Nikon Coolpix AW130 Shock & Waterproof GPS Digital Camera (Orange) - International Version

The build appears quite robust, about twice the weight of my Sony Cyber Shot. To quote Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Weight is a sign of reliability." I also like that the lens is recessed fairly deeply within a bezel, which should provide a lot of protection. I've seen older Olympus models with a moving lens cover, and I've seen a lot of them which are broken.... All it takes is enough brackish water or a little dirt to jamb a moving lens cover so I'm glad Nikon chose to recess the lens instead of covering it. So far I've only used it once, but I'm quite pleased at the price. I used it on an 8 mile kayak trip with class II and III rapids in 40F water without any troubles. Considering that it was quite overcast, providing poor lighting, I was impressed with the quality of the pictures it took as well (see the attached picture). I apologize for the blurry smudges, that is user error, not product fault.... I do need to remember to blow droplets off the lens before taking pictures. After the initial setup, power on to taking pictures is less than a second. This is a major improvement over all other cameras I have owned or used in the past. This means that you can conserve your batteries and not watch that bird fly away while your camera is booting up. I had noticed that reviews on this camera and similar camera have around a 10% catastrophic failure rating due to water infiltration. Considering that when they fail like this, they seem to fail within the first month of use, it makes me think either user error or damaged gasket. Something I noticed was that there is a red mark on top of the battery door that one needs to pay attention... You can actually get the door to latch while this marking is still partially exposed! You must make sure that you press the door in hard enough while you are latching it to fully obscure this marking if you want reliable waterproofing. People not doing so may account for the majority of the aforementioned 10%. The battery life is impressive. I used this camera for half of a day, taking pictures and videos for almost the entire time, and the battery indicator still showed the battery fully charged. Considering that it was only 40F outside and it was getting splashed continuously by water that was 40F (at the most), keep in mind that low temperatures decrease battery output, I consider it impressive. Before I bought this camera, I was torn between the Nikon AW130 (this model) and the Olympus TG-860. They are both comparable as far as their specifications and I had dealt with Olympus cameras in the past. The deciding factor was that I'd seen many reviews stating how horrible Olympus customer support tends to be while Nikon tends to be quite friendly. Normally, I buy products assuming the warranty is worthless, but when dealing with a $230 camera with a 10% failure rate I did take it into consideration. The real test will be when I take this camera on my annual trip to Lake Superior for kayaking, camping, and snorkeling... Bad weather, rough water, and free diving... I may post another review afterward. A word of caution to anyone wanting an indestructible camera... This thing may be a beast, but it has moving parts so it can fail. I'd seen a lot of reviews where people ONLY brought ONE CAMERA and then complained that it failed during their trip. Bring two cameras, or if you are like me, bring three or four. They don't all have to be new, top-notch cameras either. My Sony is an older 12MP model that I bought for $1, add a sandwich bag and it is waterproof enough for kayaking and maybe an accidental dip although I wouldn't intentionally submerge it. It gives me a backup if I need it and is insignificant when packed in a hold on my sea kayak.

I purchased this camera to use on a SCUBA trip. Rated to 100 feet, this is the first camera I've seen that could make the depths I expected for the typical SCUBA diving I'm doing. Getting right to the point: I inserted memory card and battery at the dive shop, 100% dry and in normal temperature and humidity and sealed it carefully. I made my first dive to a maximum of 55 feet in 80 degree water in Tobago. Two very specific issues I needed an underwater SCUBA camera to do and this camera failed both miserably. #1) Actually go underwater to it's rated depth without issues. This camera present fogging/moisture signs on both the rear LCD display and the inside of the lens cover. As the camera is totally sealed there was no way to try to clear this or wipe it away. I put the camera in my room overnight and it cleared. I took it back out and in 3 hours (without even going underwater, simply walking around the resort and near the boat docks) it fogged both the lens and LCD display again. The camera continued to operate but, of course, photos were seriously impacted by a fogged over lens cover. This alone makes the camera useless, I don't know why it wasn't damaged internally (or perhaps it is and would soon fail even worse, I don't know because I'm returning it immediately). #2) My biggest excitement was the camera has a depth sensor and claimed it would adjust it's Automatic White Balance according to depth while using the Underwater Scene. I tried it in that mode as well as various "Auto" modes. I could find NO setting in which the White Balance underwater worked, at all! ALL my photos came out horribly blue. It was as if there was NO WB adjustment at all. I believe out of 200 photos taken I found 2 I could use. This camera is described as an underwater camera but it was incapable of taking usable photos underwater and it "leaked" (or admitted enough moisture to prevent photos from being taken). To be fair, I took photos when everything cleared up on the surface and the camera performed Average. Normal. It took normal quality photos, nothing exceptional at all. The altimeter was constantly losing it's zero requiring recalibration and using the GPS didn't help a great deal, other than to drain the battery quickly. And, while simply walking around with it in my pocket, again, the back LCD screen and front lens cover fogged over (attached photo shows the rear after being in my pocket for 15 minutes walking from my room to dinner, 75 degrees outside, 72 degrees in room - it's MUCH worse after being underwater). I cannot recommend this camera.

I have been very happy with this camera. There are a few trade-offs compared to a regular point-and-shoot, but fewer than with any other ruggedized camera that I've owned. It is the same body as the AW120 with some improvements such as a little better low light performance. Pros: -- Very good picture quality. -- Excellent and fast autofocus. Auto face detection which is nice. -- Easy to use. -- Excellent low light performance. -- Very solidly built. Survived a tumble down a lava rock slope that would have broken a regular camera. -- Has a depth/altimeter gauge that is on the main display. GPS built in. -- Multiple modes (like pet mode for taking action shots of your dog) but honestly you'll leave it in automatic 90% of the time. Cons: -- To charge it you have to plug the microUSB cable (connected to the charger or computer) into the charging port in the batter compartment. The means the O-rings are sitting exposed to dust, cat fur, etc.. Since you rely on these O-rings being intact and clean to keep for the waterproof seal this isn't ideal. I ultimately ordered a separate battery charger. -- The setting on the flash is either auto or no flash (in the automatic mode). You can force the flash to fire (to fill in darker areas of the scene) in most of the other modes like portrait. -- It only comes with a regular "land" strap. If you are taking it into water of significant depth recommend you get a float strap. Comparing the AW130 to the AW120: The AW130 is a relatively minor upgrade to the AW120 (which is being discontinued). Both cameras have 16 megapixels effective resolution, 5x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, max aperture f2.8, max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec, 3” screen with the same resolution. The improvements in the AW130 are: -- Better low light performance (ISO 125-6400, compared with AW120 ISO 125-1600) -- Slightly longer battery life (370 shots vs 350) -- Timelapse recording (but when are you really going to use this)

This camera takes very good pictures. Not great but for a waterproof camera, about as good as you can get. I won't go into the benefits of a waterproof camera but for travel and boating, you need one. On a recent trip, the Nikon proved great--in the ocean and poolside. I did not have to worry about the insides getting wet. That said, I did get the aftermarket warranty to cover this camera for 3 years. after that, I will likely get the latest and greatest. PROS: -very good pics -easy to use -wifi transfer of pics worked great for my android smartphone -long lasting batteries CONS: -begs to have silicone cover (see Nikon model) -charges via usb (does not include battery charger) -wifi transfer would not work with my Apple 5C smartphone NOTE: -in humid environments like you see in the tropics, merely opening the camera will expose it to humidity. When you go to use it in cooler water, that humidity is enough to slightly cloud the lens on the inside! Worse still, this is unavoidable because of the USB charging. Even worse, small insects can get into the camera during this period. I found one on the inside of my lens. Nikon needs to provide a battery charger so you do not need to keep the camera open to the elements! OPTIONS: -I would look into the GoPro Hero series as an option. The case is great and seems smaller. Saw a lot of them while traveling and it has many mounting accessories to boot.

Awesome little camera and a great way to have a dive camera as well as a regular camera all in one package. I will admit that when I first received it I was skeptical tat it would be waterproof to 100'. It doesn't look that much different from a regular digital camera. The controls are very easy to use and you can shoot video with the single push of a button. First time in the water was in Nassau, Bahamas steel forest wreck site and I had it at 85' and it functioned flawlessly. It is not the greatest underwater camera you can own but it is an awesome starter camera for the financially conscious diver. I have read reviews where others complain about the charging port being inside the water tight seal and having to leave it open to charge it and they worry about dust and pet hair getting in it and causing a potential for a leak but I have not found this to be an issue. Honestly if you house is that nasty charging your camera is the least of your problems. Great little camera for above and below water use and great for people on a budget.

I have had a point and shoot digital camera since the first ones came out in the late 1990s. They have progressed from a lowly 3MP to the 16MP that is in this Nikon Coolpix AW130. Although the actual sensor is small compared with my 36MP Nikon D800e, I have found that the image quality is still excellent. I will be using this AW130 as my goto camera to take pics of engineering projects that I work on. I have used a Canon G12 for two years now to capture work pics, but I get tired of having to open and close the LCD back in order to see my capture results. The AW130 has a fixed LCD on the back which eliminates that hassle. The G12 also extends its lens from the camera body in order to capture images. The AW130 lens\zoom is all internal to the camera body. This eliminates the possibility of dust or water from getting into the lens and causing damage. I do a lot of hiking while shooting fine art pics that I sell through a gallery. Some of those locations are remote like the sand dunes in Death Valley, CA. Having a built-in compass and GPS-driven map feature will help me find my way back to my vehicle even in the dark. My wife likes that feature. I have tried the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility (iOS) app on my iPhone5 to control the camera remotely. I like the feature as well as the ability to download images to the phone or upload images to the Internet. The feature works with my iPad as well and gives me an even larger viewing area. Great new toy opportunities. I am not keen on having a charging cord plugged into the open battery compartment, especially when I leave the camera on a countertop where it could be exposed to water or dust. Thus, I have ordered a Combo Kit Nixxell Battery (2pack) and charger for Nikon EN-EL12, MH-65. That kit will give me an external battery charger as well two spare batteries. Those could come in handy in places like Africa where there is a lot of dust and the need for multiple batteries when out on a shoot. (I use point and shoot sometimes to test composure for my larger Nikon cameras.)

* Update 4 Nov 2017* Came across camera while cleaning office, attempted to turn it on for sh*ts and giggles....and it actually turned on. Seems to work just fine now. Probably wont attempt to use it fully submerged anytime soon, but it is still a good point and shoot. I guess you have to let it dry out for over four months. lol. ********** Purchased in 2015 for a trip to Hawaii. This camera started out five stars, but now down to one. On recent trip to Montana the camera leaked while in about six inches of water during use. First indication was a gradual increase of condensation in the lense housing and then the back screen. Took it back home and checked the seal, no grains of sand or debris, seemingly a good seal. Since it is a few months out of warranty, and the fact that 'water damage' is not covered anyways, it is now a yellow paperweight. Pros: I loved this camera. I did multiple dives up to 30-40 feet in Hawaii, did a river tube trip, swam at the beach, all while taking both stills and video. Great quality for each. On land I had no complaints either. My favorite function was the ability to upload pictures from the camera to my ipad/iphone wirelessly. Super simple, easy, convenient. Since the Hawaii trip I've used it on multiple paddle boarding outings, river boarding, snow boarding, trips for work, family trips, ect. I estimate I put 2-3,000 shots through it, maybe 3-4 hours of video. Never an issue. Cons: The obvious failure of some part of the seal components on the camera. I religously cleaned the outside of camera with clean water (after being near salt water), cleaned the seal around the battery to ensure there were no particles to break that seal. Never dropped the camera, always stored in my home office. As you can see with othwr reviews, the warranty is absurd. My camera is out if warranty anyways. Sumary: Great while it works. Unpredicable failures for unknown reasons. I won't buy this product again, nor reccomend it.

This camera is easy to use and takes good photos. There is a side access hatch that has to be opened to charge the camera by the usb cord, take out the flash memory or the battery. The locking mechanism is in the middle of the side and it seems at first like the hatch is hinged on the front or back side. But the hinge is on the bottom and after unlocking it with the knob in the middle then it opens out and down from the top. I brought this on a scuba trip and was looking forward to using it. At the resort the night before diving, I went wading knee deep into the water to get a nice photo of the resort. Then I noticed the red stripe on the side of the hatch showing that it was not closed all the way. I had opened the hatch approximately ten times and did not subject this camera to any abuse. After examining the hatch it was apparent that the ability to keep the hatch locked tight was gone. Two feet above water was the closest it came to immersion. Full refund from Amazon.