Fujifilm 14 Megapixels XP30 Waterproof Review by Pocket-lint 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 2 weeks ago). Here's the summary of review by Pocket-lint, giving the camera an image quality rating of 3 out of 5:

"Though stills picture quality has a softened feel to it, particularly at longer focal lengths, colours are flatteringly well saturated, so it's well suited to portraits and landscapes. Even if familiar bugbears such as barrel distortion at maximum wideangle, pixel fringing and burnt out highlight detail emerged when shooting in strong sunlight, this is a camera that pretty much delivers straight off the bat, and did survive the odd tumble from tabletop to carpeted floor. In the interests of thoroughness however - and to provide more than a safe challenge - we also opted to take the XP30 down to our local pond for a quick dip with the ducks. By the time of the second "dunk", lasting all of 10 seconds, the camera was displaying an error message. Flicking open the battery compartment we could see signs of moisture, which although alarming somehow wasn't a complete surprise. A quick wipe dry with a lens cloth, and the old failsafe of turning the camera on and off seemed to initially right the problem. However we still hadn't got the shot we were after, so a couple of further submergings followed, at which point the LCD display had a burnt out appearance. On closer inspection it immediately became obvious that water had got under the screen glass. Not only had droplets formed, there was now also an executive's toy-style wave-like effect present when we tilted the camera from side to side; and this from submerging it to a heady depth of a couple of centimetres. The camera had clearly got the bends.

Considering that with a manufacturer's asking price a penny shy of £200 the XP30 can be picked up for a bargain £150, this has "active young family camera" written all over it. Whilst it's not the most sophisticated compact in the world, and on dry land appears well built, unobtrusive and cutely designed, going by the basis of our test sample at least it is rather more challenged when in the wet, and the fact that we occasionally had trouble shutting the battery cover prior to this didn't inspire confidence. In that respect this is one tough camera that benefits from kid glove treatment. The XP30 is best viewed therefore as your average happy snapper that will take the odd accidental drop or knock, rather than intentional punishment."