Review on Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Green Waterproof Camera - 12 MP, 5x Optical Zoom, 2.7-Inch LCD for Enhanced Performance in Any Environment by Michael Vargas

Please note that this rating is based on 3 weeks of use. We bought this camera specifically in connection with our upcoming trip to the beach with our twins (their first encounter with the sea). We also knew we needed something between our DROID phone cameras and our high-end DLR camera that was portable, small, took decent pictures (no DROID camera lag), and even made some short videos, but it was still going to be tough be to hurt her. Camera through her steps on the beach and were very happy with the results. Image quality and options for different camera modes are excellent. I was particularly pleased to find that it can take back-to-back shots. I have big hands so I'm sometimes wary of smaller cameras, but this one worked for me and I was able to take photos and videos by holding the camera in different ways. The camera was repeatedly exposed to sun, sand, salt water and pool water to a depth of 1.50m and continued to perform as expected. Overall video quality was a bit better than I expected (I had very low expectations for video quality from a device like this). The following issues/points contributed to me giving 4 stars instead of 5: - As others have noted, the camera has a short battery life. - Transferring images to a computer was easier by removing and inserting the SD card. into a computer instead of carrying the special cable that the camera requires. As I said, a standard cable would have been better. You need to be very careful when focusing, especially when shooting video. Once you start recording video, you cannot adjust the focus and it can be very difficult to get the focus right. - Focus is also finicky at times in photos, especially indoors in low light - LCD screen was scratched on day one. I was as careful as I could to keep sand off it and rinse it off if sand got on it. I suspect it might not be possible to have an LCD for this type of use that doesn't get scratched. This is less of a downside to the camera and more of a warning to those who might be new to waterproof cameras like us. . When taking photos, make sure that there is no water on the lens. Large drops of water are visible in some of our shots, disrupting the frame, although this wasn't visible during the shoot. This is stated in the user manual. Overall, we are very satisfied with the camera and hope for a long service life.