Nikon launches Coolpix W300, a rugged compact camera that shoots 4K UHD

After Olympus and Ricoh, it’s Nikon’s turn to introduce their latest rugged compact camera. Other than being resistant to water, shock, low temperatures, dust, and sand, it also features 4K UHD videos. So, if you’re a loyal Nikon shooter looking for a tough camera, have a look.

The Nikon Coolpix W300 is equipped with a 5x optical zoom NIKKOR lens covering the range from 24 mm to telephoto 120 mm (equivalent focal lengths in 35mm) and offers a maximum aperture of f/2.8. It features a backside illumination 16MP CMOS sensor and high-performance VR.

When it comes to video shooting, this camera records 4K Ultra HD or 1080p Full HD videos with stereo sound. It features time-lapse recording to condense an hour of action into a 10-second sequence, or speed up time with a Superlapse video function.

As for the durability specs, Coolpix W300 is waterproof to 100 ft, freezeproof to 14° F, can handle drops from up to 7.9 ft, and it’s also able to withstand dust and sand.

Take a look at the rest of the specs:

Image Sensor

Effective Pixels (Megapixels)

16.0  million

Image Sensor

CMOS

Sensor Size

1 /2.3  in.

Total Pixels

16.76  million (approx.)

Image Size (pixels)

4608 x 3456 (16M)

Lens

Lens

5x optical Zoom, NIKKOR glass lens

Lens Focal Length

4.3-21.5mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 24-120mm lens in 35mm [135] format)

Lens f/-number

f/2.8-4.9

Lens Construction

12 elements in 10 groups

Lens Zoom

5 x

Digital Zoom

Up to 4x (angle of view equivalent to that of approx. 480mm lens in 35mm [135] format)

Vibration Reduction

Lens-shift and Electronic VR (movies)

Aperture

Electronically-controlled preset aperture (-1 AV) and ND filter (–2 AV) selections

Autofocus

Autofocus (AF)

Contrast-detect AF

Autofocus (AF) Focus-area selection

Center
Face priority
Manual with 99 focus areas
Subject tracking
Target Finding AF

Focus Range

[W]: Approx. 1 ft. 8 in. (50 cm.) to infinity
[T]: Approx. 1 ft. 8 in. (50 cm.) to infinity
Macro mode: Approx. 0.4 in. (1 cm) (wide-angle position) (All distances measured from center of front surface of lens)

Focus Lock

Yes

CollapseMonitor

Monitor Size

3.0  in. diagonal

Monitor Type

TFT-LCD

with  Anti-reflection coating
6-level brightness adjustment

Monitor Resolution

921,000 -dots

Monitor Frame coverage (shooting mode)

97% horizontal (Approx.)
97% vertical (Approx.)
(compared to actual picture)

Monitor Frame coverage (playback mode)

100% horizontal (Approx.)
100% vertical (Approx.)
(compared to actual picture)

File System

Storage Media

SD memory card
SDHC memory card
SDXC memory card

Internal Memory

Approx.  473 MB

Storage File System

DCF
Exif 2.31  compliant

Storage File formats

Movies: MP4 (Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Audio: AAC stereo)

CollapseMovie

Movie

4K UHD 3,840×2,160/ 30p
4K UHD 3,840×2,160/ 25p
Full HD: 1920×1080/ 60p
Full HD: 1920×1080/ 50p
Full HD: 1920×1080/ 30p
Full HD: 1920×1080/ 25p
HD: 1280×720/ 30p
HD: 1280×720/ 25p
VGA 640×480/ 30p
VGA 640×480/ 25p
HS 640×480/ 4x
HS 1920×1080/ 0.5x

Sensitivity

ISO Sensitivity

ISO  125 – 1600
ISO 3200, 6400 (available when using Auto mode)

Lowest ISO Sensitivity

100

Highest ISO Sensitivity

6400

Exposure

Exposure Metering

Matrix
Center-weighted (digital zoom less than 2x)
Spot (digital zoom 2x or more)

Exposure Control

Programmed auto exposure
Exposure compensation (-2.0 to +2.0 EV in steps of 1/3 EV)

Exposure Modes

Auto
Scene
Scene Auto Selector
Short Movie Show
Smart Portrait
Special Effects

Scene Modes

Backlighting
Beach
Close Up
Dusk/Dawn
Easy Panorama
Fireworks Show
Food
Landscape
Multiple Exposure Lighten
Night Landscape
Night Portrait
Party/Indoor
Pet Portrait
Portrait
Snow
Sports
Sunset
Superlapse Movie
Time Lapse Movie
Underwater

In-Camera Image Editing

Crop
Data imprint
D-Lighting
Glamour Retouch
Quick Effects
Quick Retouch
Red eye reduction
Small Picture

Exposure Compensation

± 2 EV in steps of 1/3

CollapseWhite Balance

White Balance

Auto
Cloudy
Daylight
Flash
Fluorescent
Incandescent
White Balance Preset

Shutter

Shutter

Mechanical and CMOS electronic shutter

Shutter Speed

1/1500-1 sec.
1/4000 sec. (maximum speed during high-speed continuous shooting)
25 sec. (Star trails in Multiple Exposure Lighten Scene Mode)

Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution

Up to 5 shots at approx.  7 frames per second

Continuous Shooting Options

Continuous H
Continuous H 60
Continuous H 120
Continuous L
Pre-shooting cache
Single

Self-timer

Can be selected from 10, 2 and 5 seconds duration (self-portrait timer)

Flash

Built-in flash Range (approx.) (ISO sensitivity: Auto)

[W]: 0.5 to 5.2m (1 ft. 8 in. to 17 ft.)
[T]: 0.5 to 4.5m (1 ft. 8 in. to 14 ft.)

Built-in Flash Control

TTL auto flash with monitor preflashes

Built-in Flash

Yes

Interface

Interface

Hi-speed USB

Interface Data transfer protocol

MTP
PTP

HDMI Output

HDMI micro connector (Type D)

I/O terminal

Digital I/O (USB)

Wi-Fi Functionality

Yes

Bluetooth

Yes

GPS

Yes (Built-in)

Power Sources

One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12 (supplied)
AC Adapter EH-62F (available separately)

Charging Time

2 hours 20 minutes (when using Charging AC Adapter EH-73P and when no charge remains)  (Approx.)

Battery / Batteries

Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12

Battery Life (shots per charge)

Still pictures*: Approx. 280 shots
Movies: Approx. 1 hour (1080/30p)

*Based on Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) standards for measuring the life of camera batteries. Measured at 23(-/+2)°C (73(-/+4)°F); zoom adjusted with each shot, flash fired with every other shot, image quality set to Normal, image size set to 4608 x 3456 (16M). Battery life may vary depending on shooting interval and length of time menus and images are displayed.

Miscellaneous

Tripod Socket

¼ in.
(ISO 1222)

Approx. Dimensions (Width x Height x Depth)

4.4  in. (111.5  mm) x  2.6  in. (66.0  mm) x  1.2  in. (29.0  mm) excluding projections

Approx. Weight

8.2  oz. (231  g) with battery and SD memory card

Operating environment

Temperature: -10 to +40°C (14 to 104°F ) for land use
Temperature: 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F) for underwater use
Humidity: 85% or less (no condensation)

Waterproof

Yes
JIS/IEC protection class 8 (IPX8) equivalent (under our testing conditions)
Capacity to shoot images underwater up to a depth of 30 m (100 ft.) and for 60 minutes

Shockproof

Yes
Cleared our testing conditions compliant with MIL-STD 810F Method 516.5-Shock

Nikon Coolpix W300 is available for preorders at the price of $386.95, and you can get it in three colors: black, orange and yellow. The official Nikon website states the camera will be available “in summer 2017,” without the exact date. So, if you wish to add a rugged Nikon compact camera to your gear bag, stay tuned as the summer is just around the corner.