Great camera bought for my wife and I ended up using it lol

This is geared toward someone who takes pictures primarily from a smartphone and looking to upgrade the quality of their photos. This is a great camera for that. However, there could be some improvements during on-boarding. Out of the box, I was not able to pair the snapbridge with my wife's iphone. I needed to download the firmware software on my computer first and update it. Also, this kit doesn't include a SD card. This should at least include a 16gb sd card to get started. Other than these points its a great camera for someone that wants to upgrade from a smartphone.

I am thinking of doing more videos even though I do mostly still images. I finally decided to get something smaller and lighter. I left aps-c many years ago to go to full frame. I have the FX Nikon z7ii for most of my shoots. I have a little m4/3 Panasonic to take to the field and get images as a toss-around camera. Using Nikon, Panasonic and Sony can get confusing when looking for the settings. I looked at the Canon M50ii as it was small, but I know nikon so much I prefer just to use Nikon. I hit so many wrong buttons on my Panasonic and sony. Nikon buttons aren't as easy to hit or accidentally hit.

Very nice camera. Has some annoyances with cables and plugs and whatnot, but you can see that in other reviews already. Something Im not sure people have noted here is there are only 4 languages on the camera for the OS. I am a native English speaker and only know one language, so it doesn't hurt me, but limiting to 4 languages is still a bummer. There are massive dialogue-heavy video games with 8+ languages to choose from (for interface and captions), so a camera with a very limited set of things that need to be translated you would think could easily cover as many languages as you can think of.. In short though, DOPE camera, great for more than just "podcasting" like it is mainly advertised, but make sure to verify the languages if you intend to gift to someone who is ESL or doesn't read English.

The Z30 shoots 4K 30 without cropping, as I understand, which is a rarity. The image stabilization, which is electronic and I believe does involve slight cropping, does a good job reducing jitter, making this the vlogging camera it claims to be; it's great for doing handheld selfie videos! It features a pair of built-in stereo mics, my kit did not include the windscreens found in another kit, so I can't speak to their effectiveness, but these speakers sound a good deal better than those built into my Fujifilm cameras. I would, however, recommend using a separate microphone for the best audio quality.

The Z30 does not have a viewfinder, which I found a tad irritating, though its screen (which can be rotated to help with high and low angles and be viewed in selfie mode) is bright enough to perform nicely enough in sunlight. It comes with a single battery, which charges in-camera via USB-C. I have mixed feelings about this. My recommendation is to get another battery or two and a charger, so you can swap them out on the fly. I don't believe the battery charges while it's in use, so a long cable to a power bank isn't the answer. That said, it is nice to pack as little as possible when traveling, so an extra battery charger not taking up space in the bag is a small plus. Depending on your use case, I think the Z30 is a fine investment. For the price, you get plenty to take pleasing photos and videos, and it is pretty darn compact and lightweight. It is a crop-sensor camera, and unless you have a pretty specific professional reason to use full frame, I think most users will find that it produces great results. The Nikon Z-mount lenses are typically a bit pricey, but will fit the Z30 and give you some very nice options for expansion, and will be handy if you decide to later purchase something like the Z6.

If this is your first-ever camera system, the Z30 is a solid entry choice that's decent out of the box. Kit lenses have always been relatively poor across the board, but they still work. Build your kit piece by piece as you learn and figure out what you need. If you're already in the Nikon ecosystem, the Z30 is a great mirrorless option for videos and vlogging. It's also a great backup camera option and very travel-friendly. If you've already invested in another ecosystem, I wouldn't jump ship unless you know you want to build into the Z5 or future Nikon full-frame options.

I use the Nikon Z6 for serious photo shoots with its full frame with other professional features and the Nikon D3500 for the more causal photographing occasions. The Nikon Z30 provides another nice addition to my photography gears which is great for light travelling and Vlogging.

Here is what I like about the Nikon Z30 : - light weight (the weights about 15 ounces which is 1 ounce lighter than the D3500) - similar menu layouts as the Z6 - interchangeable lens with the Z mount so I could use my existing Nikon Z6 lens - better focusing abilities and higher ISO (15200) as compared to the D3500 - 4K video with long recording time - sensitive touch-screen display with changeable viewing orientation (facing front or back) which is great for Vlogging