Should i keep my Underwater Nikon Coolpix AW100??

Purchased this Nikon AW100 so i can get good pics of marine life when i snorkel. Not much posted here about this camera. Should i keep it or buy Panasonic underwater instead? I am not great snorkeler and will mostly take pics in water less than 10 feet or so. Must return in 3 days, should i?? Have used Fuji disposable underwater and dont like blue tint. Want really nice pics. Thanks so much

I don't know a lot about the AW100, but I do like the fact that it automatically detects when you put it into the water and it changes automatically to underwater mode.

As you indicated, you get a blue tint when using your film camera underwater. This is because the color balance changes towards the blue spectrum. To correct this, you need to use a red filter on a film camera, or have a digital camera that changes the color balance to compensate.

Most, if not all of the underwater digital cameras do have an underwater scene mode to correct for the color shift. However, my camera - an Olympus 8010 does not automatically go into underwater mode when it gets wet - I have to remember to manually set the camera into that mode.

That the Nikon automatically changes the mode means one less thing you have to worry about.

The Nikon does have a 10Meter (33ft) depth rating, which I would highly recommend, even though you state that you take photos in less than 10ft of water. Some models of underwater cameras have lower ratings, as little as 10ft, but I would not recommend them. I would recommend the 10Meter rating even though you only use the camera in less than 10ft of water.

The reason being is that the deeper rated cameras typically have additional o-rings or other increased waterproofing features that even if you do not use the camera to the rated depth - the camera will be less prone to leaking, which can sometimes happen. For instance, my Olympus 8010 has an additional o-ring seal for the access door than the 3Meter rated Olympus 6020.

That is about my extent of knowledge about the AW100. It is one camera I have not used.

I am highly considering a purchase the AW100 in the next few days.

I've seen good reviews on the quality of pictures and video taken while underwater. I have not seen anyone mention the blue tint previously but it doesn't surprise me seeing the environment color the underwater pictures will be taken.

I will also mostly use the camera for snorkeling so the current rated depth works fine for me.

Other cameras I looked at and strongly considered were the Panasonic TS3 and Sony CyberShot TX10.

I'm taking a short cruise in February so I will get to try the camera then.

thank u so much for your input

I also looked and read about the same Panasonic and Sony and that is why i picked the Nikon. Hope we all get the underwater/land pics we are hoping for.

I decided to keep the nikon coolpix AW100. However when i read the manual and watched the CD, i could just not understand all the info. There seems to be so much to memorize on using all that i am not sure i will keep it. Is any other waterproof camera easier to understand/use? Thanks for any help, elaine

I'm looking at all the information about underwater cameras. We cruise at end of April. The NikonAW100 is one I am considering. I'm wondering if you kept it and if you like it??

I kept the Nikon, but have had so many things going on that i took it out of box, still havent used it. Only 6 weeks to go so i better try to figure it out

I just bought one. So I'll be doing the same thing. Sure hope it takes great pics! We cruise in about 6 weeks too.

Just got back from our cruise. I have a 6 year old, 6MP Sealife P&S that only got used in the Bahamas when I bought it new. Dusted it off, took it along on my first dive ever last week.

I have to believe that good amateur dive pics come more from patience and luck than equipment. I tried really hard to stay steady, watch the silt and light, and got a couple winners, IMHO.

I snapped and snapped while trying to control my "spaz" quotient because diving is so COOL!!!

I guess I'm just saying you'll do fine - the whole experience was awesome, and even the less than stellar shots I got are keepers to me.

Now to reminisce...

The Mrs. "equalizing"

Just got back from our cruise. We had a great time and the camera took great pics! My husband did the beginner scuba and had fun under water at 20-30 feet at a Cozumel reef. We also took pics on board the ship. Once I figured out to use the backlighting I got good pics where my other camera failed. (mini golf-where there were shadows and at dinner to get our whole group of 8) We carried the camera (with a floating camera strap attached ) up Dunns River Falls. I'll try to attach a few pictures.

I think I am going to purchase the Nikon AW100 mainly for my underwater and beach camera. I picked it for one good and one admittedly paranoid reason.

1. It seems to be one of the best-reviewed underwater cameras in the $300 range and it's on sale at Costco right now (until July 25, I think).

2. It seems to be the best underwater camera that I can buy at Costco, which has a 90-day return policy and will take it back for any reason. This matters to me because with even the most expensive underwater cameras, I am amazed at how many reports there are of leakage. I am sure some of it is operator error, but I do wonder about quality control as well. And on Amazon, there are quite a few horror stories about how the camera companies won't honor warranties and/or want an arm and a leg for repairs when a person has a problem. With a Costco 90-day warranty, I will have time to learn about the camera, test it before my cruise, use it on the trip, and return it to Costco if there are any problems.

Just got back from our cruise. We had a great time and the camera took great pics! My husband did the beginner scuba and had fun under water at 20-30 feet at a Cozumel reef. We also took pics on board the ship. Once I figured out to use the backlighting I got good pics where my other camera failed. (mini golf-where there were shadows and at dinner to get our whole group of 8) We carried the camera (with a floating camera strap attached ) up Dunns River Falls. I'll try to attach a few pictures.

TN cruisin,

Thanks for posting the pictures. We just purchased the Nikon AW100 for our upcoming cruise to the Panama Canal. Do you know which floating camera strap you used? I'm in the market for one of those.

Utahtea

Nikon is having a sale right now on the AW100 -- you can get it for $249, which I think is a pretty good deal and I just picked one up.

It also comes with an external charger, which I prefer so that I can charge a spare battery without tying up the camera. Some mfrs now are not including them. (E.g., the much more expensive Olympus TG-1 does not come with an external charger. If you want one, that makes the camera even more expensive.)