Finepix XP20 & XP30 Extreme-Proof Digital Cameras

Fujifilm markets the FinePix XP20 and XP30 as a camera for extreme adventurers. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro? Then you need this camera! Exploring Mariana's Trench? Then you need this camera! While these examples are probably a little over zealous, they get the point across: these cameras can take a beating. Both cameras are waterproof up to 16.5 feet, shockproof up to 5 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and are dustproof. And if you can get extended warranty on them, if these proofs fail to preserve the camera, you can get it repaired or replaced.

First, the basic specifications. In the following paragraphs, unless specified, both cameras have the features. Both cameras have a resolution of 14 megapixels. They have a 5x wide angle optical zoom lens, and can capture HD movies in 720p, even underwater. The wide angle lens is the 35mm equivalent to a 28mm-140mm lens on a more expensive DSLR. It allows for wide angle viewing and zooming, even in movie mode. Further enhancing the durability of the camera, the lens does not extend outside the body of the camera. Staying within the body of the camera lessens the likelihood of damage occurring. The 720p video capturing capability comes with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The camera can cater to different levels of complexity based on what you're comfortable with, or what you feel like dealing with at the moment. If you're looking for simple point and shoot capabilities, then you can use the camera's SRAuto Scene Recognition function. This function recognizes 6 scene types and optimizes the camera setting to achieve the best results. On a beautiful beach vacation? When you're shooting the beachfront vista it will use landscape mode, but when you turn to shoot your lovely partner in all their swimsuit glory, it will switch to portrait mode.

Tracking Autofocus is another feature which locks in on moving subjects and makes sure they stay in focus. For example, if you're taking a series of pictures of a person running in a marathon, and they're continuously moving around in the frame, the camera will make sure that person is the focus of the shot and not the background moving behind them. A similar feature to this is the Dual image stabilization both the XP20 and XP30 provides. This provides blur-management for unstable situations, low light, or moving objects. Many cameras offer this function nowadays, but these cameras take it to the next level with a high ISO and fast shutter speeds. This better enables the camera to minimize blur of moving objects and in low light situations.

A nifty feature that this camera has which is an interest twist on an older concept is Motion Panorama. This function produces wide angle shots with just a sweep of the camera. Press the capture button and start sweeping the camera to capture the desired scene. As your camera lines up appropriately, it will automatically snap 3 shots and seamlessly sew them together to create a stunning panorama. The nifty twist is that if you want you can play your motion back like a movie, watching the panorama sweep by instead of as one still picture.

Face Detection with Automatic Red-Eye Removal is the classic function which makes sure a person's face is the focus of the shot, and the Automatic Red-Eye Removal does just what it says it does. No explanation needed. Another feature along the lines of facial enhancement is the Portrait Enhancer. It allows the XP20 and XP30 to smooth out the wrinkles and imperfections of a person's face.

The last couple of features have to do with the management of photos as well as enhancing how they can be sorted and viewed. Image Search is a playback function which lets you erase image by batches instead of individually. This can be a great function for that night when things got a little out of hand and the whole slew of pictures is not ready for public display. Mark for Upload lets you tag images and movies on your camera which you want to be uploaded later. Once the camera is connected to the computer, tagged images and videos will automatically be uploaded to MyFinePix Studio to be edited and uploaded to Facebook or YouTube. Photobook Assist lets you tag photos and do in-camera editing. This allows you to edit photos before they're uploaded, and tag them so once they're uploaded they're grouped together and can be composed into a photobook.

The last thing I'll talk about is the only notable difference between the XP20 and XP30. The XP30 has GPS/Geo-tagging capabilities, which tracks the latitude and longitude for pictures and videos. This lets you create maps of pictures which you can share on Google Maps.

Sources:

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp20/

http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp30/