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Nikon ups toughness for Coolpix AW110, S31 rugged cams

These point-and-shoots can now withstand deeper dives and higher drops.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
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Joshua Goldman
2 min read

Nikon

Mermaid hunters (or merman hunters for that matter) have another photographic weapon to add to their arsenal.

The new Nikon Coolpix AW110 is waterproof down to 59 feet, shockproof from up to 6.7 feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Its predecessor, the AW100, was protected down to 33 feet, could survive 5-foot drops, and could also continue operating down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

It has built-in GPS that can be used to geotag photos as well as display and embed points-of-interest data and keep a log of your path while you shoot. Nikon also popped in Wi-Fi that, when combined with Nikon's Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility app, makes it possible to send photos to iOS or Android devices in addition to using them to wirelessly control the camera.

Rather than an LCD, the AW110 has a 3-inch OLED display, but the remaining specs stay the same, including a 16-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor and a 5x, f3.9-4.8, 28-140mm lens with optical image stabilization.

It'll be available in orange, black, camouflage, and blue versions in February for $349.95.

Nikon

If that's too much excitement (or money) for you, Nikon also updated its budget-friendly rugged compact. The new 10-megapixel Coolpix S31, which replaces the S30, is waterproof to 16.5 feet and shockproof to 3.6 feet (up from the S30's 9.8 feet and 2.6 feet, respectively).

One of the more appealing features of the S30, along with its low price, was its use of AA batteries for power, but sadly Nikon put an end to that; the S31 has a lithium ion rechargeable battery instead. The price does remain low, though, at $119.95. The rest of the camera is pretty much unchanged, too.

It'll be out in February in white, blue, pink, brown, and yellow versions.