Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120

Camera to replace

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Nikon AW130

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

$346.95

BUY from B&H PHOTO

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Nikon AW120

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

$288.00

BUY from B&H PHOTO

Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Waterproof cameras by Nikon. Both Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 cameras have 16.0MP 1/2.3" sensors.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon AW130 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2015-02-10

16MP - 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400

24-120 mm F2.8-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3″ Fixed Type Screen

7.0 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

221g. 110 x 66 x 27 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Nikon Coolpix AW120 Compare

Nikon AW120 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-02-07

16MP - 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor

ISO 125 - 6400

24-120 mm F2.8-4.9 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3″ Fixed Type Screen

7 fps continuous shooting

1920 x 1080 video resolution

240 fps High-Speed Video

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

213g. 110 x 66 x 26 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Nikon Coolpix AW110 Compare

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix AW130 over Nikon Coolpix AW120

Battery Life	370 shots vs 350 shots	20 more frames with a single charge
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix AW120 over Nikon Coolpix AW130

Weight	213 g vs 221 g	8 g lighter
Price	$288 vs $347	$59 cheaper

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix AW130 and Nikon Coolpix AW120

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Image Stabilization	Optical vs Optical	All the lenses are stabilized
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
GPS	Built-in vs Built-in	track your location
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 921k dots	Higher resolution screens
Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 7.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Focal Length - Wide	24mm vs 24mm	Very good wide angle coverage
Smartphone Remote Control	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix AW130 and Nikon Coolpix AW120

Articulating Screen	No vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
RAW Support	No vs No	Lower image quality
Manual Focusing	No vs No	No manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control

Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120: Physical Specs Comparison

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120. Nikon AW130 has the same height and width with Nikon AW120. On the other hand, with a thickness of 27mm, it is 1mm thicker.

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120.

Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120 Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon AW120 is 8g lighter than the Nikon AW130 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

AW130

AW120

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

AW130

AW120

Min

Average

Max

Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 have 1/2.3" sized 16.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the AW130 and AW120 sensor size comparison.

Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 features 24-120 mm F2.8-4.9 5× zoom lenses so they have the same focal range and light collecting ability.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 24mm and have the same max aperture of f2.80 at this focal length. Both cameras have a tele angle reach of 120mm and have the same max aperture of f4.90 at this focal length.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

AW130

AW120

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

AW130

AW120

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

AW130

AW120

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

AW130

AW120

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon AW130 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon AW120 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon AW130 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon AW120 for Street Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon AW130 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon AW120 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Wireless Connection
120 mm Tele Lens
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Focus Points
Read the details

Nikon AW130 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon AW120 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
221g
5X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Compact Body
213g
Environmental Sealings
5X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon AW130 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon AW120 for Landscape Photography

POOR

24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Environmental Sealings
Built-in GPS
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon AW130 vs Nikon AW120: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon AW130 and Nikon AW120 scores compare:

Nikon AW130

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #146 out of 468 in Compact cameras
Ranked #600 out of 1145 in all Cameras

Nikon AW120

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #56 out of 468 in Compact cameras
Ranked #421 out of 1145 in all Cameras

Nikon AW120 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon AW130 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

$346.95

$288.00

Nikon AW120 vs Nikon AW130 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix AW130	Nikon Coolpix AW120
Brand	Nikon	Nikon
Announced	2015-02-10	2014-02-07
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Price	$346.95	$288.00
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3"	1/2.3"
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	16 megapixels	16 megapixels
Max Resolution	4608 x 3456	4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity	6,400 ISO	6,400 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	125 ISO	125 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	n/a	n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-120 mm (5×)	24-120 mm (5x)
Max Aperture	F2.8-4.9	F2.8-4.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3″	3″
Resolution	921k dots	921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	5.20 m (at Auto ISO)	5.20 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	7.0 fps	7.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	221g	213g
Dimensions	110 x 66 x 27mm	110 x 66 x 26mm
Battery Life	370 shots	350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	BuiltIn	BuiltIn
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction