Nikon Z30 Camera Review

If you’re following me on Instagram or YouTube, you already know this, but I bought my first camera earlier this year, almost seven years in my journey as a blogger. I’ve been thinking about it for years and finally took the plunge a few weeks ago. I’d wanted a Canon G7-X Mark II for the longest while, but I figured I would see if anything else would grab my attention. After researching, I watched a few videos on camera media channels tooting the horn on the Nikon Z30 vlogging camera. Well, it’s not for bloggers but is well-suited to vloggers. You know what I mean. But as both a blogger and a vlogger, I wanted to see if it was good for photography. I wanted a camera that would do both vlogs and photos justice. Besides, I still have a phone that takes awesome photos. I was concerned initially but figured out from these videos that although they tend to be expensive, the right lens’ could allow me to do both.

The camera is marketed as a beginner camera for vloggers. I am both those things, so naturally, I took a stab at it. I bought mine as a kit from a Best Buy store location. It was the only one they had in stock, and while I had hoped to get one with a content creator kit, I had to go with what was available — a basic one. It cost CAD$1,049.99 plus taxes. I think this was great for my new role as a Canadian blogger.

PS Please note this review is not for the tech-savvy. If you’re like me and a complete novice regarding cameras, then this is for us.

The Nikon Vlogging camera kit came with:

The Nikon Z30 Mirrorless camera body
A Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm VR
Battery (1)
Body Cap
Rear Cap
Camera Strap
USB Cord

First Impressions of the Kit

Now, straight off the bat, for someone who has never owned a camera, a few things were apparent. There was no ‘charger.’ I would need to charge through my computer. One batter meant I would need to own another since the battery requires the whole camera not to be used during that time to charge the seven hours it needs. Camera batteries don’t last that long. Therefore an additional battery is a need. No SD card, not even a small-capacity one. So, I had to buy one… or two. Some ‘kit.’ Anyway, I bought one with ‘professional capacity.’ I didn’t even know that was a thing. The more you know. Essentially, although I was excited, the camera, with its ‘kit’ format, was not ready for use immediately. So I had to wait to try it out until I got the additional accessories. I wasn’t impressed.

You May Also Like: Blogging Equipment I Use as a Blogger

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shandean Reid • Lifestyle Canada Blogger (@thecaffeinatedmillennial)

Once I got a second battery, a charger, some SD cards and a weekend to create some content while it was still bright, I got to work. Here are some examples and my thoughts.

Photos from the Nikon Z30 vs Photos From My iPhone

The critical thing to remember here is that I am not a photographer. I’ve had lots of time to get to know my phone (and know there is still lots I could learn) and much less getting to know the camera. I’m not versed on the best settings, but I figure my review could still be valuable for people like me, whose eyes glaze over when they watch techies review the products as they go on about the specs.

Videos

As far as video, the Nikon Z30 camera is excellent for sit-down recording. However, there is little to no stabilization when walking around. The camera is far too unstable to use for anything. I understand you can purchase a lens to correct this, but lenses are expensive. So I won’t do that before deciding to get another camera overall.