Fujifilm FinePix XP10

Viewfinder

The optical viewfinder was a useful compact camera feature, back in the day: it meant you could line up a shot even in the brightest sunlight, and could steady the camera by holding it up to your eye. None of the PMA compact camera announcements, though, including this one, feature a viewfinder.
 

LCD

The XP10 has an ordinary 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot LCD, which seemed a bit dim in the pre-production sample we handled. Of course, this could improve in the final version, and you can adjust brightness on an 11-point scale.

The 2.7-inch LCD

While shooting, pressing the DISP/BACK button repeatedly cycles between a clean screen display, one with basic settings overlaid, and a 9-block grid overlay that's handy for precisely framing your shots.
 

Flash

The flash has been redesigned from the Z33WP version, which we found underwhelming. This one appears a bit larger, though Fujfilm's spec for flash range is actually a bit lower than the previous camera. Flash can be set to auto fill flash, slow sync for night shots with illuminated foreground and background still visible, or the flash can be turned off.
 

One Fujifilm flash feature we've applauded for the past few years (and are surprised hasn't been picked up by other manufacturers) is the Natural + Flash dual-shot mode, which automatically takes two photos, one with flash and one without, in rapid succession. Often you'd prefer to take a photo in available light, to avoid the harsh glare and shadows of flash photography, but don't want to miss losing the photo entirely to inadequate light. This mode lets you shoot first and ask questions later.
 

Shooting with and without flash automatically

Lens

The lens is a 5x zoom, 6.4-32.0mm, which is equivalent to a 36-180mm on a 35mm camera. That's not much wide angle coverage, limiting your scenic shot options. The lens speed is also unimpressive, at f/4.0, of particular concern if you're trying to shoot in an already dark underwater environment.
 

The lens zooms internally.

Jacks, Ports & Plugs

The sole input/output connector is found under a waterproof door on the left side of the camera. The XP10 ships with a USB cable but, oddly, with no AV cable for video output. And while the camera supports 720p high-def output, you can't connect directly to your HDTV and view your recordings; there's no HDMI or component video output.

The I/O port is well protected.

Battery

The slim rechargeable Lithium ion battery fits in a securely latched compartment on the camera bottom along with the memory card. Fujifilm estimates you'll get 165 shots per charge, a modest capacity if you're planning a day of vacation shooting.

The battery is small, with an equally small capacity.

Memory

The XP10 accepts SD and SDHC memory cards, and has 13MB of internal memory. Fujifilm hasn't started supporting new higher-capacity SDXC cards yet.

Other Features

Rugged Construction: The metal-bodied Fujifilm XP10 is built to withstand 10-foot (3m) depths, a 3.3-foot (1m) fall, temperatures down to 14 degrees F (-10 degrees C), and is dustproof. The body is made of metal