Nikon 1 AW1 Pro Reviews

The Nikon 1 AW1 is the first interchangeable lens camera that you can take deep underwater, but it's best left in automatic mode.

The Nikon 1 J3 is a solid ILC, but it didn’t overwhelm us. However, take that same camera and make it waterproof and shockproof, name it the AW1, and it’s hard to not make an overwhelming recommendation. Also, there’s nothing else in the world like it. A rugged camera that takes very good images comes at a price, however, and the AW1 will set you back $800 for the one-lens kit. If you have the extra cash to spend and are an avid snorkeler and vacation photographer, this is definitely a camera worth considering. But given the high price tag, you may want to spring for an extended warranty. Just in case.

Although the AW1 is built like a tank and survived our brutal test at sea, it's not entirely faultless. The lack of manual controls on the body means you'll constantly have to fight your way through the menu if you like to be in charge of frequently used settings, and in that respect it's just like other Nikon 1 system CSCs - great for the point and shoot snapper who wants no fuss, but not as good for the more advanced photographer who likes to get creative. As a system camera, it's currently in a niche of its own. With no other fully waterproof or shockproof CSC like it, it suggests the AW1 could be the first in a new line of similar rugged CSCs from other manufacturers. Though the build will shake off the worst knocks and drops, we'd like to see the design improved with a rubberised grip and a fully waterproof fisheye lens added to the NIKKOR 1 range, which we see as a must for underwater photography.

With the ability to shoot Raw as well as JPEG, high quality video with stereo sound and do both in otherwise testing conditions, this is one compact styled CSC that just about does it all. Given this perhaps the asking price isn't as excessive as it might first seem in comparison with regular non-protected ‘J' series Nikons. Add in the fact that the AW1's performance is consistent and you have a very tempting proposition for your next purchase that, if you are going to be using the camera mostly on dry land, will allow you access to an increasing number of regular Nikon 1 Nikkor lenses. In short, there is little about the Nikon 1 AW1 that feels compromised in order to achieve the level of protection it offers.

The Nikon 1 AW1 is unique in offering a completely waterproof and shockproof interchangeable lens camera, making it ideal for travelling, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, or for giving to the kids to take photos with. Although with a limited number of lens options that are also waterproof, the choice of waterproof lenses is a little bit limiting at the moment, and it would benefit from a brighter prime lens or a wider zoom lens, as the standard zoom lens isn't very wide or very bright. The waterproofing of the camera body and lens also makes it quite a large (and heavy) camera to carry around with you, with cameras like the Sony NEX-5T seeming extremely compact in comparison, however it is much smaller than buying a mirrorless camera and a separate waterproof enclosure. The camera has a number of impressive features, particularly the extremely quick focus and shutter response as well as some of the quickest continuous shooting modes available of any camera currently available, except for other Nikon 1 cameras, shooting at 15fps with continuous AF, or 60fps with fixed AF. If you want a camera with interchangeable lenses, for the occasional underwater adventure, then the Nikon 1 AW1 would be a very good choice, as there are now a good number of Nikon 1 lenses available, with the last count at 11 lenses, with two of them being waterproof versions.

The AW1 is an interesting camera, and one that we're very curious to try out when final production samples become available. We've had some time with a (very) pre-production sample, and although we haven't had the opportunity to actually shoot with it, our brief experience suggests that the AW1 does what Nikon says it does, about as well as we'd expect from a modern 1 System camera. What we really like about the AW1 is that it doesn't feel like a tough camera in use. It's water and shockproof, but it doesn't have the same over-rubberized, over-built quality of so many cameras in – say – the rugged camera class that we looked at over the summer. You could quite happily take the AW1 out over a dry sunny weekend and forget that it's a rugged camera. But with one of the two companion lenses attached, you could jump into a lake, head up a mountain, or go rock-climbing without needing to give it a second thought.