Nikon Coolpix AW · on sale spring 2014 · a retrospective

The Nikon Coolpix AW120: the rugged compact with a compass, GPS and a $350 price tag

We found no other regional name for it; Nikon's global news release and its US press release both use the AW120 name.¹²

In February 2014 Nikon updated its waterproof Coolpix with a faster f/2.8 lens, a sharper OLED screen and a longer-lasting battery. Reviewers loved how tough it was, argued about the pictures, and one told readers to buy the older model instead.

Compiled from 2014 reviews by PhotographyBLOG, TechRadar, Reviewed.com and Stuff, plus Nikon's releases · we have not tested a unit yet · free sample photos of this camera are limited, and we found no free photo of the camera itself

Release date and launch price: launched February 2014; launch price $349.95 · £329.99²³.

Meet the camera

It is a pocket-sized camera, about 110 by 66 by 26 millimetres and 213 grams with battery and card.⁴ Nikon rated it waterproof to about 18 metres, shockproof against falls from about 2 metres and freezeproof to about -10°C, and said it resisted dust and sand.¹ It came in black, blue, camouflage and orange.¹ TechRadar called it the third entry in the rugged Coolpix AW series since 2011, and noted that 18 metres is the depth limit for an open-water diving licence.⁶

The AW120 offered GPS and GLONASS positioning, an electronic compass and built-in Wi-Fi;¹ TechRadar said the AW110 already had the same wireless features.⁶ Nikon's US release gave a suggested retail price of $349.95 and availability in March 2014;² PhotographyBLOG listed £329.99 and €399, with sales starting on 27 February 2014,³ and Imaging Resource's table gives an availability date of 15 March 2014.⁴

Why this one was interesting

A faster, wider lens

The new lens started at f/2.8 at 24 millimetres, where TechRadar said the AW110 opened only to f/3.9.⁶ Stuff noted that f/2.8 is available only with the lens fully zoomed out.⁸ Reviewed.com pointed out that Olympus's rival TG-3 opened to f/2.0.⁷

A better screen, a bigger battery

The OLED screen went from 614,000 dots on the AW110 to about 921,000, and the maximum ISO rose from 1600 to 6400, TechRadar found.⁶ PhotographyBLOG listed the battery rating up from about 250 shots to about 350, and internal memory up from 21 MB to about 329 MB.⁵ Stuff added that USB charging lets you top up in the field.⁸

A tool kit, not just a camera

PhotographyBLOG listed GPS and GLONASS, a world map, compass, altimeter, barometer and a depth gauge reading from 0 to 20 metres.⁵ Reviewed.com noted that the depth is also written into the picture data, though the onboard maps need map files loaded on the card first.⁷

If you are comparing rugged cameras of an earlier generation, see our Olympus Stylus 1030 SW. Nikon's own AW130 followed in February 2015, rated to about 30 metres.⁹

What was lost

This was an update, not a redesign. TechRadar said the two cameras look identical and that it has the same type of sensor and all the same wireless features,⁶ and PhotographyBLOG said the design, sensor and toughness were almost the same as the AW110's.⁵ The loser in that comparison was the price: PhotographyBLOG put it about 20 percent above the AW110's list price and said the AW110 could be found far cheaper.⁵

The dark: its weak point

Low light and noise were the recurring complaint. Stuff found low-light performance without flash a tad disappointing without flash.⁸ TechRadar said noise makes itself felt from ISO 800, mostly in speckled shadows and lost detail, and most at ISO 6400.⁶ PhotographyBLOG found colour speckling well controlled up to ISO 3200 but detail softening noticeably from ISO 400, and considerable smearing at ISO 1600.⁵ Reviewed.com measured noise at 0.93 percent at ISO 125 rising above 1 percent from ISO 200, and said aggressive noise reduction smears fine detail.⁷ Its video in dim light dropped from about 600 to about 500 lines of horizontal sharpness, and it needed about 12 lux for a broadcast-level image.⁷

We could not find a free sunset or night photo from this camera with its sensitivity recorded in the file, so this page shows no low-light strip.

On eBay right now

Live listings for this camera, supplied by eBay and updated automatically. We earn a commission if you buy through them.

The little wins

How it drew the picture

PhotographyBLOG scored image quality 3.5 out of 5: attractive, vibrant colour at low ISO, but fine detail smeared at 100 percent, with landscapes that can look like watercolour and files slightly soft at default sharpening.⁵ TechRadar said detail was reasonable across the frame and distortion well controlled, but that it saw a cyan fringe in high-contrast areas outside the centre and that skies tended towards an artificial blue.⁶ Reviewed.com called sharpness good but dependent on edge enhancement, which causes haloing.⁷ Stuff rated stills 4 out of 5 and called it the best still-image camera of the three tough cameras it had recently reviewed, though not a match for a Sony HX60V or Fujifilm X20.⁸

Photos taken with this camera, from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture. Only about a hundred free photos exist, from a handful of uploaders, so this is a thin sample.

Where it let you down

Wi-Fi was the loudest complaint: Stuff could not get it to connect to anything and gave up after ten minutes,⁸ while TechRadar got a stable link to a phone once it learned that the camera needs a charged battery and a real SD card,⁶ and the app was thin: TechRadar listed only zoom, shutter and copy-to-phone, and Reviewed.com said focus could not be adjusted.⁶⁷ TechRadar said the controls are small and easy to mispress even in thin gloves.⁶ PhotographyBLOG found no front grip, so one-handed shooting felt less secure; macro is not available in Smart Auto; panoramas are heavily downsized; and GPS stays active for up to six hours after power-off, which noticeably cuts battery life.⁵ Reviewed.com found satellite lock slow and said the camera sinks, so wear the strap.⁷ The reviewers also disagreed about the screen outdoors: PhotographyBLOG listed it as easy to see in bright light, Reviewed.com called it dim in direct sun.⁵⁷

What the reviewers said in 2014

TechRadar compared it with the Panasonic Lumix FT5 (a little cheaper, not as deep), the Canon PowerShot D30 (25 metres, 12 megapixels, no Wi-Fi), as a general-use camera it pointed to the Nikon P530 and Canon SX600 HS, and among rugged cameras to the cheaper Fujifilm XP200 (similar specs, no GPS).⁶

The timeline

• 6 February 2014Nikon USA issues its release: $349.95, March availability.²
• 7 February 2014Nikon publishes its news release for the AW120.¹
• 27 February 2014On sale, according to PhotographyBLOG.³
• 1 May 2014Reviewed.com publishes its review.⁷
• 29 May 2014PhotographyBLOG publishes its review.⁵
• 14 August 2014Stuff publishes its review.⁸
• 10 February 2015Nikon announces the AW130, rated to about 30 metres.⁹

Should you buy one now?

Buy one if you want a pocketable camera you can take in the sea, a pool or the rain without worrying, and you can accept ordinary, soft pictures from a small sensor. It launched at $349.95;² what it sells for now is a question for the sold listings, not for us. Before you bid, check these:

• The name. Search the Coolpix AW120.¹ The cheaper AW110 looks identical.⁶
• The seals. Its waterproofing depends on seals and a locking door that must be shut every time,⁶⁸ so check the door seal for dirt, cracks or sand.
• The battery. It uses an EN-EL12;⁴ a fresh one is on Amazon ↗, and Reviewed.com said it charges over USB.⁷
• The card. It takes SD, SDHC and SDXC cards;⁴ Wi-Fi will not work without one.⁶ See our memory card guide.
• The cable. TechRadar lists micro USB and micro HDMI ports behind the sealed door.⁶
• The lens. Check that it zooms cleanly and the glass is free of scratches.

If you are wondering why cameras like this are being hunted down again, we tell that story once, in Pictures that never left the card.

See recent sold prices on eBay ↗Shop on eBay ↗EN-EL12 battery ↗

Sources

1. Nikon Corporation, Digital Compact Camera Nikon COOLPIX AW120 (news release, 7 Feb 2014)
2. Nikon USA press room, AW120 release (6 Feb 2014: $349.95 suggested retail price, March 2014)
3. PhotographyBLOG, Nikon Coolpix AW120 announcement (7 Feb 2014: prices, 27 Feb on sale)
4. Imaging Resource, Nikon Coolpix AW120 specification table (MSRP $349.95, availability 15 Mar 2014)
5. PhotographyBLOG, Nikon Coolpix AW120 review by Jack Baker (29 May 2014)
6. TechRadar, Nikon Coolpix AW120 review by Ian Evenden (undated page)
7. Reviewed.com, Nikon Coolpix AW120 review by Chris Thomas (1 May 2014)
8. Stuff, Nikon Coolpix AW120 review by Sam Kieldsen (14 Aug 2014, updated 2023)
9. Nikon Corporation, Digital Compact Camera Nikon COOLPIX AW130/S33 (news release, 10 Feb 2015)

Photographs are credited under each one, all via Wikimedia Commons. Links to eBay and Amazon are affiliate links.