Nikon Digital Camera COOLPIX AW130 Camouflage Green [International Version, No Warranty]

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.

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.

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)

We took the camera on our recent trip to the caribbean to use as our go to camera. It worked well underwater and took some excellent pictures. The only thing I would say to watch out for is, once you take pictures underwater, be sure to clean off the glass in front of the lens before taking other pictures, otherwise the water spots left behind may spoil your picture. It will be a great camera to take on campouts (scoutmaster here) and backpacking trips. My only gripe and this is minor (it might even be something that I am doing wrong) - it does not like any other wall chargers beside the one it comes with. It wouldn't charge from the usb ports built into my outlets. I have not attempted recharging the battery using my solar panel, but I am anxious to see if it will work as it will be the primary charging source on longer trips. Will update the review once I know.

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.

happy with this purchase, only downside is that it's bulkier than i wanted. i had previously had the sony cybershot T30 (waterproof & drop proof but sleek and small like most point & shoots) for 5yrs, but lost that and had to find a replacement. not a bad option to have the bluetooth to transfer pictures to your phone, but syncing your phone to the camera was a hassle in itself (probably "user error"). the pictures i took were descent, but you can't expect much from a point&shoot compared to a DSLR. the auto settings were great for beginners, but once you start going into the specific settings depending on your scene, they can look better. i was disappointed that when i turn off the flash, then turn off the camera, and turn it right back on, the flash is on as well -didn't save my previous setting. that gets annoying b/c i don't keep my camera on all the time, and i hate using flash, i prefer natural lighting. already took this camera to the philippines and took shots under water of the pools, in the ocean, on the beach, and no problem. just make sure you never open the battery door while the camera is still wet, and always run the camera under faucet water to wash away all the salt/sand so it won't ruin the rubber seals and deteriorate the housing. i was worried that i would scratch the front lens of the camera since there is no cover, just the glass, but the beach hadn't scratched it (the back display screen is another story -that scratches so easily, but that's w/all display screens). i heard the battery doesn't last long, but if you don't have the bluetooth on, constantly connecting/transferring pictures to your phone then the battery lasts.

Great camera! Quality of photos is superb. We bought this because the waterproof feature and the depth for our scuba diving excursions. We have received many compliments on the photos, look, and style of the camera. If I weren't so technically challenged, I'm sure I would LOVE the wi-fi connectivity feature so my pictures could be shared immediately. My only recommendation is to purchase an additional flotation strap, because like all cameras, this one will sink if the strap comes off your wrist while diving/snorkeling/swimming. The battery compartment, which is where the waterproofing happens, is quite secure. The locking mechanism for the compartment is the best I've seen among waterproof cameras. We've had two other cameras of similar style and this one definitely makes me feel most confident in the waterproofing aspect. At this price point, this camera can't be beat. I would even venture to say it's better than some made for underwater/diving cameras that cost 3-4 times as much. You won't be disappointed. We finally decided on it because the recommendation of a professional photographer for a point and shoot camera.

This is an excellent product that I have had great experiences with. However, this product has been used and has been heavily worn and damaged. Although it is functional, it is questionable what it would do underwater, as I bought it for diving and damage can have a fatal impact on its waterproofness. I expected a new and unused product, as the price was higher than what I paid when buying an identical product in the past. It is a complete disappointment and I am afraid to use it for diving, that it will be destroyed. If it were possible, I would return this item, but I do not see such an option and it would probably be complicated and associated with the loss of a large part of the funds (transport and customs).