Nikon Waterproof Cameras Comparison

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Not that long ago, the only people with underwater cameras were likely to be scuba divers who were willing to spend thousands of dollars to take photos under the sea.

Cheap waterproof cameras for the swimming pool, lake or beach didn’t exist. But eventually manufacturers realized that consumers wanted to be able to take photos in locations ordinary cameras couldn’t go, like in the water. That ushered in a new wave of waterproof cameras. Most of these were simple, designed to only be used in shallow water, but as digital cameras became more advanced, a new breed of camera – the rugged camera – emerged. Now waterproof, shockproof, dustproof cameras (and in some cases freezeproof and crushproof) have made it easy for just about anyone to take great photos while snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, fishing or doing anything out of the water, too. Nikon is one of the manufacturers to jump into this new market. The company makes two Nikon waterproof cameras – the Coolpix AW100 and Coolpix S30. Here’s a rundown of the differences between them.

Nikon S30
10.1 MP CMOS sensor with 3x zoom
Waterproof to 9.8 ft
Shockproof to 2.6 ft
Also includes: built-in digital photo frames, special effects such as starburst and soft focus, smile shutter, time lapse mode

Highlights of the Nikon S30
– Easy to use for kids
– Large buttons and easy-to-understand menus
– Variety of creative modes and scene settings
– Priced to be affordable for most families

Nikon AW100
16 MP CMOS sensor with 5x zoom
Waterproof to 33 ft
Shockproof to 5 ft
Also includes GPS, image stabilization, panorama mode, freezeproof and dustproof protection

Highlights of the AW100
– Higher resolution than many other waterproof cameras
– Built-in GPS function for geo tagging your photos

Both cameras will take great photos, but each has its own pros and cons. Be sure to look at all of the features and read some waterproof camera reviews before making up your mind. You can read underwater camera reviews here.