jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I received a new camera yesterday. Should I have bought it? Oh, you want to know what I take pictures of and also what it will do that my current camera won't. The answers: everything; I don't know.

Seriously, I got a Fuji X-T30 with 18-55mm lens. It arrived with free overnight delivery from Amazon. The reviews have been very good, and the comments by members here have also been very good. I spent only about thirty minutes with it, and I'll be gone all day today (no photo ops), so it's still a stranger to me.

Some comments:
*The controls are definitely different, nothing like Nikon. I guess the controls and Menu will take some getting used to.
*I like having the shutter speed dial right on top - just like old film cameras.
*It didn't come with a battery charger, just a cable. The cable connects with what looks like a micro USB, but it isn't. I'll have to find out what it is and buy more. I'll also be buying extra batteries and a charger.
*I was thinking this would be a good travel/compact camera, like my a6000. Nope! The body is compact, but the lens is larger than the camera.
*The two manuals (English and Spanish) are over 300 pages long, nice to see.
*I'll be spending time on YouTube looking at setup suggestions, since the Menu and controls are so foreign to me.
*The lens cap is similar to the one I hate on the a6000. It's almost impossible to get it onto the lens, especially with the lens hood in place. If Xume makes a magnetic adapter that small, I might get one of them and a clear filter. I'll use that instead of a lens cap.
*Eventually, I'll have to get a zoom lens of 200mm or more.
*Depending how I like the small leather(?) strap, I might use an OP/TECH that I already have.
*From the small amount of time I've spent with it, I like it, and I look forward to doing a lot of shooting tomorrow. I think this and the D750 will be my two main cameras, and the a6000 will go to a new home.

If any of you have any tips or suggestions, I'd be glad to get them. I'm sure comments related to the X-T20 and X-T3/2 would apply.

Black Elk Peak

Nice. This camera receives good reviews on a number of photo forums.

Enjoy,
Vaughan K.

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

Nice choice your getting the guts of an X-T3 and not the price....

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

Jerry- if you want a wonderful, smaller lens look at the 23 mm, 27 mm pancake, or the 35 mm lenses.
You will find the Fuji easy to learn and use. You can put almost any menu item into "my menu" and that pops up first if you have to get into the menus after you set the camera up.
Aren't new cameras fun! Enjoy.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Hi Jerry
I have found that the best way to set up a new mirrorless camera is go straight in to the Rec Menu and starting at pg1 #1 work through the lot - because that will give you the alternatives immediately - for example, JPG fine or standard, or RAW+ JPG fine, or color standard or color vivid - and so on. If you get stuck that is the time to look at the user manual. Same with tools menu. Custom can come a bit later.
That is what works for me. Have much fun.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks for that. I like pancakes on camera or plate.

I looked at the 35 and 50 mm, and they're pretty big.

Very nice -
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/984430-REG/fujifilm_16389123_fujinon_xf_27mm_f_2_8.html

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Good luck with your new camera, Jerry.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks. I'll have to put a dust cover over my D750. : )

berchman Loc: South Central PA

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

"I'll have to put a dust cover over my D750." That is a good possibility.

You have been shooting with the Sony a6000 and by now I am sure you know of the conveniences of a lighter and smaller size camera.
Enjoy the new toy.

RKL349 Loc: Connecticut

Jerry, I have the 18-55mm Kit lens & the 55-200mm lens for my X-T3 and have been very impressed. I recently used the 55-200 mm for some portrait work for our church directory, with pretty darn good results. I bought a used 27mm lens on eBay for a cruise I took in January and the results were impressive. I commented previously that little really impresses me these days and the Fuji line is getting me more excited about photography again. I hope you enjoy the new toy and get lots of satisfaction in shooting with it.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

When I bought my X-T1 the 18-135 lens was available as a kit lens option. I have been using that for travel abroad on both the X-T2 and X-T3 and it is surprisingly high quality (which hasn't prevented me from buying the 50-140 with 1.4 tele converter and the 16 f/1.4 plus the 27 pancake lens.) I also use the Tamron 180mm macro lens for the Nikon with an adapter for the Fuji.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Have fun! Looks like a neat camera!

le boecere

Jerry, I'm wondering why you'd give up your a6000 kit so early. I've found that even though my X-Camera + 18-55mm + 27 mm are more fun and easier for me to use (due to the "analog" controls), I still use the a6000 and its 11 frames per second for flying grandkids, flying dogs, and kids sports (soccer).

1. For the above purposes, I kept my $150 Sony 55-210mm kit zoom, and, of course, I needed to keep the (a6000) camera for it.

2. I'm not a fan of the Sony E PZ 16-50 mm F3.5-5.6 OSS, however, you seem to be, and what does Fujifilm make that duplicates it? (I purchased my first Fuji X-camera, specifically to get the class-leading XF 18-55mm for my all-purpose "mid-range" travel zoom ~ but it ain't no "pancake")

3. In his 2015 book, "Outdoor Action and Adventure Photography", Dan Bailey stated that his favorite normal lens for the Fuji X series was the 27mm pancake. When I saw him in 2017 he had the Fujichron 35mm f/2 on his XT-2. In his blog, he states; *I’ve loved the XF 35mm f/2 lens since the day I got it, and I take it with me almost everywhere. It’s pretty much my standard “walk around lens.”*

JD750 Loc: SoCal

That could happen. I have been shooting mostly with my Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mii these days. It is my go to action and adventure camera and it has become my every camera as well. I love the M43 format and I love being able to see the image I am going to get before I take it. That is the biggest advantage.

I still have my D750 and I still use it for studio or action photography but I don't use it for my daily anymore. I can see a Z camera body in my future.