Nikon Coolpix AW100 - A Rugged Companion

Introduction

In the adverts, the Nikon Coolpix AW100 says "I am an adventurer." Built to withstand depths of up to (or down to) 10m, resistant to shock from heights up to 1.5m and able to withstand temperatures down to -10°C, the AW100 is one of those rugged cameras you can take with you anywhere. It also comes with a GPS receiver, which lets you geotag your images with location co-ordinates, and even an electronic compass.

Design & Handling

For one, it certainly looks the part of rugged adventurer. We had a matte black AW100 which looked modern and tough enough to have come out of the Batcave (there are three other color options; bright orange, cool blue and army camouflage). The ports, which are usually most prone to leakage, are safely sealed away to the side, under a circular raised lock.

To unlock it, you have to depress a small round button while twisting the lock one-quarters counter-clockwise; it's certainly difficult enough to do on purpose so it should be nearly impossible to do it accidentally. The shutter release is textured, with a crisscross pattern differentiating it from the rest of the smooth camera. This is especially useful in those rough situations where you need to operate the camera more on feel than sight.

The Nikon AW100 is an automatic, not manual, camera. As such, there are no PASM modes for you to direct shutter speed or aperture, but you can set exposure compensation. You can also set ISO sensitivity if you're in Auto mode (not Easy Auto mode, where most controls are taken off the table). Instead of a Mode dial, everything is set via a Scene button where you can toggle through a few scene modes. A handy video Record button lets you record video instantly. Zoom buttons let you zoom in and out, and they're less precise and easy to use than zoom toggles on normal compacts, but they're standard on rugged cameras which can't afford to have weak parts.

An innovative, large Action button to the left side of the camera, once pressed, is supposed to let you manipulate the controls by moving the camera, a real help when you're wearing thick gloves in tough weather, but we couldn't get it to work as advertised. It's too bad, because the buttons on the back of the AW100 are small, and your fingers can cramp if you play with them for too long.

In general, we like the design and handling of the AW100, except for the inexplicable decision to have GPS controls not within the main menu. You have to set the Action button to display a map, and then when you're inside the map view, pressing Menu will get you into the GPS controls. It's non-intuitive and unnecessary, when most GPS cameras simply include their controls within the main, all-in-one menu.

Image Performance

The AW100's images are rich with color, but perform a lower than expected 1800 x 1400LPH (vertical & horizontal respectively) on our resolution chart. In real-world images, noise levels are a tad higher then expected on lower ISO settings, and chromatic aberration can be seen. It's not obvious if you're not pixel-peeping, but we'd shoot at ISO400 and less using the AW100, ISO800 if we're viewing the images onscreen.

While its image quality could have been slightly better, it isn't too far off the mark for a compact camera. Auto-focus is usually quick and on the mark, and in general shooting with the AW100 is a pleasant experience.

Sample Photographs

These are sample photographs shot with the Nikon AW100. The photos have not been post-processed and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for the full-resolution images.

Conclusion

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 marries rugged good looks with good image quality. As with most rugged cameras, you have to work within trade-offs, the stronger zoom toggle offers less finesse than a standard compact camera's zoom nub, but it's sturdier. There are no manual modes, but the AW100 does give you ISO control. GPS gives your photos an added dimension, letting you tag where you were in the world while you shot your images.

What really rounds off the Nikon AW100 is how pleasant it is to use, everything from the auto-focus to the shutter release feels smooth and easy. If you're shopping for a normal digital compact there are other options for the price with more bells and whistles (for example, at the same listed price of S$529, the Canon IXUS 1100 HS has a 12x optical zoom). But if you're looking for a weatherproof and shockproof camera to accompany you on your adventures, the AW100 is a pretty good choice. What's important is to manage your expectations as you're paying for a different feature set than a standard camera at a similar price point.

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