Fujifilm 14 Megapixels XP30 Waterproof Review by CNET UK With Rating 3/5

On January 5 2011, Fujifilm announced the FinePix XP30 & XP20. Fujifilm also claimed that the XP30 is the world's first water, shock, dust and freeze proof camera to feature built-in GPS. As follow up to the XP10, the new XP20 and XP30 digital cameras take it a step further with waterproof to 16.5ft (5M) and Shockproof to 5 ft (1.5M), and still Freezeproof to 14°F (-10°C) and Dustproof. The FinePix XP20 is exactly the same camera, except for the omission of GPS.

Both the XP20 and XP30 features a 14 MegaPixels CCD sensor, a 2.7-inch anti-reflective, high-contrast LCD and FUJINON 5x wide angle refractive optical zoom lens (28mm equivalent) with a reinforced hardened glass lens barrier. The camera can support movie captures in 720p with sound at 30 frames per second with one touch ease. The cameras are housed in a metal uni-body chassis for durability. The XP20 comes in black, blue, green and orange, and the XP30 comes in black, green and orange. The FinePix XP30 is listed for retail at $239.95 and currently selling at $209 (drop from $213 about 4 weeks ago). Here's the summary of review by CNET UK, giving the camera an image quality rating of 3 out of 5:

"The XP30 is based around a 14-megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. The 5x zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 28mm-140mm on a 35mm camera. The camera's sensitivity range is ISO 100 to 3,200. The LCD screen on the rear measures 2.7 inches and the video mode allows you to capture footage at up to a 720p resolution, with mono sound. All of that is roughly average for a mid-range digital camera these days. The curved shape of the XP30 makes it very comfortable to hold and use, although we did find that some of the buttons, including the power button and shutter release, were rather hard to press. This might not sound like much of a problem but it can cause you to tilt the device slightly while taking a shot, which can, in turn, lead to some composition issues. Intended almost exclusively for photography of the point-and-shoot variety, there are precious few options available, barring a selection of preset modes aimed at getting the best from the camera is a range of different situations. Among these are beach, underwater and snow modes, giving you an idea of the type of environments Fujifilm assumes the camera will be best suited to. One interesting option is the 'natural + flash' mode, which takes two photos of the same subject, one with the flash on and one without. That's useful for moments when you're not sure whether there's enough ambient light for the camera to cope on its own.

As it happens, you'll probably need to rely on the flash much more than you might like. In our tests we found that the XP30 injects unsightly amounts of picture noise into images at ISO settings as low as 200. This is a shame, especially since low-light shots tend to be pleasingly blur-free, thanks to the camera's CCD-shift image stabiliser. In daylight scenes, subjects look sharp and colours are bright and vibrant, if a little overcooked on occasion. In auto mode, colours can be strangely unpredictable. On several occasions during our tests, we took two consecutive shots of the same subject only to find a vast disparity in the way the colours were presented in the two images. Users will also notice a fair amount of barrelling around the edges of pictures. This is to do with the shape of the lens and isn't uncommon, although the effect here is somewhat more noticeable than usual -- at the wide end of the lens, it's almost like you're using a fish-eye lens. For casual, largely outdoors use, the Fujifilm FinePix XP30 isn't a bad camera to have in your pocket. While it's hardly invincible, it's tougher than most snappers and cheaper than many of its rivals. Its weak low-light performance and a number of other quality issues let the side down, however, so, if you want to capture those sporting or adventuring moments at their best, then it may be worth checking out some of the slightly pricier all-weather cameras available, such as the superior, but more expensive, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3."