Waterproof Cameras for Surfers - Fuji XP10 Review

The Fuji xp10 has a great low price and you’ll love how small and light weight it is. It will definitely take a beating out in big overhead grinding surf as you're being tossed like a rag doll in the rinse cycle. I used it in 2’ overhead shore break at Salt Creek and got pounded onto the shore with it. Definitely a true test… Did I mention that it’s shock proof, freeze proof and dust proof???
Using the Fuji xp10 right out of the box without reading anything about was a piece of cake. It’s a very simple waterproof camera with basic mode selects (really all you need).
The quality of this little camera was completely surprising on how good it was. Especially after the disaster quality of the Fuji z33wp. HUGE!... improvement… video too! Even on gloomy cloudy mornings the surfer shots came out nice and sharp with the right coloring. Unlike Fuji’s first waterproof camera, it always had too much blue tint in the photos.
Speed... Still slow. Much faster than the first Fuji but to take a quick full pressure on its shutter is about a half second. With your finger already on the shutter halfway down while aiming and following the subject before you snap your shot is instant though. From sleep mode to snapping a surfer shot, it’s right about a half a second. The video takes 2 seconds to get rolling after you press the shutter which is a real bummer because by the time it’s rolling you’ve already missed the surfers big bottom turn and the first off the lip. Unless you’re in a great position on your surfboard paddling back out to the line up from a channel and you see your bro scratching for a killer wave - then you have ample time to sit-up, whip the Fuji out of the Surf Camera case and start filming right as your surfer is dropping in.
The one very nice feature on the Fuji xp10 720HD video is that it has its own dedicated video button. In other words when you have it in a still picture mode you don’t have to scroll thru the menu items to select video. You just press the video button and the video is rolling in HD (two seconds later).
The battery life is exceptional. The Fuji xp10 does have a mode to always stay turned on then sleep after a selected amount of time you choose in the settings. When its sleeping all you need to do is tap the shutter and it’s on in a half a second.
The view finder has much improvement too making it much easier to follow the surfer with the sun at your back.
The menu buttons on it the have been changed around so you don’t accidentally change your setting. That was very frustrating on the earlier model.
I would highly recommend the Fuji xp10 waterproof camera to anyone with a $200.00 budget. Well worth it!

Check out my surfer shots using the Fuji xp10 waterproof camera.