Nikon 1 AW1: Review
According to Nikon is the one AW1 ” fit for any adventure. ” One can dive deep with it up to 15 meters, it can withstand drops from up to two meters in height without damage and is good in the winter when outdoor use up to ten degrees below zero.
Its rugged exterior combined with a 13.2 times 8.8 millimeters large CMOS sensor with 14.2 megapixel resolution, which brings the physical focal length of the kit lens the crop factor of 2.7. To also their ability to be used according to the Nikon 1 AW1 also comes with a water-and shock-proof Lens 1-11-27.5 mm Mount AW 3.5-5.6.
How did the mirrorless system camera with Nikon’s System One proposes in tough practical text and in the laboratory, the editors tested.
Nikon 1 AW1 – Ergonomics and Processing
By the time you take in hand the Nikon 1 AW1, you can feel the impact of their water tightness and shock resistance. Seals, extra locks and matching kit lens 1-11-27.5 mm Mount AW 3.5-5.6 with internal zoom and inner focusing system provide for an increased weight compared to other mirrorless system cameras.
With full 533 grams of weight, the Nikon 1 AW1 is still good and secure in the hand. Also in the operation, there are effects of the action capability. So has the Nikon 1 AW1 had no dials, everything is done by pressing a button. A mode dial on top of the camera looking in vain.
Nikon has another clever alternative considered, particularly for outdoor use has advantages. If you hold in Live View mode, the so-called Action button next to the thumb rest, various shooting modes appear on the display. If you tilt the camera now gently to the left and right, the pointer moves between the programs back and forth, and you have to let go only when the pointer is set to the desired mode.
For the semi-automatic modes and the manual mode, but still is a step adjustment work more than with direct dialing through a rotating disc, for it can be found at Creative shots and must be called by pressing button again. This ” one-more-Press ” in the Nikon 1 AW1 system. It offers many settings and useful features, but it takes a lot of keys. Press until all the settings matches.
So can the Nikon 1 AW1 a typical quick menu for image size, ISO, white balance, etc. are missing. For the tilt operation can be used on the Action button in the playback menu to browse through the recordings already made or from the menus out for the setting of the so-called outdoor displays such as screen brightness or high display contrast.
On the processing of Nikon 1 AW1 there is nothing to complain about. The flaps close securely and are provided with extra gaskets and seals for underwater use. In addition to the tripod thread of metal, which is located off the optical axis, one finds a tiny opening, which serves to equalize the pressure. Mounted on a tripod, battery and memory card can be exchange. Also well protected in the camera body is tremendous. It must be folded manually and can also be used under water.
Nikon 1 AW1 – Equipment
Amenities The equipment of the Nikon 1 AW1 is aligned on its strengths as diving products, outdoor camera. For use under water, the Nikon AW1 course, an appropriate scene mode available, which again is divided into sub-standard water, scuba diving for deeper water and underwater scenes. It is with the Nikon 1 AW1 with 1-Mount AW 11 to 27.5 mm color that automatically compensates for the bluish color cast of the water, not satisfied, you can quite easily move by pressing the arrow keys, the blue-green color balance. For the distortion also stands a correction program available.
The Nikon 1 AW1 can record position data and features height and depth gauge, whose data also be stored in the image data. For applications without underwater housing to 15 meters, it is sufficient, from 20 meters, he fails his services. The built-in flash is secured so that it can be used under water. But not only under water plays the Nikon 1 AW1 from their merits.
Even in sub-zero temperatures, they remain ready for use and using the altimeter can thus accompany some mountain tour and map the spatial data the images. The Panorama program that is very easy to use, landscapes captures in a big way and absolutely belongs at an outdoor camera as standard.
But otherwise the Nikon 1 AW1 generous with equipment. In addition to the design and automatic programs, it offers an aperture and aperture priority mode and a manual mode. Even in automatic mode we should not be limited to the default settings offered the Nikon 1 AW1.
If you choose the live image controller, can assess the strength of certain effects like background blur, brightness, motion blur, or the balance between highlights and shadows (Active D-Lighting) on the screen before shooting.
This works quite well with D-Lighting and brightness. In the background, blur or motion blur you trust better on the aperture and shutter speed settings themselves made. Also, most scene modes offer the possibility to readjust itself. Against the light program can, for example, determine whether HDR is active or the shadows are lightened by the flash. About the classic P, A, S, M and scene programs addition, the Nikon 1 AW1 allows a moving snapshots and Best Moment Capture.
Sheets allows Nikon 1 AW1 in full HD resolution (1080p). If you choose the slow motion, the camera records no sound with an aspect ratio of 8:3 to approximately 400 frames per second and is available with 30 frames per second again. What Not all camera in this class is the standard and therefore, Nikon 1 AW1 apart is the fact that you can use the aperture and aperture priority and even select the manual mode. Less than ideal for movie recordings with zoom proves the waterproof kit lens. Through his poetry, it is difficult to move than conventional lenses, resulting in camera shake or jerky zoom movements.
Nikon 1 AW1 – Image Quality
A waterproof action camera that may fall sometimes, not much use if the image result to be desired. Whether the Nikon 1 AW1 can meet the demands of ambitious photographers, we have examined in the lab and in the field. The Nikon 1 AW1 with 1-11-27.5 mm Mount AW detailed laboratory test is as usual accessible via the following links and can be viewed for a small fee. The waterproof zoom lens 1-11-27.5 mm Mount AW 3.5-5.6 shows for A4 prints not lock on waste, and the vignetting is so minimal that it does not matter in practice.
Not so nice is because the huge barrel distortion that occurs at a wide angle when converted to 30mm focal length. Nikon offers it to an internal correction for above and below water. The chromatic aberrations are limited and occur only at very specific aperture focal constellations in appearance so that they are easily visible. In practice fringing put so not a problem.
Bring to the sensor with the game, shows a view of the resolution in line pairs per millimeter, which he does. The Nikon 1 AW1 here holds back strongly and reaches at any aperture and any focal length the value of 40 Nikon 1 AW1 with 1-11-27.5 mm Mount AW competitors penetrates because prior to the 50.
You Dims on F16, it is sufficient only for an average of 25 line pairs per millimeter. The test chart for texture sharpness, therefore shows a fairly low entry of Nikon 1 AW1 what to ISO 800 is still perfectly adequate. But Nikon maintains a low-key image processing.
This in turn has the positive effect of fewer sharpness artifacts. When signal-to-noise ratio falls on a pretty low trace. Even between ISO 400 and 800 tears the Nikon 1 AW1 the critical limit of 35 decibels. This means that some details from ISO 800 superimposed by noise. Luminance and color noise, in turn, provide no greater challenge for the Nikon 1 AW1 represents the grain size is at ISO 3200, at least in the blue and red channel in dimensions that can be perceived as too coarse.
Even when the input dynamic Nikon 1 AW1 shows no peak power, but it is with values of around nine stops up to and including ISO 3,200 at a very high common level. The tone value is adjusted so that the resulting picture comes with crisp colors Nikon – a quite desired result for this class. And who would have it otherwise, can take pictures in RAW format and re-adjust itself.
The white balance is very accurate and also at the speed the Nikon 1 AW1 can score. With values around 0.2 seconds for the autofocus including shutter lag it can be recommended as an extremely fast companion for snapshots. It owes the partially sure the hybrid autofocus of phase and contrast detection.
Nikon 1 AW1 – Conclusion
The Nikon 1 AW1 worthwhile for photographers who like to be in nature under extreme conditions on the road and take their camera with the water. Whether these are accomplished photographers like yourself make the settings, or beginners in the field of system cameras, it does not matter. The Nikon 1 AW1 offers from intelligent automatic to full manual mode, all variants. The operation is connected due to the lack dials sometimes a bit annoying and with a lot of pressures. The possibilities offered by the menus, the effort into perspective again.
The image quality, the Nikon 1 AW1 shows solid reliable results, but reached for a mirrorless system camera not peak out at speed. In comparison to compact cameras with 1/2, 3 ” sensor but it has a very good image quality. Nikon 1 AW1 is a real snapshot camera. Who does not need the outdoor qualities of Nikon 1 AW1, is better served with another mirrorless system camera.
Our Opinion
PROS : Waterproof to 15 meters depth and shockproof to two meters., High-quality equipment, including manual mode., In the video program slow motion and a manual mode are available., With suitable depth and altimeter and GPS log ideal for outdoor use., Very fast camera, ideal for snapshots.
CONS : Often nested menu navigation due to lack of an adjusting dial it., Sluggish zoom due to the water tightness of the lens., For a mirrorless system camera quite heavy.
- Processing
- Equipment
- Handing
- Speed
- Image Quality
