Stiftung Warentest: Outdoor cameras put to the test

In the July 2014 edition, Stiftung Warentest put ten outdoor cameras through a practical test: the compact cameras were supposed to be waterproof, shockproof and insensitive to sand, but overall none of the cameras tested could go beyond "satisfactory". We summarize the results and show you which camera you can use to take good photos while on vacation.

Stiftung Warentest: Outdoor cameras only "satisfactory"

Whether you are shooting low-light underwater photos, taking sunny beach pictures or taking breathtaking panoramic pictures of the mountain peaks: there are countless expectations for outdoor cameras and only a few cameras were able to meet them.

• The test winner was the Nikon Coolpix AW120 with an overall grade of 2.6 ("satisfactory").
• The camera is equipped with a "good" image quality and solid anti-shake protection and took remarkable pictures in the test. Even if the quality is probably not enough for a poster, you will always make a nice album picture. Price: from approx. 275 euros.
• The main weaknesses of the camera are photos with little light and videos. For short films, you should therefore rather look at the GoPro family.

Goods test runner-up with good HD videos

While Nikon's test winner was particularly weak in videos, Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FT5 outdoor camera comes with a convincing HD cam:

• With a grade of 2.7, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT5 just missed the outdoor camera tour - it even comes with a compass, barometer and altimeter.
• However, the flash, monitor and speed do not quite reach the first place.
• Overall, you get a "good" picture quality as well as WLAN, GPS, NFC and HDR support. Price: from approx. 260 euros.

Nothing for diving: Ricoh WG 4 GPS in the last place

The Ricoh WG 4 GPS takes last place:

• In low light - for example under water - the Ricoh cam failed and took photos with a clear green tinge. This gave the outdoor camera only a grade of 4.3 in the "Image quality" category.
• "Good", on the other hand, was only the monitor and so in the end it was only enough for a "sufficient" (overall rating 3.6).
• All details about the test can be found at test.de.

Conclusion: Nikon sees Panasonic in the front

In comparison with the CHIP Top 10 outdoor cameras, the differences are in the details:

• The product test winner Nikon only made 3rd place at CHIP and was beaten by the predecessor and the product test runner-up by Panasonic. Panasonic is in first place.
• In addition to the good image quality and equipment, the first-class workmanship of the Panasonic camera was also noticeable in the CHIP test laboratory.
• On the other hand, our experts criticized the high level of noise, the lack of edge sharpness and poor lens quality on the first product test. Even the predecessor model AW 110 did a little better.

On the other hand, the action cams that you will find in our leaderboard are a little sportier.