Trans IV than on X-Trans III. For example, at +1, it’s noticeable to my eyes that the X-T30 is applying a slightly stronger amount of sharpening to the file than the X-T20, yet without negative consequence. The outcome is a crisper, more detailed picture. I wonder if this stems from the collaboration between Fujifilm and Phase One.
Between the improved sharpening and the extra 2-megapixels of resolution, JPEGs from the X-T30 appear more crisp, rich and detailed than those from the X-T20. There’s a noticeable difference. I saw it but didn’t say anything about it to my wife (who is the actual owner of the X-T20), and when I showed her some of the pictures that I had captured with the X-T30, she spotted it pretty quickly and commented, “This is more clear than what I get with my camera, like I’m actually there!” The out-of-camera JPEGs from the X-T30 remind me of post-processed RAW files from a Sigma Merrill captured at low ISO, which is saying a lot if you know anything about the Sigma Merrill cameras. I would bet that the JPEGs from the X-T30 can hold their own against post-processed RAW files from older full-frame cameras like the Nikon D610, or even newer full-frame cameras like the Canon 5D IV. I’m not going to do any side-by-side comparisons, but simply state that I believe the X-T30 delivers fantastic JPEGs that go beyond anything from any other APS-C camera (except for the X-T3, which it is equal to since they share the same sensor and processor).
Horse & Girl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Massive crop from the above photo. I printed this crop and it looks surprisingly good.
So far I have only made a few prints from X-T30 exposures, but I do believe that 24″ x 36″ prints will look great even when viewed up close, and 40″ x 60″ prints will look good at a normal viewing distance but will show a some softness and pixelation when viewed up close. It seems like, if you use ISO 800 or less, set Sharpness to +4, set Noise Reduction to -4, use a sharp prime lens and don’t crop, the sky is the limit for printing sizes. The photographs from the X-T30 look great even when you pixel-peep.
While Fujifilm has clearly improved sharpening on the X-T30, I don’t feel the same about noise reduction, specifically at the higher ISOs. At ISO 3200 and below there’s no difference in noise between the X-T20 and X-T30, but above that there is, and I prefer the X-T20 when it comes to high-ISO color photographs (for black-and-white it doesn’t matter). In fact, I don’t really like ISO 12800 for color images on the X-T30 (which I found usable on the X-T20) as there are blotchy colors that just don’t look good. However, for grainy black-and-white photographs I find that ISO 25600 is good on the X-T30, which I didn’t find usable on the X-T20. My opinion is that high-ISO has worsened by one stop on the X-T30 for color photographs and improved by one stop for black-and-white.
Bolsey Brownie – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – ISO 25600
Church Seats Empty – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – ISO 12800
The X-T30 has several new JPEG features, including D-Range Priority, B&W toning, Eterna Film Simulation and Color Chrome Effect. They are all good tools for better achieving your desired look in-camera. I don’t know if any of them are particularly useful to the RAW shooter, but for the JPEG shooter you might appreciate these new features. I will give a short synopsis of each, but you can click on the links above for a more detailed explanation.
D-Range Priority is essentially a step beyond DR400. It produces a flat image to help combat high contrast scenes. The options are Weak, which might remind you of DR400 with both Shadow and Highlight set to -2, and Strong, which is appropriately titled. In very harsh lighting situations, this allows you to maximize the dynamic range of the sensor for your JPEGs beyond anything Fujifilm has offered before. It works, but it requires the right situation to work well. I’ve actually used it more than I thought I would, but it is definitely an every-once-in-a-while type thing.
Green Tree On Red Cliff – Dead Horse Point SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – D-Range Priority Weak – captured in harsh midday light.
Clouds Over Canyonlands – Dead Horse Point SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – toned +1 warm
The ability to tone your black-and-white images, either warm or cool, is a highly welcomed feature. I love it! It’s something I suggested awhile back, and now Fujifilm has included it on the X-T30. This is one of my favorite new features of the camera!
Eterna is the lowest saturated and lowest contrast color film simulation option on the X-T30. It’s the antithesis of Velvia. It has a lovely quality to it, but requires the right subject and light to be effective. I’m looking forward to experimenting more with it.
Eating Crackers – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Eterna
North Window Arch – Arches NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – Color Chrome Effect Strong
Color Chrome Effect, which can be enabled for any film simulation, deepens the shade of bright colors so as to retain tonality. It’s intended for highly saturated scenes and pairs well with Velvia. There are two options, Weak and Strong, and they’re both pretty subtle, especially Weak. It’s a neat trick, but it’s not a big difference maker for many photographs.
For those who use camera-made JPEGs, the X-T30 is a better camera than the X-T20. Between the improved sharpening and the new features, I appreciate the results more on this camera than the old model. It’s not a night-and-day difference, but there is indeed a difference! Since the image is whats important, I’m thrilled with the upgrade. Fujifilm already had the best JPEG engine in the business with X-Trans III, and X-Trans IV is even better.
Dead Desert Tree – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Rock Castles – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
There are, of course, other changes, some of which are improvements and some are not. The focus joystick on the X-T30 is nice sometimes, but so is the D-Pad on the X-T20. I’m still undecided which I prefer, but I’m leaning towards the D-Pad. The best setup is both a joystick and D-Pad, but you’ll have to go with a higher-end model, such as the X-T3, to get that. The location of the Q button, which is now on the thumb grip, is also nice sometimes, and not so nice other times. I have accidentally pushed it more than I can count, but on the flip side it’s easy to find without looking.
What everyone has been talking about regarding the X-T30 is focus speed. It’s fast! It’s much quicker in dim-light situations than the X-T20. Fujifilm has improved focus tracking and facial recognition, as well. The X-T30 is undoubtedly better at auto-focus, but I never found the X-T20 to be lacking in this department. If your subject or style requires super quick auto-focusing, the X-T30 is the camera for you. If not, then the improved auto-focusing is more gee-whiz than anything that’s especially practical.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the X-T30 and X-T20 is video capability and quality. The X-T30 is a highly capable video camera that can be used by serious videographers. I’m not a video guy myself, so this upgrade doesn’t matter much to me, but for those who might use this camera for video, it’s a pretty big deal. If that’s you, you will definitely want to choose the X-T30 over the X-T20. I made a short test video just to demonstrate the quality.
There’s a lot more that I could talk about. I could discuss all of the different menu changes. I could give a rundown of everything on the stat sheet. I could add some graphs that show this or that. However, that’s not my style, so I won’t bore you. I want to give you my impressions of actually using the camera. In real world use, the Fujifilm X-T30 is an impressive little camera. Is it as good as the X-T3? No, but it’s not very far from it, and yet in a smaller, lighter and less expensive package. Is it better than the X-T20? Yes, in most regards, it is better, but is it worth the upgrade? If you already own an X-T20, unless you just need the improved video or auto-focus capabilities, I would not recommend upgrading. Use the money for a new lens or a photographic adventure instead. Are you trying to decide between the X-T20 and X-T30? If you rely on camera-made JPEGs, need super fast auto-focus, or shoot a lot of video, the X-T30 is the camera to get, otherwise save yourself a little money and buy the nearly as good X-T20.
Desert River – Dead Horse Point SP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Water & Stone – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
To conclude, the Fujifilm X-T30 is a rare Goldilocks camera that anyone could be happy using. It’s not perfect, as no camera is, but it is very good. It has a lot of attractive features and delivers beautiful images. It’s a great example of just how far camera technology has come! The X-T30 has a very reasonable MSRP of $900 for the camera body. I have no doubt that it will be successful for Fujifilm, just as the X-T10 and X-T20 were before it. If you decide to buy the X-T30, I’m sure you’ll be quite happy with it. You can purchase the Fujifilm X-T30 from Amazon by clicking here, which helps to support this website. I hope that you found something in this review that has been useful to your camera purchase decision.
Below are example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using the Fujifilm X-T30.
Color
Balance Rock Evening – Arches NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Castles To The Sky – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Red Hill – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
River Colors – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Fresh Neighborhood Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Snowfall In Downtown Park City – Park City, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Castle Spire – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Rock Balanced – Arches NP, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
B&W
Monochrome Mesa – Castle Valley, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Two Pots – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Collecting Rain – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Piano Wire – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Microwave – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
It’s Lit – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Storm Beyond The Frozen Lake – Echo Lake, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
White Tree – Moab, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
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