Nikon Coolpix AW100 overview

Pros: Sharp photos. Waterproof to 33 feet. Shockproof to 5 feet. Full HD movies. Action button. Fast performance. Cons: Pricey. So-so low-light performance. Limited zoom range. Focus issues while recording video You wouldn't think that the Nikon AW100 ($379.95 direct) is the company's first try at a rugged point-and-shoot camera. The 16-megapixel shooter manages to do just about everything right—capturing sharp images, surviving drops, geotagging your photos, shooting underwater, and grabbing 1080p30 video. And it does it all quickly, with faster performance than any other rugged model we've tested. All of this means that the AW100 (Best Deal: $265.00 at DAXmart.com) ousts the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 ($399.95, 4 stars) as our Editors' Choice rugged camera. Design and Features Similar in design to other rugged compacts, the AW100 sports a sealed lens with an internal zoom mechanism, located on the top corner of the camera. It measures 2.6 by 4.4 by 0.9 inches and weighs 6.3 ounces, slightly larger than the 2.5-by-3.8-by-0.9-inch, 5.5-ounce Olympus Tough TG-310 ($199.99, 3.5 stars). The camera is available in three colors—orange, black, and blue. Its 5x optical zoom lens covers a 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) field of view and has a nice macro capability for capturing smaller objects. A 3-inch, 460k-dot LCD dominates the rear of the camera. It's very bright and sharp, making it easy to frame and review images in a variety of lighting conditions, putting the 2.7-inch, 230k-dot display on the Lumix TS3 (Best Deal: $293.49 at Amazon Marketplace) to shame. Control buttons are rubberized and sealed, but are quite responsive to the touch. The camera has all the standard control buttons—including a zoom rocker, dedicated movie button, self timer, flash control, and exposure compensation—and adds a special control button on the left side of the camera, called the Action button. This button can be configured to bring up the GPS world map or to adjust shooting settings. Pressing it brings up a menu from which you can adjust the shooting mode, start recording a movie, play back photos, or view the world map. Lightly tapping the Action button scrolls through the options, while pressing it locks in a selection. This makes it possible to adjust settings on the fly, which can be helpful if you're into the outdoors or extreme sports and need to concentrate on things other than delving through camera menus. The menu system is not as robust as on other Nikon point-and-shoots. There are fewer shooting options, the camera doesn't have Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Manual modes. Instead you are limited to Easy Auto, Auto, and various scene modes. You'll have limited control over camera settings in all of these modes, but will always be able to control flash output, exposure compensation, and the ISO setting. It's not always easy to find what you're looking for in the menu, however. The GPS setting is available only if you hit the menu button while viewing the camera's internal world map—which can be a bit confusing if you don't know to look for it there. The camera is rated to survive drops of up to 5 feet and can be used underwater to depths of 33 feet. I was able to drop the camera over and over again without it missing a beat. I also let out my inner Jacques Costeau, submerged the camera in water, and grabbed some photos. Our previous Editors' Choice, the Panasonic Lumix TS3, is a little more rugged—it's rated to 40 feet underwater and can survive a 6.6-foot drop, but isn't as well rounded a performer as the AW100. The TS3 also includes an altimeter and barometer, and is rated for use in 14°F temperatures, which might make it a better option for mountaineers. From/pcmag