We told you yesterday to watch out for a "rugged" Nikon 1 announcement in the next 24-hours, and lo and behold, it happened. Introducing the Nikon 1 AW1, a camera Nikon is calling “the world’s first waterproof and shockproof interchangeable lens camera,” with a convenient asterisk added in for those of us who remember the Nikonos system.
The announcement is a nice change of pace because, for once, we didn’t have a bunch of photo and spec leaks ahead of time. Thanks to a Nikon Rumors report, we knew to get excited about a rugged Nikonos-like waterproof camera, but only now that it’s official do we really know anything about it.
Inside the waterproof, freezeproof and shockproof shell, the Nikon 1 AW1 is basically a Nikon 1 J3. You’ll find a 14.2-megapixel CX sensor, an EXPEED 3A processor, ISO range between 160-6400, a 73-point AF array and the ability to shoot Full HD 1080p photos.
Of course, that’s not why the AW1 is special. It’s special because this particular ILC can go underwater to a depth 49-feet, withstand drops from as high as 6.6 feet and work in temperatures as low as 14° F. To further please adventure-seekers, it also comes with a waterproof pop-up flash, GPS, altimeter, depth gauge, electronic compass and virtual horizon indicator all built-in.
That announcement that Nikon was talking about yesterday is here. The Nikon 1 AW1 which just so happens to be the first waterproof and shockproof, interchangeable lens camera. That's a mouth full but it's being relied upon as freezeproof as well. They should just nickname this camera the ultimate 'Safari' camera.