Nikon Coolpix AW120 Pro Reviews

With Wi-Fi, GPS, and an OLED display, the Nikon Coolpix AW120 is one of the better rugged compact cameras you can buy, but it's not quite an Editors' Choice.

When it comes to image quality, there are cameras that will perform better than the AW120. It’s an easy, basic camera that takes good photos that will satisfy its intended user. However, there are smartphones that take photos that are just as good. But what’s appealing here are the rugged features. Being able to take it into a pool or ocean, or into the rain, is a unique feature that makes it a standout. If your vacations will include plenty of sand and water, or rain and ice, it’s a nice camera to have. But for more pedestrian activities, you’re better off with something else. It’s not a camera we’ll recommend to everyone, but there’s a group of holidaymakers who would love something like this. Note that there are plenty of other strong (and stronger) all-weather cameras from other manufacturers, and $350 is a lot of money to spend on a basic point-and-shoot. If you want to save $100 and don’t mind slightly older features, take a look at the AW110, which is a nearly identical camera with the same rugged specs. For those who don’t need a camera as rugged, check out Nikon’s affordable Coolpix S31.

The Nikon Coolpix AW120 offers a very good depth rating of 18m, and is shockproof to 2m. The lens is a 5x optical zoom with a 24mm equivalent wide-angle, zooming to 120mm. Vibration reduction helps keep shots sharp, and the screen has been improved with a higher resolution. Battery life is also improved with 350 shots, making this suitable for a days shooting or more. The camera is competitively priced and packed with built in Wi-Fi and GPS, making it a great travel camera, particularly if you want to share to social media sites. Images have good colour and exposure, but could be sharper, however should be good for sharing on websites.