Review: Nikon W300 Waterproof Underwater Digital Camera

Nikon's W300 Waterproof Underwater Digital Camera is the perfect pocket-sized point-and-shoot for your next trip. This waterproof, freeze proof, dust proof and shockproof sub-$400 camera is ideal for the island adventurer on the go.

I recently took a trip where I was hopping between three islands in six days. That's a lot of airport time and a lot of lugging camera gear. As Islands' photo director, I'm expected to come back from any trip with some pretty great photos. This time, I made a bold choice to ditch my bulky DLSR and my GoPro and travel with just the Nikon W300.

Did it pay off? In a word, yes. My back definitely thanked me for the lack of lugging my gear and it was nice to have just one camera to shoot both on land and underwater. The images and video might not be DSLR quality, but they're perfectly suitable for sharing online. And while it will never completely replace my DSLR, the W300 is a good, easy-to-use travel camera to have in my arsenal. Check out its features below and consider adding it to yours.

Snorkeling, surfing or just splashing around, Nikon's W300 is waterproof to 100 feet making it an ideal point-and-shoot camera for island lovers. The dust-proof case means you won't have to worry about errant grains of sand ruining your camera, so don't hesitate to add it to your beach bag.

If cold weather and winter sports are more your speed, the W300 is freeze-proof to temps as low as 14 degrees, and its rugged, shockproof casing means it can handle drops from up to nearly eight feet.

The 16-megapixel low-light sensor means you'll capture high resolution photos in even the darkest beach bar. The 20 scene modes (macro, night landscape, portrait, food, etc.) make quick work of shooting flowers, cityscapes, shots of locals and delicious cocktails. And Nikon's Hybrid Vibration Reduction means your shots will be steady, even if your hands aren't.

The camera also shoots 4K Ultra HD video and has 1080p and time lapse options. The built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi makes it easy to share your photos and video on the go.