Thrill seekers who want to take their camera kit along on adventures have a spate of products to choose from these days.

Fujifilm’s FinePix XP30 is one such specimen. It’s rugged, water-resistant, and has GPS onboard. But just as adrenaline-junkies often sport fractures, scars, or the occasional missing tooth, the camera buys toughness at the expense of good looks. Its pictures could crack a mirror and its audio might burst an eardrum.

And let’s get this out of the way immediately: I tried to like it. I really did. A waterproof, crash-proof, dust-proof, freeze-proof GPS camera is so cool on the ...