Video disappoints, but camera takes great shots, even after a dip

I've returned from my all-too-brief vacation, where I still couldn't escape working just a bit.

I must say, I did have fun doing this particular task: spending part of my time testing a new camera made for adventurous types -- the Nikon Coolpix AW120.

The camera claims to be freezeproof, shockproof and waterproof. I admit, I didn't test the freezeproof part much, but the shockproof and waterproof claims were another story.

I put this little camera through the wringer, better known as vacation, with my friends. The camera got its biggest tests while visiting a cabin on a lake. Yes, that means it got a dunking, or two, as well.

I took several candid photos and action shots, as well as a video or two. Photos were taken in and out of the water, as well as on land and in a speeding boat. Sample photos and video are available on the "Tech Spotlight" Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/Tech-Spotlight-column/143770982301273.

First, let's talk about the camera. It's compact and fit well in my hand. A large screen on the back serves as the viewfinder, and most of the controls are in easy reach on the right side (assuming you're right-handed). The controls are fairly easy to figure out, and the menus are easy to navigate. The battery and memory card compartment is located on the side of the camera and is accessed by pressing the button in the center of a round knob. The knob is then turned to pop open the compartment. The knob also serves as a lock to keep the camera sealed.

The camera includes built-in Wi-Fi, which allows it to connect with compatible smartphone devices. Apparently, my phone wasn't one of them, because they just didn't want to talk to each other. I suspect you'll need the latest operating system for the camera's Wi-Fi to work properly.

While the camera is made to be a point-and-shoot, it has a few features found in the higher-grade cameras.

The biggest is the ability to shoot in RAW, a pre-processed format that allows for much better photo editing later. Many point-and-shoots use the JPG format, which compresses the picture and makes it harder to edit and retain image quality.

As for the photo quality, overall it was excellent. I did a lot of shooting in Auto mode, which is what many new camera users might use. The photos came out sharp, even in the action shots. The white balance did lean a little toward the blue spectrum, but the color could easily be corrected in photo editing software, if necessary. For the most part, the photos I took needed little editing. The color and clarity were excellent. It did get a little dull in the lower light of sunset, but a bit of post-processing magic fixed that up quickly.

The only major problem I had with this camera was with the video.

It's capable of filming at full HD, or high definition, though it didn't do so well at that setting. I filmed at 1080-30p and 1080-60i full HD, and I got jerky film with lines instead of a smooth background. However, dropping the quality down to 720p (or what I like to call "HD lite") seemed to fix the problem.

I thought it might be my memory card, but it was a Class 10 SDHC. (That's tech-nerd speak for a good quality memory card.) It's possible to film in full HD, but the camera prefers SDXC (tech-nerd speak for top quality). However, the card I had should have worked fine.

So the camera doesn't seem to be ideal for top-level HD video. Then again, it is meant to be mostly a still camera. And, as a still camera, it did an excellent job overall. It also withstood some drops, some splashes and a couple of swims. The video and Wi-Fi connectivity need a bit of work, though.

The camera had more of an adventure than I did. I'm definitely going to have to change that.

Melissa L. Jones can be reached via email at mljones72@me.com.

SundayMonday Business on 07/14/2014