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Real World Test and Review of the Nikon AW110

technologyEdward Kiledjian

I recently had a chance to test the Nikon AW110 waterproof adventure camera and wanted to share my real-world experience with you.

There are hundreds of sites that list the tech specs and compare those so you can be assured this review is not one of those. What I want to determine is how usable the camera is and how likely you are to keep using it if you buy it (assuming it is good enough to buy.

Why a rugged waterproof camera?

I have spent the last 15 years traveling the world as world as a business consultant (I have conducted business in at least 30 countries) and advanced PADI certified scuba diver.

I picked up my first digital camera in Singapore in 2000 (a rectangular 2 megapixel FUJI device) and worked my way up various semi-pro Canon dSLRs and scuba diving cameras.

Is a smartphone good enough?

For most people, the smartphone is the always with you camera and in these cases, it is better to have some photo than nothing at all but take a long hard look at those smartphone pictures. Typically they are grainy at night, colors are always a little off and most are soft at best.

So a smartphone is "better than nothing" but a small portable go anywhere without a worry pocket camera is even better.

The physical and what's different

The new AW110 has many similarities of its older brother. It uses the same 16 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, offers a 5x zoom and f 3.9-4.8.

The new Nikon AW110 comes with a WIFI module in addition to the GPS sensor (that was bundled with the older version).

The zoom is now done with a rocker and the OLED Screen is of higher resolution.

The main attraction to this camera though (better specs than its older version) are the toughness specifications:

  • waterproof to 18 meter
  • drop proof to 2 meters
  • freeze proof to -10 Celsius
  • dust proof

Having used over a dozen different waterproof cameras, the learned that most die a horrible death when the waterproof door doesn't lock properly and the camera floods.

The AW110 has a nice thick ribber waterproofing gasket and a strong turn to lock mechanism that clicks when locked. This makes it much less likely to leak.

The locking mechanism on the AW110 is one of the best I have seen (compared to the Lumix TS5 or Olympus TG-2).

Most pocketable waterproof cameras come with some sort of assortment of filters you can apply real-time or during post-processing in the camera. The AW110 is no exception. Having played with these, I find them useless (not just in the AW110 but in all other similar competitive cameras).

Forget about the in-camera filters, they are useless and unusable.

Nikon bundles a 40.5mm filter adapter in the kit which allows you to add polarizers. A polariser used in bright direct sunlight makes a huge quality improvement to the final photo.

Whereas other manufacturers (like Olympus) sell the filter adapters separately, Nikon bundles it in with their base kit.

The AW110 comes with a bunch of wonderful sensors that record a bunch of cool details in each photo such as GPS, compass, depth and altimeter.

Nikon even added a "tap control" system that is helpful for recording in cold climates when the operator has gloves.

Nikon has put a lot of thought about how its customers will use the device and has made sure the AW110 comes with many value add functions (like tap control) for use with gloves.

The AW110 sets up an open WIFI network so your smartphone can connect to its via the Nikon Android or iPhone app. This makes it easier to use but may be a security risk if someone else is nearby with the smartphone app open.

Nikon should add a password protection mechanism (or option) to its camera based WIFI network.

Real world performance

There are 3 metrics you should consider when comparing digital cameras (in addition to quality of course): - Start-up time (how quickly you can take the first shot from a dormant device) - How quickly a photo is taken when the shutter button is pressed - What the delay is between multiple shots in automatic normal more - How many images the device can take in its high shot mode

I compared the performance of the Nikon AW110 to that of its biggest competitor the Olympus TG-2. In everyone of the tests, the Olympus outperformed the Nikon but many times the difference was negligible.

  • Startup: Nikon 2.5 sec Olympus 0.8 sec (Olympus Wins)
  • Shutter lag : Nikon 0.5 sec Olympus 0.3 sec (Olympus Wins)
  • JPEG Shot-to-Shot time: Nikon 0.1 sec Olympus <0.1 sec (Olympus wins)
  • Frames per sec: Nikon 6 Olympus 6.8 (Olympus Wins)

The Battery

Nikon rates the enclosed battery at 250 shots and my real world tests come very close. If I took pictures without a flash then I typically was able to take closer to 280 shots. If I took pictures with a flash then I was able to take less than 200 shots.

All in all, the battery was very good and would last a full day of normal use.

Having used Nikon dSLR cameras, I recommend you stay away from 3rd party no name batteries and buy the original (if you want an extra one).

Photo Quality

The Nikon AW110 offers accurate color reproduction. The lens is reasonably sharp in wide angle mode but you can see some softness in the corners.

What really disappointed me with the AW110 was Macro mode. In macro mode, the photo was "too soft" in my opinion and the camera seemed to add additional blur in the edges.

I tested the camera at all of its effective ISO settings and found the best highest quality images at ISO 200 and below. Anytime the ISO was set higher, you could see noise, artifacts and over-processing.

I feel that the AW110 (and many of its competitors would benefit from less megapixels).

The Olympus TG-2 comes with a 12 megapixel sensor which makes for slightly better pictures.

I compared high ISO shots (up to 3200) with all 3 cameras. All cameras suffered when the ISO was cranked up but the Nikon offered the cleanest pictures (when shooting at high ISO) of all 3 cameras.

During my testing, I found the lens susceptible to fingerprints and fogging which sometimes leads to cloudy pictures and at least less "sharp" pictures.

In my real world testing, the Panasonic TS5 seemed to offer the most hydrophobic lens that stayed droplet free the longest and tended to fog the least. The next best one was the Olympus and the Nikon was last in the smudge/fog category. This wasn't a big issue because it was easily corrected with a quick wipe from a lint free cloth.

Comparing the picture quality

I tested the picture quality against the AW110's chief rival the Olympus TG-2 (and the 3rd contestant the Panasonic Lumix TS5) in different situations and here are my results.

  • Standard normal light day outdoors with slight overcast - The AW110 produced a more bland picture than the others. Everthing seemed more leveled with less contrast. For these tests, the Olympus was the best, followed by the Panasonic the the Nikon.
  • Underwater with good light - If you are taking wide underwater shots, remember that the Olympus offers a 25mm lens, while the Panasonic and Nikon offer a 28mm equivalent. All 3 cameras performed very similarly underwater and they all corrected for color loss at depth about the same. No clear difference here.
  • Maximum zoom - Zoomed in all the way, you see that the Nikon image is slightly more over-processed than the Panasonic or the Olympus but it exhibits less chromatic aberrations. Even with the over-processing, the Nikon offered the sharpest images (when zoomed to the max).

The flash

All 3 cameras I tested in this category are constrained by their small size which means the flash is positioned close to the lens. Everyone of them (Olympus TG-2, Panasonic Lumix TS5 and the Nikon AW110) tended to have limited stabilization capabilities in hand held reduced light situations. They also tended to sometimes blow out the subject by using "too much flash".

The Nikon AW110 struggles to offer the right amount of flash in reduced light situations (like its competitors).

Verdict

The Nikon is a worthy adversary in the pocketable waterproof camera segment and offers good image quality, good usability and an overall good experience.

  • I found the WIFI setup and functionality to be better in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5.
  • I found the image quality slightly better in the Olympus TG-2.
  • I found the menus easier to use and understand in the Panasonic TS5.
  • I found the automatic scene detection and auto image quality best in the Olympus TG-2.
  • The Nikon offered over-processed but the sharpest images when zoomed in.

What does this mean? It means the Nikon was an overall average camera but one you won't be disappointed with.

If you already own another Nikon camera then this may be a logical buy.

If you don't and want the best overall waterproof point and shoot camera, then my current recommendation is the Olympus TG2, then the Panasonic TS5 then the Nikon.

Sample Shots

Pictures may take a while to load because I left the original full image Give it a couple of seconds to download

Macro shot of the inside of a flower

Normal light slightly overcast picture to show vividness of image and overall quality

Max zoom on a butterfly You can see the softness of the picture (particularly the edges)

Wide angle mode of the Montreal Olympic stadium You can see the colors are more vivid but the image slightly less sharp than the Panasonic image below.

Same image but with the Panasonic DMC-TS5

Real world: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 Review

technologyEdward Kiledjian

I have spent the last 15 years traveling the world as world as a business consultant (I have conducted business in at least 30 countries) and advanced PADI certified scuba diver.

I picked up my first digital camera in Singapore in 2000 (a rectangular 2 megapixel device) and worked my way up various semi-pro Canon dSLRs and scuba diving cameras.

The Trip

Mid April, I was heading to CUBA for a beach vacation with my family (wife and 2.5 year old) and started to think about what camera I wanted to take. I didn't want to carry my dSLR with all its accessories but I was afraid a point and shoot would be too limiting (bad quality, slow shutter, limited control, etc).

After spending a couple of weeks reading and researching, I decided to use my vacation to test a couple of the most popular waterproof cameras available.

This review is my experience with the one I liked the most, the Panasonic Lumuc DMC-TS5.

My verdict

Instead of writing my verdict at the end, I will just go ahead and give it to you now. I love this camera. I mean I really loved it.

It impressed me so much, I will likely go out and buy one with my own money.

Marketing straight goods

The body

The Panasonic DMC-TS5 is waterproof (to 43 feet), shockproof from a 6.6 foot fall, crush-proof to 220 lb and freeze-proof down to -10 degrees Celsius.

The lens was coated with a special hydrophobic coating that made sure most of the water was removed from it, which means pictures looked good even when coming out of the water (aka no droplets of water creating spots on your pictures).

The Pictures

In the photo department, the DMC-TS5 comes with a 16 megapixel sensor couples with a 4.6x (optical zoom) lens. It takes great shots and 1080p (full HD 1920x1080) AVCHD videos.

The auto scene detection mode is smart enough to automatically choose the proper scene mode to deliver the best possible results (it knows whether you are taking a portrait, a beach shot or a hand held night-shot).

For the love of WIFI

This camera has WIFI and Panasonic has implemented it right. I connected the camera to my home WIFI and downloaded the GPS assist data (which makes GPS position identification much faster). You can download the Lumix mobile app and use your smartphone as a remote trigger (cool feature but not something I found useful).

You can also use the app (IOS or Android) to pull pictures to your smartphone (or tablet) and share then via email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. You can also configure the app to send pictures via WIFI to your smartphone (or tablet) as you are taking them.

When I compare the WIFI settings and features to the other cameras I tested, the Panasonic Lumic DMC-TS5 is easier to configure, easier to use and worked everytime.

The Kit

The kit came with everything I expected:

  • The camera
  • The Battery Charger
  • a LI-ION battery
  • A bunch of cables
  • Their software on CD-ROM
  • and manuals

The wonderful world of GPS

When shooting with my dSLR, I always carry a Sony GPS-CS1 to record my location and then use a software to record the GPS location of each picture (matched using the pictures time compared to my GPS log). This is tedious but useful 3 years later when you want to know where a picture was taken.

This wonderful little device comes with a GPS receiver built in so it automates one more activity making my life that much easier.

The Battery

With the new standard battery that came with the kit, I was able to take pictures for about 1.5 days. This is between 250-300 pictures (some with flash, and some without). The battery life was extremely good.

The Quad Indicator

This is a term created by Panasonic but something I really liked.

  1. GPS - The first indicator is the GPS that I already mentioned. In addition to standard lattitude and longitude information, the camera comes with over 1 million points-of-interest directly in the camera. Which means if you take a picture of at one of those locations, it adds that POI information straight into the picture.
  2. Barometer - It will automatically record the barometric pressure reading when the picture is taken.
  3. Altimeter - It will record the altitude at which the picture was taken.
  4. Compass - It will records the direction you were facing when you took the picture.

Remember that all of this data is recorded in the EXIF data of each picture. I know many people will ask if they need all this information and my answer is always yes. There is no such thing as too much information because you never know what cool tricks you will be able to perform in the future if you have this data. 10 years ago, no one GPS tagged their pictures but today it is a must for most people. I feel the barometer, altimeter and compass will go through the exact same adoption process.

Standard care

Like any other waterproof camera, there are some special care instructions you should follow to keep your device operating in tip top shape.

After using the camera in salt water (aka the ocean), I made sure to rince it out with fresh clean water for a couple of minutes. Every evening, I submerged the camera in a pool of clean water for 10 minutes (gently moving the camera around to make sure I get all the salt off).

I then dried it with a soft scratch free, lint free cloth and removed the battery for charging.

If you haven't used a scuba camera before then this may be new to you but you should follow these simple steps to keep your camera "healthy". You will also have to change the waterproof gasket (around the battery compartment) once a year. This gasket is cheap and can be changed in under 10 minutes.

In the real world

Here are some samples for you to consider. The first picture was taken at night, hand-held. When I compared this exact same shot to a mid level Nikon dSLR, the DMC-TS5 image was very close in quality, luminosity and clarity.

When I got close to a subject, the camera automatically switched to Macro mode and made the required adjustments.

I tested the camera in harsh direct sunlight, backlight, shade, night, under rain and in every situation, it produces a very good image without having to fuss with settings. It just worked.

Here is a sample of an image I took at about 4 feet of depth when the water was "dirty" with sand because of strong waves and currents.

The DMC-TS5 has great color reproduction. Images aren't too vivid, the color saturation felt just right.

I think this picture really summarizes everything I like about the camera. Even when you blow up this picture, it still looks like a professional postcard taken with a much more expensive camera (except it was taken with the DMC-TS5 which is pocketable and easy to carry).

Final word

Go read my verdict at the beginning of this post. Comparing this to the other rugged cameras I tested (the Nikon Coolpix AW110, Olympus TG-2 iHS and Fuji FinePix XP170) this one if my favorite and the one I will buy with my own money and carry on trips.

But it's not a dSLR

I know many of my readers are semi-pro photographers and would never be caught dead with a point and shoot. I understand and this camera isn't for you. My dSLR is wonderful and the camera I will use often when at home but when I travel, I want something small and rugged. I have done many trips lugging my dSLR, lenses, flashes and accessories and can confidently say those days are behind me. I popped this in one of my Scottevest jacket pockets and had it with me everywhere.