Verdict

The Fujifilm XP130 is mid-priced rugged waterproof compact that combines ease of use with some advanced features all wrapped up in a stylishly designed body. An update to the year-old XP120, it adds Bluetooth to the existing Wifi connection allowing automatic wireless downloading of images to a phone, tablet or computer while you shoot. In practice, though, it’s more than a little clunky and a poor second to Nikon’s Snapbridge, which does the same thing on its COOLPIX W300 and W100 models, only better. Other improvements include longer battery life, a new electronic level gauge and eye-detect autofocus.

The XP130 inherits it predecessor’s wealth of shooting modes. In addition to auto, scene recognition auto and program auto modes there are two underwater modes, HDR, panorama, action camera, a range of scene modes including sport, beach and snow and an impressive range of effects filters.

The XP130 is waterproof to a depth of 20 metres – deeper than you’re likely to want to go without specialist diving equipment. It’s freezeproof to -10C and can withstand a drop from 1.75m – better diving credential’s than some more expensive models, like the Olympus TOUGH TG-5 for example. It’s let down a little by a slightly noisy sensor and image processing which results in a loss of detail even at the base 100 ISO sensitivity setting.

All-in-all, the XP130 is a capable waterproof compact that’s a pleasure to use, but until the Bluetooth works as well as rivals, the older XP120 offers much the same capabilities at a lower price; see my Fujifilm FinePix XP120 review for more details. It’s also worth considering the budget 13 Megapixel Nikon COOLPIX W100, which offers a much better Bluetooth automatic download feature, but lacks the XP130’s more advanced exposure modes and optical image stabilisation, has a smaller screen and is waterproof to ‘only’ 10 metres. If you want to spend a little more, the 16 Megapixel Nikon COOLPIX W300 and 12 Megapixel Olympus Tough TG-5 both provide, among other things, a wider angle of view (with a 5x and 4x range respectively) 4K movies, advanced exposure modes and a manometer for height/depth recording. The Tough TG-5 also has exceptionally good continuous shooting. Expect to pay around 30 percent more for either of those models; check my reviews linked above for more details.