The Fujifilm FinePix XP10 offers one of the best value for the price.
Despite its all-plastic contruction the build quality is very good and it also looks more expensive than it really is. According to the users I’ve found around on the Internet this is a really tough camera and can resist in any condition.
This camera is clearly aimed at the family; thanks to its strong construction it can be used even by a child and it has many automatic functions that make it easy to use even for the less expert.
For less than $150 you can have a 12Mega Pixels, waterproof up to 10 ft/3 m, dustproof, shockproof and freezeproof camera. This little masterpiece can even capture videos at 720p with sound.
Opinions from buyers
Pros
- Outdoor pictures are clear, with excellent color saturation and contrast.
- Toddler proof!
- Perfect for snorkeling.
- Very good video quality at 720p
- The battery charges quickly.
- Good battery life
Cons
- The memory card is formatted using the old FAT32 file system and that limits the file size to 4GB. This is not a problem for photos, but it is for videos. While the compatibility with SDHC cards is good (SDHC allow cards up to 32GB), the 15 years old FAT32 technology on it is an unacceptable limitation.
- The optical zoom, when used, generate noise and that affect the sound during a video recording.
- Not very good with indoor or mixed shadows pictures.
- Sometimes the video has troubles with autofocus.
As for any camera, opinions are mixed. Some people had the camera fail at the first immersion and are therefore disappointed. I don’t say it’s normal, it would be interesting to know the real failure rate of each model, as no device is perfect. It is instead interesting to know how the customer service react to a defective camera. One customer says that the the customer service returned an invoice stating “Water damage in camera not covered under warranty.”
Just remember that this is not a high end camera, and therefore is far from perfect and has some limitations.
Fujifilm FinePix XP10 12 MP Review