The little mirrorless Nikon Z30 is now cheaper than some trendy compact cameras, as price hits an all-time low

Compacts are trendy right now, but Nikon’s smallest mirrorless camera is now cheaper than many of the most popular compact cameras. The Nikon Z30 has dipped to $596.95 with a 16-50mm kit lens, its lowest US price yet.

The Z30 is the brand’s most compact current mirrorless camera, cramming a 20.9MP APS-C sensor into a body that weighs just 12.3 oz / 350g. While it won’t be as tiny as a point-and-shoot camera, it’s impressively small for a mirrorless, mixing a thin body with a comfortable grip for a camera that’s about 2.3 inches deep and under 3 inches tall.

But size isn’t the only thing the Nikon Z30 has going for it – it is also the brand's most affordable mirrorless body. And that’s just become even more true, as the new $596.95 price tag is the lowest yet for a camera that typically sells for $849.99.

Nikon Z30 + 16-50mm: was $846.95 now $596.95 at Adorama

The Nikon Z30 has dropped to the lowest price yet in the $US, cutting $250 off the usual price. The Nikon Z30 is geared towards vlogging, but the camera's small size also makes it a good compact camera alternative. Buy it if you want something affordable and small that still takes great images. Avoid it if you want a viewfinder or need to photograph fast action. If you buy from Adorama or B&H, you can get a memory card and camera bag at no extra cost.

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The Nikon Z30 is geared towards beginner photographers and vloggers, but when I tried out the camera I couldn’t help but think it would make an excellent alternative to a pricey high-end compact camera.

The Z30 is small but without being uncomfortably so, as the camera still has a decent-sized grip to it. That grip means the camera won’t slide into a pocket like a compact camera, but it’s impressively small for a mirrorless camera.

Compact cameras with APS-C sensors tend to be pricey. The Fujifilm X100VI sells for $1,599, and the Ricoh GR III HDF for just above $1,000. Neither option is easy to find in stock in the US right now, thanks to a mix of compacts becoming trendy and tariffs pausing US orders of the X100VI.

The other feature that struck me about the Nikon Z30 is that it didn’t feel like a cheap camera. The Z30 uses a magnesium alloy body, so it doesn’t feel plasticky like a lot of budget cameras do.

One of the reasons that the Nikon was able to make the Z30 so small is by omitting the viewfinder. The lack of a finder may be a deal breaker for some, pushing photographers towards the pricier and larger Nikon Z50 II.

But for vloggers on a budget, photographers who don’t mind using the LCD screen, and anyone looking for an alternative to pricey high-end compacts, the discount makes the Nikon Z30 a tempting buy.

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