Coolpix W300

[89coupe]

I picked up this little camera for our trip to Hawaii this year, I originally wanted a Go-Pro but the guy at the Camera Store suggested this was the better route to go.

Does anyone on here have it? Any input?

I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[Mitsu3000gt]

What kind of info are you looking for? Is it just for snorkeling or also diving?

It's a basic small-sensor P&S (same type as in a smartphone) in a rugged housing. Don't trust the seal/o-ring after a couple years or so beyond snorkel depths (it's likely not replaceable), and wash it or soak the camera really well in fresh water immediately after every use in salt or chlorinated water. Don't expect to be able to reliably autofocus on anything moving underwater for still images. Don't clean the lens or screen right after coming out of the water, the salt can scratch it easily. Try to keep bug spray and sunscreen off it, it can permanently stain it and deet can remove button labels.

As you get deeper, you lose the red spectrum first, and everything gets very blue - the camera might have a feature to help mitigate this. Post processing leeway will be very limited, so best to try get it right on the camera side where possible. As a beach/snorkeling camera I'm sure it'll be just fine for random snaps or predominately stationary subjects.

[revelations]

You can get GOPRO knock offs for <100$ and still record 1080p. No need to go full on unless you're serious.

[89coupe]

I wanted it mainly for video and water use(snorkelling, surfing, diving), photos secondary. Just liked the idea that you could take photos as well.

[blitz]

I had an AW100 that I found adequate, the seals finally went on it in Mexico this year. The W300 specs make it look like almost the exact same camera. I replaced it with an AW1 that I found a good deal on ($450), it's a 1" sensor so there's a noticeable increase in output quality.

If video is your priority I would think the go-pro would be better and a have a much better form factor and available mounting accessories.

[89coupe]

I had an AW100 that I found adequate, the seals finally went on it in Mexico this year. The W300 specs make it look like almost the exact same camera. I replaced it with an AW1 that I found a good deal on ($450), it's a 1" sensor so there's a noticeable increase in output quality.

If video is your priority I would think the go-pro would be better and a have a much better form factor and available mounting accessories.

Hmmm, the guy at the Camera store said the video quality was on par with the Go-Pro but with the Nikon you have ability to zoom where the Go-Pro is fixed.

As for mounting solutions it uses the exact same hardware, I picked up a hand held floatable arm and a chest/strap mount. Both were from the Go-Pro section.

How long did your camera hold up for?

[spike98]

Hmmm, the guy at the Camera store said the video quality was on par with the Go-Pro but with the Nikon you have ability to zoom where the Go-Pro is fixed.

As for mounting solutions it uses the exact same hardware, I picked up a hand held floatable arm and a chest/strap mount. Both were from the Go-Pro section.

How long did your camera hold up for?

Yikes, no offence but i feel like he lied to you.

If the primary goal is video, a go pro would have been 100% the way to go. There is no way this bests a Hero5 Black in video quality. You aren't going to zoom in while you are under water. The Hero5 Black will also take stills with 12MP resolution in single, burst or time lapse. For roughly the same price i might add.

Heck the hero4 black would likely beat out the w300 by a pretty good margin.

Also he lied about the mounts. One is a screw type camera mount (https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/410wn-VUuJL.jpg) and the other is GoPro's own design (http://www.detective.bg/img/products/products_55175_17607520021.jpg)

[blitz]

Hmmm, the guy at the Camera store said the video quality was on par with the Go-Pro but with the Nikon you have ability to zoom where the Go-Pro is fixed.

As for mounting solutions it uses the exact same hardware, I picked up a hand held floatable arm and a chest/strap mount. Both were from the Go-Pro section.

How long did your camera hold up for?

When you zoom with the nikon your aperture shoots from 2.8 to 4.9 which is going to be horrible underwater. In bright sunlight on the beach that doesn't matter. Mine lasted about 5 years. Had I actually moisturized the seals it would probably still be working. It's not a bad camera, it just isn't really anything to write home about.

How wide is the FOV on Go-Pro's? I feel they're wider than the 24mm available on the W300.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Hmmm, the guy at the Camera store said the video quality was on par with the Go-Pro but with the Nikon you have ability to zoom where the Go-Pro is fixed.

As for mounting solutions it uses the exact same hardware, I picked up a hand held floatable arm and a chest/strap mount. Both were from the Go-Pro section.

How long did your camera hold up for?

What you will probably find is that underwater, you will have it pinned at the widest setting because A) the aperture gets too small really fast when you zoom (and anything above base ISO won't look great) and B) Lots of stuff comes up pretty close to you when snorkeling or diving

Video quality is average on both a camera like this and the GoPro. They both use tiny 1/2.3" sensors, neither are anything special, but totally fine for casual vacation footage or whatever.

If you want accessory and mounting flexibility, it's hard to beat a GoPro.


How wide is the FOV on Go-Pro's? I feel they're wider than the 24mm available on the W300.

The GoPro's use a base lens around 14-16mm equivalent and then I believe they have digital zoom options.

[89coupe]

Hmmm,

You guys are making me reconsider the Go-pro. That was my original plan and the camera guy talked me into the Nikon haha

[89coupe]

Returned the Coolpix and got the GoPro Hero5 Black.

[spike98]

Returned the Coolpix and got the GoPro Hero5 Black.

:thumbsup:

You'll be much happier with it. Gopro makes a hell of a product.

Tip: Get your accessories from Amazon not brand name GoPro ones. They are of good quality at an 1/8th of the price.