Follow Waterproof Depth: 33ft
Shock Proof: 5.0ft
Freeze Proof: Yes
Resolution: 16.MP
Zoom: 5.0x
Focal length: 28-140mm

Nikon AW100

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Site Score

4.8

Good: Sharp pictures, glove friendly

Bad: Zoom noise in video recording, plastic casing, menu can be difficult

Retail

$349

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Review
Product View
Sample Videos
Sample Photos
Specifications

The Nikon AW100 is a pricey but well equipped rugged camera.We hate the plastic casing and the menu. But despite these limitations and its long absence in the waterproof camera niche, the AW100 is a well designed gadget. Its HD video is awesome, low light performance is better than most waterproof cameras and the pictures produced are sharp and vibrant.In summary, the 16 Megapixel AW100 deserves to stand along the Panasonic TS3 as the best camera for 2011.

The Good

Sharp photos even in low light thanks to its CMOS sensor.
Plenty of features to help you get good pictures.

The Bad

Battery life. Not as good as its rivals (like Panasonic).
Purring zoom sound in video.
High price.

The Verdict: How Good Is This Camera ?

We Review	We Found	Rating
Picture Quality	Despite the over the top 16 megapixels crammed into a tiny CMOS sensor, the images from the AW100 are relatively sharp even at high ISO levels. The camera also does a good job at capturing low light images and videos compared to most rugged cameras released this year. Apart from that, the image stabilization and the macro mode perform beyond our expectation for a point and shoot.	A
Video Quality	The 1080p HD videos are smooth and sharp, but the noise suppression is relatively poor. You could even hear purring noise from the lens if you use your zoom in your videos. But we like the dedicated red button for videos and the option of shooting your videos in slow motion – a useful and cool effect you could use when shooting high speed actions. Overall, the quality is not as good as the Panasonic TS3 – but it is close.	A
Ease of Use	The 3 inch 460k-dot LCD is bright and sharp. And there’s very little reflection when used outdoor. The vibration reduction by the stabilizer also works better than most rugged cameras we have seen before. But we hate the menu because sometimes you need to really dig into a few levels deep before changing a setting. And while the body fits nicely in your palm, the camera lacks contour for good grip during an unsteady underwater shooting.	B
Battery Life	Despite having a 1080mAh battery, it could only muster 250 shots per charge. If you intend to use the GPS at all times, bring a backup battery because it eats your battery life pretty fast.	B
Built Quality	Because the casing is made of plastic, AW100 is light. But it still feels sturdy and well built. The rubberized buttons are responsive but they could be hard to locate underwater because they are fairly small and crammed together. If you plan to take it outdoor, get a new strap because the one coming with the camera is rather flimsy.	B
Speed	The AW100 boots fast and is ready to shoot within 2 seconds after you press the ON button. The shutter lag is under 0.5 second and it takes less than 1 second for it to save your picture to the memory card. This makes it one of the fastest rugged cameras for 2011.	A+
Toughness	The AW100 isn't officially dust-proof. Waterproof to only 10m and shockproof from heights of up to 1.5m, the AW100 isn't quite as good as the Panasonic DMC-FT3. But good care has been made in securing the inner parts from water -- the memory and connection ports could only be opened with a button push and a turn of a knob.	A-
Number of Functions	The AW100 has a lot of useful features to help you get good, memorable shots. We like the Best Shot Selector (BSS) mode which automatically selects the sharpest of up to 10 sequential shots. We also applaud the Action mode (a concept borrowed from Olympus rugged cameras) where you could control some functions by tilting the camera. The built in GPS in the Nikon is also better than most GPS equipped rugged cameras out there (though it could still be finicky at times). The 19 scenes built into the camera should be more than enough for most people. We suggest you use the Underwater mode when shooting underwater because it helps get you faster shutter speed and more accurate color balance.	A+