FujiFilm FinePix XP120 Review

How to Make Memories Aplenty!

Last updated on November 11th, 2020 at 02:31 pm

One of my roles as a parent is to provide a better life for my children than my parents could for me. And we’ve done okay so far—the older one’s already visited four countries, the younger carries a Bluetooth speaker around like it’s his own personal device, and with new toys coming in regularly, the world’s pretty much their oyster!

But it’s not all about the things you receive—I want to give my sons plenty of opportunities to develop themselves as well, and it turns out Fujifilm Canada presented a perfect opportunity to do it!

The FujiFilm FinePix XP120—For When You Want to Teach Your Kids Life Skills Without Worrying About Them Breaking Stuff.

Just as many parents start their kids on piano at a young age, I wanted to give the boys early exposure to a skill I know well and introduce them to the world of photography.

Making Memories Aplenty with the FujiFilm FinePix XP120!—XP120—What's in the Box?
I wish my first camera looked like this!

I remember getting my first camera around 12 years old, a little green toy camera that introduced me to the world of photography and the stories it held. And I wouldn’t know it then, but that’d take me down a 20-year path that’d teach me how to develop my film. Own more than 15 cameras as I continued expanding my skills. It’d even help me build it up as an integral part of my life as a blogger, expressing myself not only through words but meaningful visuals as well.

My boys—though still very young—already show an interest in the art, trying their hands at posing and storytelling to see how it unfolds on the LCD screen. I think they’d love to get more hands-on with equipment to mould their ideas into reality, but who in their right mind would trust a three-year-old with a camera? They’re fragile. They’re complicated. And they’re expensive. Sadly, all things considered, it looked like my boys need to wait years before they can handle one themselves.

Or do they?

Fujifilm Canada recently gave the Palmer fam the chance to try the FujiFilm FinePix XP120, a point-and-shoot camera that’s ready for the world as it’s waterproof, dustproof, freezeproof and shockproof!

Yes, you read that right—it’s a rugged little monster built to tackle all sorts of challenges, with internal features complementing that tough exterior!

For example:

1) Ease of Use

Making Memories Aplenty with the FujiFilm FinePix XP120!—Preshooler's Shadow
Photo courtesy of Isaiah Palmer

My preschooler’s not yet adept enough to navigate the XP120 menu (though it is quite simple), but that’s why there’s a built-in SR Auto mode for automatic scene recognition, and optical image stabilisation to keep photos looking crisp even when he’s over excited! And with a dedicated video recording button right on top (shooting Full HD 1080p @ 60 frames/sec), he can switch between camera modes in a snap!

2) Simple Enough for a Preschooler, but Solid Enough for His Dad

Making Memories Aplenty with the FujiFilm FinePix XP120!—Toddler on the PorchAs a blogger, I’ve come to rely on a hefty SLR with some top-notch lenses for my photo work. Which is great, but anyone packing a lot of gear can tell you that weight adds up quick! What’s great about the FujiFilm FinePix XP120 is that you still get a 16.4 MP camera with 5x optical zoom! And it performs, shooting up to speeds of 60 frames/sec if you’re looking to capture any high-speed action!

3) It Has More Features Than Your Phone Does

Making Memories Aplenty with the FujiFilm FinePix XP120!—Cinemagraph Sample
Photo courtesy of Fujifilm.

Yes, the point-and-shoot market got whittled down as smartphone camera technology grew smarter, but there’s still strength in the stand-alone device, with features built in helping it hold its own. You’ve got modes like:

  • Cinemagraph, which lets you keep part of your photo still while others move for a clever artistic effect;
  • Interval shooting, if you’re looking to tell a story only segments at a time, shooting images regularly that’re seconds or even minutes apart, without needing to touch the camera again;
  • And Time Lapse, for those dramatic effects when a single moment simply won’t cut it!

While we won’t get to take the XP 120 for a real spin until later in the summer (with beaches, camping and road trips afoot), so far it seems a solid choice as a family camera, and I’m sure Sarah and our boys will have a great time trying it out!

The FujiFilm FinePix XP120—Because One Day, Their Work Could End Up in National Geographic.

Making Memories Aplenty with the FujiFilm FinePix XP120!—Toddler in the CitySummer’s a perfect time to make memories, but how’ll you capture them if you don’t have the right tools for the job? As a photographer who’s used the FinePix XP120 first-hand, I can tell you—this little guy’ll give you pics you can look back on with pride!

Good luck to all who enter—and remember what someone once told me: “You never know it’s the last time ’til it’s the last time,” so get out there and do those memories justice!

Until the next, I remain,

–case p.


Disclosure: I am participating in the FujiFilm campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

By Casey E. Palmer

Husband. Father. Storyteller.

Calling the Great White North his home, Casey Palmer the Canadian Dad spend his free time in pursuit of the greatest content possible.

Thousand-word blog posts? Snapshots from life? Sketches and podcasts and more—he's more than just a dad blogger; he's working to change what's expected of the parenting creators of the world.

It's about so much more than just our kids.

When Casey's not creating, he's busy parenting, adventuring, trying to be a good husband and making the most of his life!

Casey lives in Toronto, Ontario.

70 replies on “FujiFilm FinePix XP120 Review”

One of my favourite pictures is of myself with my parents, and it’s special because it’s a picture taken after I restarted talking to my mother!!

One picture that stick in my mind is the my husband family at done in a studio with the 18 grandchildren on his side of the family. One of the little ones would not stop crying.

My favorite is a picture of my Mom when she was about four years old. She had long ringlets and a gorgeous dress.

Losing my mum back in 1984, she was just 59 yrs old and it was a very terrible time for me, but now all the pictures I have of her and of us with my son doing our special things together mean the world to me that are cherished memories. Every single photo is my favorite! 🙂

One of my favourites was taken this past fall on the beach not far from our house. Our little ones were actually smiling and looking at the camera!

My favourite picture is from my first backpacking trip in Spain with my partner five years ago.

one of my favorite photos is a picture of my husband, daughters and myself that we took at a pair together two years ago

My favorite picture was taken when my niece was born! I love her to the moon and back, she is the greatest cutest little girl.

My favourite picture is the last picture of my mom and I of our last Christmas together. I had flown to NB just to spend it with her. It’s a wonderful memory!

my favorite photo is of my parents cutting the cake on their 40th anniversary, it was rare to get them in a photo

One of my favourites would be a picture of my grandma with us in a five generation picture. Grandma is no longer with us but the photo brings back great memories.

My favourite picture is one with my Granny, that my dad took on a vacation to Switzerland, where I was born. I was 10, and it was the last photo of her, as she passed away a couple of years later.

My favourite photo is my daughters wedding pic that includes my Dad, he passed away 7 years ago.

I have one of my daughter, sitting in a suitcase, reading Calvin and hobbes. I love it.

I have a very precious photo of myself with my grandma just before she passed away. She had had a stroke and wasn’t very lucid but I brought my first furbaby into visit with her and you can her face lighting up as she held him, looking up at me. I have wedding, baby, vacation, graduation photos but this is definitely my most treasured one.

i have some cherished photos of our family that were taken by my uncle. we all donned our finest and i think the photos turned out really well.

Just reposted it to fb, (memories) one year, while in KNEE DEEP WATER at the lake, I somehow successfully managed to do a BACKWARD summersault.. in knee deep water.. my daughter had the camera with us and if you click thru the pics fast enough its like a cartoon…you can see the event as it happens lol

My favourite picture is of my older daughter holding her newborn sister – she is so proud and happy, it melts me!

My favourite picture is one of my wedding photos with my Mom, it is one of the better pictures of us together and it means more now that she is no longer with us.

I have a great picture of my husband pushing our then infant son on a swing. They both have the exact look of sheer joy on their faces!

I have lots of pictures I cherish but one sticks out in my mind- my grandmother, mom, my daughter & me, it is even more cherished now that my grandma has passed away.

I have a photo from 1918 that shows my grandmother as a baby in an old-style baby carriage which is so precious to me!

One of my two most favorite pictures are my grandmother sitting with her orchids.. and the other one is my fourth generation picture with my other grandmother.

My favorite picture is of me and my godfather at my cousins wedding dance. it was taken about 9 years ago. He passed away 2 years ago from cancer. He was an amazing man who i miss so much 🙁

mine is pic of my mom & dad , it looks like they didn’t know the pic was being taken and they are just sitting by each other laughing , i always wonder what they were laughing at

My favourite picture is from a local walking trail that I frequent. I took it a few years ago.

My most precious photo is of me with my twin sister, brother and our parents – I miss them all terribly.
My favourite is of one of my granddaughters as a 10 mth old sat in front of an old wooden fence holding a red balloon that’s flying high.

my parents passed away earlier this year, a month apart.. a favourite picture is of them holding my new born son when he was born …

I’m a third child. Born in the 50s. Money was tight. So I suppose my parents didn’t take many pictures of me when I was a baby. My older siblings have many. lol. So my fave picture is me when I am about 8 months old, sitting on my dads lap on a lawn chair. We both look so happy. And yes, I still joke with my mom about my lack of photos as a kid. (she’s 91 now)

One of my fav pictures is of my dad, mom, sister and I. I love seeing us young and our happy childhood. I also love seeing the backdrop of our old childhood home.

My favorite picture is of my mom and I, and I cherish it since she has passed away. It reminds me of our fun, happy times.

my fave picture was of my late Mom with my girls when they were young, taken 40 years ago

I love the photo of myself going through the electrotherapy at the tough mudder last year – the look on my face says it all!!!!!

One picture that really sticks to me was taken this past April in my grandmothers last days of me saying my goodbye. I will have that picture to cherish for the rest of my life

My favourite picture is a recent family picture from my daughter’s high school graduation!

My favourite picture is of me looking off in the distance; taken in Monument Valley, Utah while on a road trip. Reminds me of a better time in my life.

My fav picture is one of me and mom after convocation. My mom passed away 3 years ago and this picture means a lot to me since she was so proud of me that day!

When my daughter was young we took her to Venice and I have a couple favourite pictures from there… one of her covered in doves in Mark’s Square and another holding a beautiful little mask up to her face!

My favourite picture is of me and family hiking in the Rocky Mountains (Alberta, Canada). We hiked to Lower Rowe Lake and it was the longest hike we’ve ever tried (8km).

My wedding photo with my wife and our entire family from both sides of the family always sticks out in my mind.

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