Nikon goes deep with the AW130 - rated to depths of 100 feet! Affordable S33 announced in tandem

posted Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 12:01 AM EDT

Photographing deep dive sites like the Cayman Wall just became a lot more accessible to anyone wanting to tote along only a rugged compact thanks to the unveiling of Nikon's new Coolpix AW130. Where the other two primary specs for a rugged build - the shockproof and freezeproof ratings - remained virtually identical to the predecessor AW120, this year's model goes down an extra 41 feet all the way to the century mark, or 30 meters for everyone outside of the United States.

Canon's D30 from 2014 boldly moved to what was at the time a record-breaking 82 feet (for a digi-cam, anyway) and this depth certainly trumps that one for divers who take the real plunge. Of course, as with all major features claimed in cameras, the real test will be when we get our hands on a sample unit (if they dare send us one) because we're here to tell you if it will really work at 100 feet.

Should it bear out in testing, this will truly be a revolution in dive cameras.

The Nikon Coolpix AW100 claims a waterproof rating down to a definitely deep 100 feet!

Head over to our Nikon AW130 overview to read about the other new features including the addition of NFC communications.

And for those of you who like your rugged cameras simpler, sleeker and easier on your pockets (and pocket books) Nikon has another new model for you in the Coolpix S33. Similar in outward appearance to last year's S32, the S33 does offer some welcome upgrades like now being fully freezeproof to 14°F (-10°C) which should excite the skiing & snowboarding crowd, as this sleek model also feels right at home in a ski coat pocket due to its sveldt size and curvy lines.