rpkphoto

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. What I've done is gotten the Firmware 1.02 upgrade, then turned off the Q button and transferred the Q menu to the Fn button next to the shutter release. Works like a charm.
By the way, this little X-T30 with the 18-55 kit zoom is an amazing camera!

I am planning to buy an X30 to take to France in September, along with my trusty X20. I am a documentary photographer who likes to carry a lightweight kit, and have been very happy with the X20, which has essentially the exact same image quality as its successor, the X30. The X30 is not the best camera for image quality that you can get, but then neither was the Leica when it was taken up by Henri Cartier-Bresson in the early 1930s.
 
My own work is in many museum, corporate, and private collections, as well as several books, and I love these little cameras and the image quality they provide. To see examples of my Fuji X20 - and before that X10 - work, go to my web site  (<http://www.rpkphoto.smugmug.com>); check out "Singular Images: Recent and Rediscovered Photographs" in the Galleries section, and "Searching For Edward Hopper" in the Books folder. With a couple of minor exceptions, all images there dated 2012 or later were taken with X10 or X20 Fuji cameras. 
 
I would recommend the X30 without hesitation. In my view it's small size and excellent lens make it a sound alternative to the larger, heavier interchangeable lens Fuji X models, lovely as they are.

I have both the 55-200 and the 50-230 OIS II .  Both produce stunning results , coupled with my X-Pro2 .
After many tests side-by side , I decided to carry with me only the lighter 50-230.  The much praised XF55-200 sits in the basement, for now.
The fact is : simply I cannot see the difference in IQ  !
Then I prefer to travel light.
I don't see many cases where the extra f-stop given by the XF lens would make a difference, for me.

I don’t have any experience with the XF55-200 but have the xc 50-230 that came in a kit with my xt20 as well as the 16-50. I have been blown away by the quality of shots taken with these two xc lenses. And I am the same as you stated above not really a long zoom user so it will probably be all the long zoom I will ever need.
Sure it is made out of plastic but feels really solid and while not the same build quality feel as my XF35mm it is not far behind. And it balances really nice on the xt20. Do a Flickr search for this lens and you will see lots of great pictures.

Thank you all for your input; it has been very useful. As a result (and with further online and offline researches of my own). I've pretty much decided to get the considerably lighter 50-230. A small extra point in its favor is that both the 50-230 and the 18-55 kit lens have the same 58mm filter size, a convenience.
 
So again, thanks to you all and to Fuji X Forum.

The X-Hi has lots of great features, but suffers from size-creep; how many models from now until Fuji's flagship camera is as big as a Canikon?

The X-Hi has lots of great features, but suffers from size-creep; how many models from now until Fuji's flagship camera is as big as a Canikon?

This morning Fuji Rumors posed the question, "What’s the rumor you always hoped I’d publish one day, but I never did?" What I am pining for is an upgrade to my much beloved (and used) X30. I love the size and handling of this little camera and its two predecessors, the X10 and X20 (both of which I still own). I love the 28 - 112 (equivalent)  f2 -2.8 zoom lens. I love the build quality. I love the images I get from this camera.
 
My only problem is with noise in low light situations, which I have to wrestle with more than I would like (still, I get pretty good results -- see below, taken late at night from a park across the street.)
 
I'm not asking for anything unreasonable, just whatever improvements are possible to the same basic layout (especially the same lovely little lens) from three years ago when the X30 was introduced.
 
Are there any of you out there who would like to see (and more than likely would buy) an update to this camera?

I don’t know whether what happened to Sony might happen to Fuji too.
 
I don’t think that, at this point, there would ever be a Fuji full frame ( while there might be a “ medium format” with fixed lens and optical adapters, a bit like an overgrown X100T)  and I agree, as the article puts it, a mirrorless full frame offers more a fad than a well thought logical choice since the “ advantages” over a more traditional design are minimal at best.
 
 
In my view, once a company defines the identity of a product which turn out to be a success ( small size of camera and lenses, high quality image, retro feel and looks) reason has it that that company should stick to what made this camera a success... but we are seeing a certain amount of Fuji users demanding things which go in a direction which is absolutely contrary to the product identity ( as seen and established to date).
 
 
 
So they are asking light efficient large lenses ( which would impair the view of the OVF for those using it and would bring the camera out of balance) and larger grips for more battery life while the logic would suggest using smaller lenses and develop better batteries to stay within the idea of compactness and avoid adding weight and size to something that sells because it is small.
 
 
In the end we might end up with the largest small camera in the APS-C world, who knows?
 
On the other hand, do I really care of what the future will bring?
 
Within the Fuji system I found my own niche and I am happy.  I admit not being interested in comparing my cameras with other systems... because I just simply don’t care. Maybe there are better cameras out there but would I make any better pictures with them? I doubt it.
 
The only important thing is how comfortable I am with camera and the software that I use.
 
Frankly speaking that’s another area in which I really don’t obsess too much. I found something that works for me (although others might find unrefined or even technically objectionable) and I do it. I am reasonably happy with the results. At this point in time, my like my judgement on the things that I do is the only one judgement that I really care about.
 
I don’t have to please anyone else than myself and I am not unhappy.
 
I made my choice based mostly on the feel and looks of the X cameras and that’s that. I really don’t care that this that or the other system are “ better” or worse.
 
Often I see people announcing their divorce from the Fuji system and selling all their equipment (more often than not at a gigantic loss) when I read the reason why that happens ( with very few exceptions mentioning limitations which impair a particular thing, but then I wonder why one committed so heavily to one system...) I think that those who do that must be crazy but hey, farewell, to each his own!
 
 
Of course there will be contradictions from Fuji’s part and maybe a faux pas or two ( like the release or lack of release of Kaizen) but it’s all in the game.
 
At this point, frankly speaking, with my two cameras ( X-E2 and X-T1) several lenses : Samyang 8mm fish eye, 12mm , Fuji 18-55, 60, 50-230, Pentax Macro 100mm, Helios 58mm, Meyer Göerz 50, and few adapters I am mostly done with buying.
 
I might buy something else but, unless a camera will fail I may never “ need” to replace it.
 
Which brings me to people continuously “ updating”. Does everyone “ need” the update? Really?

Merlin and Milano - 
 
The filter set I'm referring to is the Lens Hood, Protector Filter LHF-X20, not the LH-JX10, which you have illustrated. With the LHF-X20, the lens shade screws off, leaving what appears to be a standard 52mm thread. If what you mean by CPL is circular polarizing filter, I see no reason one wouldn't work, although putting one filter over another may not be the best way to go.

With the Fuji brand lens hood and UV filter, the filter is built into a 40.5 - 52mm step-up ring, which screws into the lens, and the lens hood, in turn, screws into. So the filter is essentially the same as any quality UV filter on the lens side, and I can't imagine there being any problem with dirt getting between the filter and lens.
 
I have this filter and lens hood on my X30 (having transferred them from my X20) and have never had any problems. Plus, a very nice clincher-type lens cap was included, and the filter is an excellent Fuji-branded UV. It seemed a bit expensive for a lens hood until I realized what great a quality filter and lens cap came with it.

Merlin, thanks. I know - just bought one from Amazon today.
 
I was looking around Fuji X Forum and came across this statement by Forum member bradsamo:
 
"I think the X30 is hands down the best kept secret in the high-end compact world. Smaller sensor, yes, but image quality and shooting experience are arguably better than the 1" offerings out there. It's a stunning camera."
 
That's pretty much how I feel about the X20, so I have high expectations for its newer sibling.
 
For examples of my work with these cameras, check out my web site at <http://www.rpkphoto.smugmug.com>), especially "Singular Images" in the Galleries section and "Searching For Edward Hopper" in the Books folder. With a couple of minor exceptions, all images there dated 2012 or later were taken with Fuji X10 or X20 cameras. 

I am planning to buy an X30 to take to France in September, along with my trusty X20. I am a documentary photographer who likes to carry a lightweight kit, and have been very happy with the X20, which has essentially the exact same image quality as its successor, the X30. The X30 is not the best camera for image quality that you can get, but then neither was the Leica when it was taken up by Henri Cartier-Bresson in the early 1930s.
 
My own work is in many museum, corporate, and private collections, as well as several books, and I love these little cameras and the image quality they provide. To see examples of my Fuji X20 - and before that X10 - work, go to my web site  (<http://www.rpkphoto.smugmug.com>); check out "Singular Images: Recent and Rediscovered Photographs" in the Galleries section, and "Searching For Edward Hopper" in the Books folder. With a couple of minor exceptions, all images there dated 2012 or later were taken with X10 or X20 Fuji cameras. 
 
I would recommend the X30 without hesitation. In my view it's small size and excellent lens make it a sound alternative to the larger, heavier interchangeable lens Fuji X models, lovely as they are.

I think the X30 is hands down the best kept secret in the high-end compact world. Smaller sensor, yes, but image quality and shooting experience are arguably better than the 1" offerings out there. It's a stunning camera. 
 
B

I will start this Forum with an update of a comment I posted at DPReview a couple of months ago:
 
Since 2012 I've been a confirmed Fuji X camera user, and never in 40 years of shooting have I had cameras I liked more than the lovely little X10 and X20 - not even my old Leicas and Contax Ts. (I've retired my big clunky DSLRs.)

I'm sure the X30 is an excellent camera, but I yearn for something better: an X100Z (the “Z” standing for zoom) with a lens equivalent to the one on my X20 (but of course configured for the larger X100 series sensor). This would make what is arguably the best small camera in the world even better, and appeal to a much larger audience than the fixed prime lens versions have.

I yearn for the image quality and only slightly larger body (to say nothing of the amazing hybrid viewfinder) of the X100T, but without giving up the flexibility of the superb zoom lens on my X20. I love the way I can reach out through these flexible little cameras and bring back interesting pieces of the world. Will Fuji ever oblige us with an X100Z, or am I only daydreaming?

To see photographs I’ve taken with the X10 and X20, go to my latest book, "Searching for Edward Hopper," at:
rpkphoto.smugmug.com/Books/Searching-for-Edward-Hopper. The 33 images from 2012 or later were made with these Fuji cameras.

In Rockwell's review yesterday (Sept 9), titled "Fuji's best interchangeable-lens camera yet, adding a flash and more to the X-T1," he raves about the camera.
 
If I weren't already planning to buy one, this review would convince me to do so.

I will start this Forum with an update of a comment I posted at DPReview a couple of months ago:
 
Since 2012 I've been a confirmed Fuji X camera user, and never in 40 years of shooting have I had cameras I liked more than the lovely little X10 and X20 - not even my old Leicas and Contax Ts. (I've retired my big clunky DSLRs.)

I'm sure the X30 is an excellent camera, but I yearn for something better: an X100Z (the “Z” standing for zoom) with a lens equivalent to the one on my X20 (but of course configured for the larger X100 series sensor). This would make what is arguably the best small camera in the world even better, and appeal to a much larger audience than the fixed prime lens versions have.

I yearn for the image quality and only slightly larger body (to say nothing of the amazing hybrid viewfinder) of the X100T, but without giving up the flexibility of the superb zoom lens on my X20. I love the way I can reach out through these flexible little cameras and bring back interesting pieces of the world. Will Fuji ever oblige us with an X100Z, or am I only daydreaming?

To see photographs I’ve taken with the X10 and X20, go to my latest book, "Searching for Edward Hopper," at:
rpkphoto.smugmug.com/Books/Searching-for-Edward-Hopper. The 33 images from 2012 or later were made with these Fuji cameras.

All I want is a X40 with a properly updated sensor

I will start this Forum with an update of a comment I posted at DPReview a couple of months ago:
 
Since 2012 I've been a confirmed Fuji X camera user, and never in 40 years of shooting have I had cameras I liked more than the lovely little X10 and X20 - not even my old Leicas and Contax Ts. (I've retired my big clunky DSLRs.)

I'm sure the X30 is an excellent camera, but I yearn for something better: an X100Z (the “Z” standing for zoom) with a lens equivalent to the one on my X20 (but of course configured for the larger X100 series sensor). This would make what is arguably the best small camera in the world even better, and appeal to a much larger audience than the fixed prime lens versions have.

I yearn for the image quality and only slightly larger body (to say nothing of the amazing hybrid viewfinder) of the X100T, but without giving up the flexibility of the superb zoom lens on my X20. I love the way I can reach out through these flexible little cameras and bring back interesting pieces of the world. Will Fuji ever oblige us with an X100Z, or am I only daydreaming?

To see photographs I’ve taken with the X10 and X20, go to my latest book, "Searching for Edward Hopper," at:
rpkphoto.smugmug.com/Books/Searching-for-Edward-Hopper. The 33 images from 2012 or later were made with these Fuji cameras.

1. I'd like to see a larger sensor without compromising the quality (if not the size) of the body and lens.
2. Better response to noise (#1 should help in this regard).
3. Click stops on the control ring around the lens to keep it from being accidentally shifted.
4. Out of the question, I'm sure, but I'd love the hybred viewfinder from the X100 series.
 
Overall, however, excessive noise has always been my main problem with the X10/20/30, so I'd be thrilled if only that issue were significantly improved by Fuji.

I will start this Forum with an update of a comment I posted at DPReview a couple of months ago:
 
Since 2012 I've been a confirmed Fuji X camera user, and never in 40 years of shooting have I had cameras I liked more than the lovely little X10 and X20 - not even my old Leicas and Contax Ts. (I've retired my big clunky DSLRs.)

I'm sure the X30 is an excellent camera, but I yearn for something better: an X100Z (the “Z” standing for zoom) with a lens equivalent to the one on my X20 (but of course configured for the larger X100 series sensor). This would make what is arguably the best small camera in the world even better, and appeal to a much larger audience than the fixed prime lens versions have.

I yearn for the image quality and only slightly larger body (to say nothing of the amazing hybrid viewfinder) of the X100T, but without giving up the flexibility of the superb zoom lens on my X20. I love the way I can reach out through these flexible little cameras and bring back interesting pieces of the world. Will Fuji ever oblige us with an X100Z, or am I only daydreaming?

To see photographs I’ve taken with the X10 and X20, go to my latest book, "Searching for Edward Hopper," at:
rpkphoto.smugmug.com/Books/Searching-for-Edward-Hopper. The 33 images from 2012 or later were made with these Fuji cameras.

This is terrific! Best good wishes. I'm adding Fuji X Forum to my check everyday bookmark folder.

I will start this Forum with an update of a comment I posted at DPReview a couple of months ago:
 
Since 2012 I've been a confirmed Fuji X camera user, and never in 40 years of shooting have I had cameras I liked more than the lovely little X10 and X20 - not even my old Leicas and Contax Ts. (I've retired my big clunky DSLRs.)

I'm sure the X30 is an excellent camera, but I yearn for something better: an X100Z (the “Z” standing for zoom) with a lens equivalent to the one on my X20 (but of course configured for the larger X100 series sensor). This would make what is arguably the best small camera in the world even better, and appeal to a much larger audience than the fixed prime lens versions have.

I yearn for the image quality and only slightly larger body (to say nothing of the amazing hybrid viewfinder) of the X100T, but without giving up the flexibility of the superb zoom lens on my X20. I love the way I can reach out through these flexible little cameras and bring back interesting pieces of the world. Will Fuji ever oblige us with an X100Z, or am I only daydreaming?

To see photographs I’ve taken with the X10 and X20, go to my latest book, "Searching for Edward Hopper," at:
rpkphoto.smugmug.com/Books/Searching-for-Edward-Hopper. The 33 images from 2012 or later were made with these Fuji cameras.