Nikon Coolpix W150 Review
Introduction
The Nikon Coolpix W150 is a brand new tough waterproof camera which is targeted squarely at families.
In comparison to the previous W100 model, the new Nikon W150 only offers a few minor new features. There's an Underwater Face Framing mode which automatically takes up to four photos each time it sees a face in the pool or on a dive, a new Picture-in-picture scene mode, some new editing functions include adding a "little planet" effect and curve pictures, the ability to choose an image as the welcome screen, and some new frames and patterns.
as well as being available in some new colourways, including the vibrant orange version that we were sent for review. Compatibility with NFC has been quietly dropped from this model (as with most recent camera releases).
As with its predecessor, the Coolpix W150 is simple to operate and doesn’t have too many controls to change. It's dustproof, waterproof down to 10 metres, shockproof from heights of 1.8m and freeze proof down to -10 Celsius. It has a 13.2 megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom, as well as a 6x digital “fine” zoom.
Like most current Nikon cameras, it is compatible with the Snapbridge app. This means that the camera maintains a low power Bluetooth link with your phone, automatically uploading any photos that you take to your phone ready to be shared on social networking sites. The camera also offers Wi-Fi connectivity.
The Nikon Coolpix W150 is available in five different colours - Blue, White, Orange, Flower and Resort - and is priced at £149 / $159 in the UK and USA respectively.
Ease of Use
Front of the Nikon Coolpix W150 |
The Nikon Coolpix W150 is essentially the same camera as the model that preceded it, the W100, so all of the comments that we made about the usability of that camera apply equally to this new 2019 model.
The Nikon W150, like other cameras in this range from Nikon that have come before it, has a very blocky and rather child-like design. That’s not a negative criticism, as it’s clearly been designed to appeal to the whole family and be a camera that you can take on holidays, trips and so on, which everybody can use regardless of their age.
To that end, it has been designed to be as simple to use as possible, with large, easy to press buttons. Having such big and well-defined buttons also makes the camera easier to use when underwater, or when using gloves or anything which would make smaller buttons more fiddly to access.
On the top of the Nikon Coolpix W150 is a clearly marked on/off button which you need to hold down for a couple of seconds to switch on. Then you’ll see that there are two large buttons, one on the left which records video, and the other on the right which is the shutter release for still images. These buttons are on opposite ends of the top of the camera and can be easily reached when holding the camera with both hands. If you’re using the camera with just one hand, the stills button is easier to reach, which makes sense. We did find that it was all too easy to accidentally press the video button with your left forefinger whilst holding the camera in landscape mode, causing more than a few random video clips of the floor to be recorded.
When you switch the Nikon Coolpix W150 on for the very first time, you’ll be greeted with some “waterproofing precautions”. This guides you through how to make sure that water doesn’t get into the camera when you’re using it underwater or in bad weather. The battery compartment requires a two-step unlocking process to help make sure you don’t accidentally open it underwater, or when foreign matter may get inside the battery compartment.
Front of the Nikon Coolpix W150 |
There aren’t lots of different shooting modes to use with this camera, again because it has been designed to be as simple to use as possible. There are four buttons arranged vertically along the rear left hand side of the W150 which you can use to make all of your changes.
The buttons correspond with icons on the screen, which then change depending on which area of the camera you’re working in. So, when you’re coming from the main shooting screen, the bottom button will access settings, the second from bottom button will allow you to change scene mode, the second from top button will switch on the flash or the timer, while the top button takes you back to ‘standard’ shooting mode, if, for example you’ve switched to a different scene mode.
If you press the scene mode button, you’ll now see that all of the buttons have different controls. For example, the bottom button gives you the opportunity to ‘change colours’ (which means adjust brightness, saturation or create a selective colour effect). The second to bottom button is ‘decorate’, which means you can add a frame, while the the second from top button gives you different scene options.
Again, there’s not a huge amount of scenes to work with on the Nikon W150, but one you might find you use reasonably regularly is ‘shoot close-ups’, which is essentially switching on macro focusing, and you may also use the ‘shoot underwater’ scene mode if you plan on taking the camera underwater too. Often the top button acts as a ‘back’ button allowing you to get back to the main screen.
Rear of the Nikon Coolpix W150 |
In the settings menu, again you won’t find anything too extensive - for example it’s not possible to change advanced settings such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO and so on. Instead, you can do some fun things such as change the camera’s sounds (you could, for example, choose a bird sound rather than a conventional ‘click’ for the shutter release). You can also choose different looks for how the menu appears, making it appeal more perhaps to younger users.
Under camera settings you’ll find ‘network settings’, which is where you can set up the Nikon W150 to work with Snapbridge. It’s very simple to set up the initial connection with your phone once you have the Snapbridge app. You can have it set up so that the camera automatically resizes and sends images across just after you take them so that it’s ready to go, rather than having to go through the hassle of connecting the camera via Wi-Fi every time you want to transfer an image across. It’s a very useful tool that is great for those family and holiday shots that you want to share quickly and without hassle.
To the right hand side of the screen is a four way navigational pad. The up and down keys act to activate the zoom when in shooting mode. It’s not the quickest zoom mechanism on the market, but considering it’s only a 3x optical zoom, that’s not too much of a problem. If you push the up arrow further when it reaches the full optical limit (which you’ll see when the bar on screen turns blue) then you can also use the 6x digital zoom. The right and left arrows only have a use when you’re in playback mode and you want to flick between the pictures that you have taken. The playback button is found on the rear of the camera towards the bottom.
The Nikon Coolpix W150 In-hand |
When you’re in the playback mode, you have a few options. You can add effects, frames, and create photo albums from your images. You can even record sounds to go along with an image. You can also rate images by giving it a crown or a rosette.
The LCD screen is just 2.7 inches in size, which is pretty small by most modern camera’s standards. It also only has a 230k-dot resolution, which is also quite low and doesn’t reveal the best detail possible. It can sometimes be quite difficult to see the scene in front of you if you position the screen in an awkward position, which is a shame particularly when it’s underwater.
The Nikon Coolpix W150 proved to be reasonably slow to use, taking some time to process images before allowing you to shoot another one, or view them in playback. In good light, focusing is reasonably quick and accurate, but if your subject is quite close the camera might struggle. Switching on the close-up mode makes things a bit easier, but there can still be times when a false positive is displayed, resulting in unintentionally out-of-focus images.
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 13 megapixel JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.
Focal Range
The Nikon Coolpix W150’s 3x zoom lens achieves a maximum wide-angle focal length equivalent to 30mm, and can zoom in to 90mm (in 35mm camera terms).
30mm |
90mm |
Macro
The Nikon Coolpix W150’s lens will focus as close as 5cm from your subject when the lens is at maximum wide-angle.
Macro |
Flash
The Nikon Coolpix W150’s flash has four settings when shooting in standard Auto mode: Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill flash & Slow sync. Shooting a white surface from a distance of 1.5m shows the flash provides even illumination with the lens zoomed in, though some minor vignetting is visible in the wide-angle shot.
Flash Off - Wide Angle (30mm) |
Flash On - Wide Angle (30mm) |
Flash Off - Telephoto (90mm) |
Flash On - Telephoto (90mm) |
Here are some portrait shots with the flash set to Off and then On.
Flash Off |
Flash On |
Digital Filters
The Nikon Coolpix W150 offers five filter effects, all of which are previewed live and recorded at full resolution.
Bubble | Neon |
Cartoon | Soft |
Diorama | |
Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon Coolpix W150 camera, which were all taken using the 13 megapixel High setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
1/125s · f/5.9 · ISO 140
90mm
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1/500s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/500s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/320s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/640s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/640s · f/4.2 · ISO 125
47mm
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1/100s · f/5.9 · ISO 400
90mm
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1/160s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/30s · f/3.3 · ISO 280
30mm
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1/60s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/125s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/30s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/1000s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/100s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/320s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/400s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/1000s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/640s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/400s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
Download Original
1/500s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/250s · f/5.9 · ISO 125
90mm
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1/200s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/40s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
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1/50s · f/5.9 · ISO 400
90mm
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1/8s · f/3.3 · ISO 450
30mm
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1/30s · f/3.3 · ISO 125
30mm
Download Original
Sample Movies & Video
This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 13 second movie is 29.4Mb in size.
This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 19 second movie is 42.7Mb in size.
Product Images
Conclusion
The new Nikon Coolpix W150 is such a minor upgrade of the previous W100 version that it's hard to recommend it in preference to its predecessor, especially as it's also more expensive at launch. We're really not sure why Nikon couldn't just have rolled out a new firmware upgrade for the W100 to add the smattering of minor new features that the new W150 introduces - but that wouldn't have generated any new sales, would it? If you can still find the Coolpix W100 in-store and potentially on sale, there's very little reason to choose the newer W150.
That's not to say that the W150 isn't still worthy of consideration, however - after all, the W100 was a decent stab at being a simple-to-use, tough camera that all the family could use, including children, thanks to its large buttons and simple menu systems. In situations where you don't don't want to use your phone for snapshots, or you don't want your kids to use your phone, the relatively affordable Nikon W150 makes a lot of sense.
It’s a shame not to have a slightly better performance in terms of image quality though, especially when it comes to anything other than in good light. The Nikon Coolpix W150 is a good family camera yes, but don’t expect to want to use it in every situation that your family might encounter, such as indoors, where to be honest it's outperformed by most modern smartphones.
So while the Nikon Coolpix W150 may be simply a new sales-generating product for a new financial year that doesn't really bring anything new to the table, it is still a literally solid camera that should survive the rigours of your family's adventures...
Ratings (out of 5) | |
---|---|
Design | 3 |
Features | 3 |
Ease-of-use | 4 |
Image quality | 2.5 |
Value for money | 3.5 |
Main Rivals
Listed below are some of the rivals of the Nikon Coolpix W150.
Fujifilm FinePix XP130
The Fujifilm FinePix XP130 is a new tough, do-it-all camera that adds bluetooth connectivity, longer battery life, eye-detect auto-focusing and an electronic level. The XP130 also features the same 16 megapixel sensor, 5x zoom lens, 3 inch LCD screen and built-in wi-fi as its predecessor. Read our Fujifilm FinePix XP130 review now...
Nikon Coolpix W100
The Nikon Coolpix W100 is an easy-to-use waterproof camera designed for all the family. Available in a range of colours, the Nikon Coolpix W100 costs £119.99 in the UK - read our Nikon Coolpix W100 to find out if it's worth the asking price...
Nikon Coolpix W300
The Coolpix W300 is Nikon's flagship tough all-action compact camera. The 16 megapixel Nikon W300 offers a waterproof (100ft. / 30m), freezeproof (14F / -10C), dustproof and shockproof (7.9ft. / 2.4m) camera body and also features a 5x zoom lens and 4K video recording. Read our Nikon Coolpix W300 review to find out if it's the right tough camera for you...
Olympus TG-5
The Olympus TG-5 is a new flagship tough compact camera for 2017. Boasting a 25-100mm equivalent f/2.0-4.9 lens with a new Anti-Fog Lens Cover Glass, the 12 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor TG-5 also offers Raw file support, a GPS sensor, manometer, compass and temperature sensor, built-in wi-fi and GPS connectivity, 4K movie recording and a 3 inch OLED screen. Read our Olympus TG-5 review to find out what this tough camera is capable of...
Olympus TG-860
The Olympus TG-860 is a water, freeze, shock and dust proof compact camera with built-in wi-fi connectivity and GPS tracking. The 16 megapixel TG-860 also offers a 180-degree tilting LCD screen, 1080/60p HD movies, a 5x zoom lens starting at 21mm, and time-lapse interval shooting. Read our Olympus TG-860 review to find out what this tough camera is capable of...
Panasonic Lumix FT7
The Panasonic Lumix FT7 is a new flagship tough camera that is waterproof down to a depth of 31 meters / 102 feet. This 24 megapixel rugged compact is the first ever tough camera to feature an electronic viewfinder, and it can also record 4K video. Is this the best tough camera that money can buy? Find out now by reading our detailed Panasonic Lumix FT7 review...
Ricoh WG-6
The new Ricoh WG-6 is the most shock, freeze, dust, water and crush proof camera that Ricoh have ever made. The Ricoh WG-6 also offers a new 20 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, 5x zoom lens, 3-inch LCD screen, 4K movie recording and built-in macro lights. Read our in-depth Ricoh WG-6 review now, complete with full-size sample images...
Ricoh WG-60
The Ricoh WG-60 is a new digital waterproof compact camera that's perfect for underwater photography down to 14 metres, with waterproof, shockproof performance. Available in two colours, the Ricoh WG60 will be available in mid November 2018 priced at £249.99.
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Nikon Coolpix W150 from around the web.
ephotozine.com »
The Nikon Coolpix W150 is a great option for those that want a tough point and shoot which can be used by all the family on holiday. The camera looks great especially in the 'Resort' design that we had in for test. The capability to shoot underwater will be a big draw for the kids, as will the fun filters and frames you can easily add to photos. Overall image quality is acceptable however if you want any kind of manual control you'll be disappointed.
Read the full review »
Specifications
Type |
Compact digital camera |
---|---|
Effective pixels |
13.2 million (Image processing may reduce the number of effective pixels.) |
Image sensor |
1/3.1-in. type CMOS, total pixels: approx.14.17 million |
Lens |
NIKKOR lens with 3x optical zoom |
Focal length |
4.1 to 12.3 mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 30 to 90 mm lens in 35 mm [135] format) |
F-number |
f/3.3 to 5.9 |
Lens construction |
6 elements in 5 groups |
Magnification |
Up to 4x (angle of view equivalent to that of approx. 360 mm lens in 35 mm [135] format) |
Vibration reduction |
Electronic VR (movies) |
Motion blur reduction |
Electronic VR (still images) |
Autofocus |
Contrast-detect AF |
Focus range |
[W]: Approx. 5 cm (2 in.) to infinity, [T]: Approx. 50 cm (1 ft 8 in.) to infinity (Distances measured from center of front surface of the protective glass) |
AF-area mode |
Center, face detection, target finding AF |
Monitor |
6.7 cm (2.7-in.) diagonal; Approx. 230k-dot, TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating and 5-level brightness adjustment |
Frame coverage |
Approx. 96% horizontal and vertical (compared to actual picture) |
Frame coverage (playback mode) |
Approx. 100% horizontal and vertical (compared to actual picture) |
Storage media |
SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal memory (approx. 21 MB) |
File system |
DCF and Exif 2.31 compliant |
Storage file formats |
Still images: JPEG; Voice messages: WAV; Movies: MP4 (Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Audio: AAC stereo) |
Image size (pixels) |
Large (13 M) (4160x3120), Medium (4 M) (2272x1704), Small (2 M) (1600x1200) |
Movie - frame size (pixels) and frame rate |
Large (1080p) (1920x1080), Small (640) (640x480), Small (old-fashioned) (640x480) |
ISO sensitivity |
ISO 125 to 1600 |
Exposure metering |
Matrix, center-weighted (digital zoom less than 2x), spot (digital zoom 2x or more) |
Exposure control |
Programmed auto exposure and exposure compensation (–2 EV, –1 EV, 0 EV, +0.7 EV, +1.5 EV) |
Shutter type |
Mechanical and CMOS electronic shutter |
Shutter speed |
1/2000 to 1s, 25 s ([Add light trails] in [Choose a style] is set to [Night sky]) |
Aperture |
Electronically-controlled ND filter (–2 AV) selection |
Aperture range |
2 steps (f/3.3 and f/6.6 [W]) |
Built-in flash |
Yes |
Flash range (approx.) |
[W]: 0.3 to 3.1 m (1 ft to 10 ft), [T]: 0.6 to 1.7 m (2 ft to 5 ft 6 in.) |
Flash control |
TTL auto flash with monitor preflashes |
USB |
Micro-USB connector (Do not use any USB cable other than the included UC-E21 USB Cable.), Hi-Speed USB Supports Direct Print (PictBridge) |
HDMI output |
HDMI micro connector (Type D) |
Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) standards |
IEEE 802.11b/g (standard wireless LAN protocol) |
Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) operating frequency |
2412 to 2462 MHz (1 to 11 channels) |
Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) maximum output power |
12.5 dBm (EIRP) |
Wi-Fi (Wireless LAN) security |
Open system, WPA2-PSK |
Bluetooth standards |
Bluetooth Specification Version 4.1; Bluetooth: 2402 to 2480 MHz, Bluetooth Low Energy: 2402 to 2480 MHz; Bluetooth: 3.5 dBm (EIRP), Bluetooth Low Energy: 3.5 dBm (EIRP) |
Waterproof |
JIS/IEC protection class 8 (IPX8) equivalent (under our testing conditions), Capacity to shoot images underwater up to a depth of 10 m (33 ft) and for 60 minutes |
Dustproof |
JIS/IEC protection class 6 (IP6X) equivalent (under our testing conditions) |
Shockproof |
Cleared our testing conditions1 compliant with MILSTD-810G w/Change 1 Method 516.7-Shock |
Power sources |
One EN-EL19 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery (included), EH-62G AC Adapter (available separately) |
Charging time |
Approx. 1 h 40 min (when using EH-73P/EH-73PCH Charging AC Adapter and when no charge remains) |
Battery life |
Approx. 220 shots when using EN-EL192 |
Actual battery life for movie recording |
|
Tripod socket |
1/4 (ISO 1222) |
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
Approx. 109.5 x 67.0 x 38.0 mm (4.4 x 2.7 x 1.5 in.) (excluding projections) |
Weight |
Approx. 177 g (6.3 oz) (including battery and memory card) |
Operating environment - temperature |
–10°C to +40°C (14°F to 104°F) (for land use), 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F) (for underwater use) |
Operating environment - humidity |
85% or less (no condensation) |
Supplied accessories |
Strap (Do not swing the camera by the strap. The camera could strike objects or people causing injury and damage to the camera.), EN-EL19 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, EH-73P Charging AC Adapter (A plug adapter is attached depending on the country or region of purchase. The shape of the plug adapter varies with the country or region of purchase. The EH-73PCH Charging AC Adapter may be included instead of the EH-73P, depending on the country or region where you purchased the camera.), UC-E21 USB Cable, Brush (The brush is used for cleaning the waterproof packing.) |
News
The Nikon Coolpix W150 is a waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and dustproof compact adventure camera. The new Underwater Face Framing mode takes up to four photos each time it sees a face in the pool or on a dive of up to 10m. The Nikon W150 also has a low-light CMOS sensor, 3x optical zoom lens, Full HD (1080p/30 fps) video recording and a large, anti-reflective LCD screen.
Nikon UK Press Release
London, United Kingdom, 23rd April 2019: Nikon introduces the latest member of the COOLPIX family, the fun-loving COOLPIX W150. Waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and dustproof, this compact adventure camera is built to go anywhere and offers a truly hassle-free experience.
From snowy landscapes to underwater scenes, the COOLPIX W150 is so easy to use that anyone can capture superb photos and videos with it. Underwater Face Framing mode ensures great shots in the pool or on a dive of up to 10 m. The camera is shockproof up to 1.8 m, so it can take a few knocks on a family holiday or at a party. Nikon’s low-light CMOS sensor and precision NIKKOR 3x optical zoom lens delivers beautifully sharp images. A dedicated movie button makes it simple to switch straight to recording Full HD movies with stereo sound.
Fun features include a range of in-camera photo effects that are easy to add, and an optional interactive Variety Menu for kids. Turn it on and users can attach voice messages to photos, activate playful welcome screens, animate slide shows, and more. Waterproof accessories like Nikon’s easy-to-spot floating strap keep the camera safe. SnapBridge makes it simple to share the best shots, or use a smart device to shoot remotely.
Yoshihiro Katakami, Product Manager for COOLPIX at Nikon UK, comments: “The COOLPIX W150 is a great waterproof point-and-shoot. Kids can have fun with it, parents don’t need to worry about it—and it’s available in a range of vibrant colours. If you’re off on a weekend with friends, this is the camera that’s always ready to go.”
Summary of key features
Waterproof 10 m | Shockproof 1.8 m | Freezeproof -10 °C | Dustproof. True point-and-shoot ease from the COOLPIX that can handle a drop or two, excels in the cold, and just loves a pool party.
Underwater Face Framing mode. The camera snaps up to four photos each time it sees a face.
Always beautiful results. Low-light CMOS sensor, precision NIKKOR 3x optical zoom lens, and 6x Dynamic Fine Zoom for extra reach.1
Brilliant movies. The camera records Full HD (1080p/30 fps) video footage with stereo sound.
Point-and-shoot ease. Settings are automatically optimised. The large, anti-reflective LCD screen offers clear visibility, even underwater.
Fun Variety menu. Users can shoot with a simple menu interface or turn on the Variety menu, which is packed with interactive features.
SnapBridge compatibility
Nikon’s SnapBridge app for iOS and Android must be installed on a compatible smart device before SnapBridge can be used with this camera.
Footnote
1 Magnification of Dynamic Fine Zoom is calculated from the maximum wide-angle position of the optical zoom.
Image Gallery
Click on a thumbnail to see the full version.
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