If you want a camera that enjoys the rugged outdoors like you do then the Nikon AW100 may be just what you’re looking for. Nikon is known for their high quality cameras and the Nikon AW100 doesn’t disappoint. A tremendous amount of features have been packed into this small rugged, waterproof, shockproof (drop proof), freeze proof package, making the AW100 the perfect camera to keep up with you and your on the go lifestyle.
Nikon AW100 made for the outdoors
This camera was made so you could use it outdoors, and use it hard. It can shoot pictures completely submerged in water. It’s waterproof to a depth of 33 feet (about 10 meters) which is deeper than many of the other waterproof cameras in it’s class. It has shooting modes that allow it to take high quality pictures in low light situations, meaning even at 10, 20, or 30 feet beneath the surface you can still get great photos.
This camera was also designed to be shockproof as well as crush proof. Two words you don’t hear very often associated with a digital camera. So what do they mean? The camera can survive a fall of up to 5 feet. So if it falls off your bike, out of your backpack, tumbles down a hill, or if you just like to play kick the camera, you will still be able to pick it up and use it. The Nikon AW100 is strong enough to handle more than being dropped. It’s crush proof rating allows it to withstand up to 200 pounds of pressure. Enough to handle being fallen on, sat on, or buried under all your gear. The Nikon AW100 was designed to survive pretty much anything you can, making it the perfect choice for someone looking for a rugged camera.
Since dropping your camera is no longer a worry what about temperate. Well, not only will it handle the abuse, but it will also handle the cold weather. It’s freeze proof rating allows it to operate in temperatures as low as 14 F, making it the perfect camera to take on your next skiing or sledding adventure. Of course it’s temperature rating underwater is 32 F. Sorry no pictures encased in ice.
Nikon AW100 Video Capabilities
Does the Nikon AW100 shoot video? Of course it does. How does 1080p high definition video at 30 fps sound? I hope it sounds awesome, because it is. Many other digital cameras that shoot HD video only shoot up to resolutions of 720p and at frame rates of 10 or 15 frames per second. So when we’re taking HD video capabilities of the Nikon AW100 it doesn’t get much better. Clearly Nikon made this camera to capture action.
Nikon AW100 the Drawbacks
So far the camera sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch? Really there’s no catch, but there are a a couple areas where the technical specs aren’t as good as some other point and shoot digital cameras. Firstly, the the optical zoom rating is 5x. This is comparable to cameras from about two years back and is a common limitation amongst waterproof cameras. Since the camera is contained within that waterproof case it isn’t able to support a telescoping lens so it doesn’t have the telescopic abilities of modern digital cameras. Secondly, I would have like to seen a longer battery life. It’s battery life is ok, but I would have like it to be longer. It will take about 250 pictures at max resolution, 16 MB. If you’re going to be away from a charger for multiple days and your going to be shooting a lot of pictures you may want to invest in a second battery. When compared to everything that the camera is capable of these items may seem a bit nit picky, but I wanted to point them out to you.
Nikon AW100 Conclusion
When looking at this feature rich camera you can easily see why it’s such a popular waterproof outdoor camera. It is ideal in so many situations. I really don’t think you could go wrong with the AW100. I recommend it.
Nikon AW100 Technical Specs
- Freeze Proof – Operating Environment 14 F to 104 F, cold freeze proof
- Waterproof – Can be used underwater to depths of up to 33 ft
- Shockproof up to 5 ft
- 5x optical zoom
- Shoots Pictures and HD Video – Full 1080p HD video at 30 fps and images at up to 16 MP (4608×3456 px)
- Storage Media SD Card, SDHC card, SDXC card
- Built in GPS mapping allows for geo tagged picture log and integration with google earth, my picture town, or Nikon View nx2 software.
- Action control is simple and easy to use so it can be used with gloves
- Lens f/-number f/3.9-4.8
- Macro close up mode allow for a Focus Range as small as .4 inches
- Monitor Size 3.0” diagonal
- 83 MB internal storage
- CMOS sensor allows for exceptional quality in low light settings
- ISO Sensitivity 125 min -3200 max
- ISO Auto 125-800
- Many shooting Scene Modes to accommodate form multiple shooting environments. Some of the scene modes are – Beach, Snow, Sports, Underwater, Back Light, Black and White Copy, Dusk/Dawn, Close Up, Fireworks Show, Landscape, Night Landscape, Museum, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Panorama, Pet Portrait, Portrait, Sunset just to name a few
- In Camera Editing Crop, D-Lighting, Filter Effects, Glamor Retouch, Quick retouch, Skin softening, Small Picture
- Rechargeable Li-ion Battery (Supplied)
- Battery Life approx 250 still images
- image stabilization features to make sure you can still take great pictures even while moving
If you feel that that the Nikon AW100 is out of your price range then I would check out this Kodak Easyshare Sport C123 review. It doesn’t have the same level of quality or as many features as the AW100, but it offers buyers the chance to get the benefits of a waterproof digital camera at a much lower price point.
