Nikon Z30 Comparison Review

The Nikon Z30 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera that was revealed to the public in June 2022 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 20.7 megapixel.

Is the Nikon Z30 a good camera? The Z30 has a Camera Elo of 2746. This rating puts the Z30 among the top 40 percent of all mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the Z30 ranks among the top 10 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Nikon Z30 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon Z30 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z30	128 mm	74 mm	60 mm	405 g	330	Y	Jun 2022	US$ 709	amazon.com
2.		Canon G1 X Mark III	115 mm	78 mm	51 mm	399 g	200	Y	Oct 2017	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-T100	121 mm	83 mm	47 mm	448 g	430	n	May 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D3500	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	415 g	1550	n	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D5300	125 mm	98 mm	76 mm	480 g	600	n	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5600	124 mm	97 mm	70 mm	465 g	970	n	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Nikon Z50	127 mm	94 mm	60 mm	450 g	320	Y	Oct 2019	US$ 859	amazon.com
8.		Nikon Z fc	135 mm	94 mm	44 mm	445 g	300	n	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
9.		Sony A6100	120 mm	67 mm	59 mm	396 g	420	n	Aug 2019	US$ 749	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6400	120 mm	67 mm	50 mm	403 g	410	Y	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
11.		Sony ZV-E10	115 mm	64 mm	45 mm	343 g	440	n	Jul 2021	US$ 699	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon Z30 was launched in the US market at a price of $709. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check Z30 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Nikon Z30 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon Z30 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon Z30	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	13.9	2230	86
2.		Canon G1 X Mark III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.2	1649	81
3.		Fujifilm X-T100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1829	83
4.		Nikon D3500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.4	1851	83
5.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
6.		Nikon D5600	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1306	84
7.		Nikon Z50	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1963	84
8.		Nikon Z fc	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2131	85
9.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
10.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
11.		Sony ZV-E10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2134	85
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The Z30 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the Z30 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Nikon Z30 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon Z30	none	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon G1 X Mark III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-T100	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
4.		Nikon D3500	optical	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D5300	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon D5600	optical	n	3.2 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon Z50	2360	n	3.2 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon Z fc	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
9.		Sony A6100	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
10.		Sony A6400	2359	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
11.		Sony ZV-E10	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Nikon Z30 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

One convenient feature of the Z30 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon Z30 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon Z30	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon G1 X Mark III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-T100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Nikon D3500	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	Y
5.		Nikon D5300	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Nikon D5600	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Nikon Z50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon Z fc	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
9.		Sony A6100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Sony A6400	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Sony ZV-E10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the Z30 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the Z30 can be found in the free online Nikon Z30 Manual or on the Nikon support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the Z30 handle or perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon Z30	4/5	..	4/5	86/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2022	US$ 709	amazon.com
2.		Canon G1 X Mark III	5/5	+	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2017	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-T100	4/5	+	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2018	US$ 599	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D3500	4/5	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D5300	4/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 799	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D5600	4/5	..	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2016	US$ 699	ebay.com
7.		Nikon Z50	5/5	..	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2019	US$ 859	amazon.com
8.		Nikon Z fc	4/5	..	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2021	US$ 959	amazon.com
9.		Sony A6100	..	..	4/5	82/100	4/5	5/5	Aug 2019	US$ 749	ebay.com
10.		Sony A6400	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jan 2019	US$ 899	amazon.com
11.		Sony ZV-E10	4/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2021	US$ 699	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check Z30 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make your choice using the following search menu. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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