B (142)

march 2015 Better PhotograPhy

43

Noise Test

The sharpness up to ISO 800 is quite good, but

there is loss of detail soon after that. At ISO

1600, images are still usable for online uploads.

In RAW processing, one can recover a fair

amount of shadow and highlight details.

SPEciFicATionS

model name Nikon 1 AW1

mrP Rs. 39,950 (with 11–27.5mm

f/3.5–5.6 lens)

Effective   pixels                   14.2, 4608 x 3072

sensor size, type 13.2 x 8.8mm, CMOS

Aspect  ratio   (w:h)               3:2

Focusing type, modesContrast Detect,

Phase Detect, Autofocus, Single

AF, Continuous AF, Auto AF-S/

AF-C selection, Full-time AF (AF-

F), Manual focus (MF)

aF points 135

Focal   length  multiplier2.7x

metering Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot

Shutterspeed    range 30sec–1/16000sec

Exp.    compensation                            -/+3 EV (at 1/3 EV steps)

Iso Auto, 160-6400

White   Balance                  Auto, Underwater, Flash,

Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent,

Fluorescent, Direct sunlight,

Preset Manual.

Drive modes Single frame, Continuous,

Self-timer

Built-in    flash                    Pop-up, 5m at ISO 100, 20 °C

Flash   modes

Fill flash, red-eye reduction,

fill flash w/slow sync, red-eye

reduction w/slow sync, rear

curtain w/slow sync, rear-

curtain sync, off

LcD 3-inch, 9,21,000 dot

Viewfinder None

Image   stabilisation                   No

storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC

Wireless None

Video        Yes, 1920 x 1080 (60i, 30p), 1280

x 720 (60p, 30p),

Slow motion 640 x 240 (400

fps), 320 x 120 (1200 fps)

Battery EN-EL20a Lithium ion

Dimensions, Weight 113.3 x 71.5 x 37.5mm, 356g

iSo 1600

iSo 3200

iSo 6400

FINALRATINGS

Features

Underwater shooting, several shooting modes,

RAW capture at 60fps

25/30

Performance

Great RAW quality, punchy colours,

disappointing battery life

21/30

Build Quality

Sturdy and rugged enough

18/20

Ergonomics

No mode dial, manual controls placement

could be better

12/15

Warranty & Support

Two-year warranty, wide service facilities

4/5

oVERALL

80%

Value for money

Who should buy it? Beginners looking for a rugged

underwater camera with manual controls.

Why? Its autofocus speed is great, and it offers shooting at

60fps along with great colour.

light performance is quite average.

However, the pop-up flash does offer

both TTL and Manual and can be raised

by a button at the rear.

As far as image quality goes, the camera

does pretty well. You have to remember

that the camera is more about ruggedness

and durability than image quality.

In addition to this, its autofocus is speedy,

working well with action scenes that

required tracking subjects, without much

hunting. The camera has a continuous

speed of 60, 30, 15 and 5fps. After 15fps,

that is, at 30 and 60fps, you can capture a

maximum of 20 frames.

The camera has different movie modes

and supports 1080p and 720p video, as

well as slow motion videos at 640 x 240

at 400fps, on a memory card with a write

speed of 40MB/s.

conclusion

After using the camera for a while, I was

left feeling a little conflicted. I liked the

camera, it was fun to use, but there is

room for improvement, especially where

the controls are concerned. It could

make for a nice vacation camera and

professionals could consider it as a

backup all weather option to their kits,

but that is if they are willing to overlook a

few things.

However, at Rs. 39,950 I would wait.

I think this camera has potential and with

a few tweaks, its successor could really

blow us all away!

The super fast AF

had no problem

tracking quick

movements.

Exposure: 1/500sec

at f/4 (ISO 250)

test