Fujifilm's 2014 rugged compact — waterproof to 10m, 16MP CMOS, internal 5x 28-140mm zoom, 1080p video, Wi-Fi.
The FinePix XP70 was introduced in January 2014 as the affordable model in Fujifilm's rugged XP line, slotting between the XP60 and the following year's XP80. It brought Wi-Fi and Full HD video to the budget waterproof class, pitched at beach holidays, poolside family use and casual watersports.
The XP70 is waterproof to 10m (33ft), shockproof from drops of 1.5m (5ft), freezeproof to -10C and sealed against dust. Its 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor enables 1080p video and 10fps burst shooting, and the 5x Fujinon zoom (28-140mm equivalent) is fully internal, so nothing extends underwater. Optical image stabilisation, a 2.7-inch 460k-dot LCD, Wi-Fi transfer to phones and tablets, SD/SDHC/SDXC storage and an NP-45S battery rated around 210 shots complete the package.
This is a take-anywhere camera for wet, sandy or clumsy situations where a phone or ordinary compact is at risk. The internal zoom and simple sealed controls work well with gloves or underwater, and CMOS speed gives it livelier burst and video performance than older CCD rivals. Image quality is ordinary small-sensor fare, weakest in dim light.
On used examples the seals are everything: inspect the battery/card door gasket for grit, perishing or a history of flooding (corrosion on contacts is the giveaway), and treat any internal condensation behind the lens window as a warning. Scratches on the lens window directly mark every image, so check it closely. The NP-45S battery is shared with many Fujifilm compacts and remains easy to buy.