The new Nikon 1 AW1 is more than just another camera body from the imaging company. The big deal here isn’t the sensor—which is respectable—but rather, the fact that the camera is super tough. Tough as in waterproof down to 49 feet, shockproof against drops up to 6.6 feet, and able to operate in sub-freezing temperatures, tough. It used to be that if you wanted a camera like this, you had to buy a cheap point-and-shoot, or splurge for an expensive housing for your DSLR. This provides a nice middle ground.
In terms of specs, you’re looking at a 14.2-megapixel sensor, 1080p video recording, altimeter, depth gauge, GPS, compass, and more. You can use any lenses you’d like, but to maintain a waterproof seal, you either have to attach the 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens that comes with the base package, or the 10mm f/2.8 that costs $200 more.
