Fuji FinePix XP150 review

The Fuji FinePix XP150 is the latest model in the XP series, designed for those who love to get outdoors and document their adventures. Underwater photographers are now able to dive to up to 10m, twice as deep as with its predecessor, the Fuji XP30.

A 14.4 megapixel CMOS sensor suggests high quality stills and movies are possible. The claimed speedy autofocus should also mean that fewer photographic opportunities will be missed.

The Fuji XP150 is slightly more affordable than one of its closest competitors, the Nikon Coolpix AW100, which also has in-built GPS and an image stabilised lens.

As well as being able to dive with the camera down to depths of 10m, users can also take comfort in the promise that it can be dropped from a height of approximately 2m and can be taken into temperatures dropping to around -10C.

It also promises to be dust and sand proof for those who love the beach or gritty deserts.

The Fujifilm XP150's 14.4 megapixel CMOS sensor and 5x optical zoom with a water repellent coating prevent droplets from spoiling shots. The camera comes with a newly improved 2.7-inch LCD monitor that has anti-reflection technology for clearer viewing.

Apart from high quality stills, the Fuji FinePix XP150 also takes HD movies, both above and below water, at 30fps.

There are multiple picture modes to choose from, including Underwater (Macro), Underwater (Wide), Beach, Snow, Sport, Motion Panorama 360, Landscape, a variety of low light and night settings and an intuitive scene recognition mode.

The 5x optical zoom lens's focal length of 5.0-25.0mm is equivalent to 28-140mm on a 35mm camera. The full aperture ranges from f/3.9 wide angle to f/4.9 telephoto, so it's nothing out of the ordinary.

To top it all off, no outdoor explorer would be complete without some sort of navigational system to help them out. The Fuji FinePix XP150 has a built-in GPS, and a compass bearing image is displayed on each photo, showing you what direction you were facing when you snapped the shot, and the positioning of your last shot.

The Fujifilm FinePix XP150 is priced at £199.99 in the UK and $379.99 in the US, making it cheaper than fellow rugged compact cameras the Nikon Coolpix AW100, Panasonic Lumix FT4 and Ricoh PX.

Build quality and handling

The hard shell of the Fuji FinePix XP150 suggests it is durable and should survive being dropped from a reasonable height or bashed about on a bike. The body has rubber edges and a metal handgrip to attach the wrist strap to.

The battery case has a dual release mechanism to prevent any water or sand entering. The wrist strap itself could have possibly benefited from some sort of rubberised underside to prevent any slips from things like bike handlebars.

When used underwater, the camera's grip enables a firm hold and buttons are still easily accessed. Bubbles rose from the camera when dunked in the bath, which was slightly alarming, but no liquid seemed to have penetrated the casing, because the inside was dry.

The lens is set back inside the camera's protective covering, making it difficult to get scratched, which is essential for a camera meant to survive knocks and falls.

The buttons are easy to press, even for skiers wearing thick gloves. They are sparsely placed for ease of access.

The menus are simple to navigate, and when a specific shooting mode is selected, any functions that aren't needed, such as white balance, are greyed out.

In-depth menu options scroll out to the right, displaying shooting modes and levels of available white balance.

Because of its preset functions, such as Beach and Underwater modes, this camera is easy to use. It seems ideal for outdoor enthusiasts for this reason, because you merely select your location and the camera does the rest.