Hot on the heels of the Olympus Tough TG-5 and Ricoh WG-50, Nikon has announced the arrival of a new all-weather compact camera in the form of the Coolpix W300.
Armed with a 16MP CMOS sensor and built-in wide-angle zoom lens, the W300 will be waterproof without any casing or housing down to 30m, safe to drop from 2.4m up, weather-proofed and safe to operate down to -10°C. A five-axis Hybrid Vibration Reduction system has been included for steadier shots when in challenging conditions. It’ll also be able to shoot 4K and Full HD video with a new auto-exposure system helps capture smooth video footage as the light changes, which is should prove particularly handy when shooting underwater. Since the W300 is aimed at adventure, the outside boasts a deep grip, a large monitor, and an easy control scheme for underwater use or when wearing gloves.
The f/2.8 lens itself features up to 5x optical zoom, doubling that using digital zoom, with a macro-mode for shooting detailed close-ups.
Other features include SnapBridge connectivity, which lets users sync their shots to a smart device as they shoot, or use the smart device to shoot remotely, the ‘Tool’ function, which displays GPS location, steps taken, depth and other useful tidbits of information, and a tripod mount that doubles as a mount for accessories like underwater flashguns.
The Nikon Coolpix W300 will be priced at £389.99 in camo, orange, black and yellow – though there isn’t an official release date just yet.
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