It’s been a big couple of weeks in the action camera world and it seems that every brand has been hedging its bets in an effort to compete with the veritable GoPro Hero 5.
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Back in January, Nikon announced its KeyMission 360 camera, but details were thin. Now the juggernaut camera brand has shown its hand by announcing two more cameras: the KeyMission 170 and KeyMission 80.
Alongside the cameras, Nikon has also introduced the SnapBridge app. For the KeyMission 360 and 170 models the app enables remote shooting and movie editing, while the 80 “supports the SnapBridge app”, says Nikon — and we’re not sure what that means either yet.
All three cameras feature WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and will record on microSD cards.
An action camera is no good without mounts, so Nikon has also released its own range, but unlike Garmin, Sony, and GoPro they don't appear to use the GoPro single bolt-style mounting system.
Nikon KeyMission 360
Check out the footage from the Nikon KeyMission 360
Sitting atop Nikon’s range of rugged action cams, the KeyMission 360 uses two lenses and two 20mp CMOS sensors to film seamless 360-degree video, which is becoming more popular now that both YouTube and Facebook support it.
The camera can shoot in 4k/24p ultra-HD format with all the stitching taken care of in camera, though it’ll also shoot Full HD footage to save memory. Additionally, the camera can take 30mp 360-degree still images too and there’s a built-in stereo mic with vibration reduction.
As is becoming a standard feature of the market, the KeyMission 360 is waterproof without a housing down to 30m/100ft. It can also reportedly withstand drops of up to 2m/6.6ft.
Claimed to weigh 200g we know it runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, but Nikon is yet to announce a claimed battery life.
Set to cost £385 / US$496.95 / AU$665 the KeyMission 360 will go on sale in October.
Nikon KeyMission 170
Taking some design cues from GoPro, the KeyMission 170 captures 170-degree wide angle 4k/30p ultra-HD footage or up to 1080/60p or 720/240p for smooth slow motion. Additionally, there’s a variety of shooting modes, including Add Slow Motion, Movie Photo, Superlapse Movie, Loop Recording and Time-lapse Movie to name a few.
Nikon says the 170 is waterproof to 10m/33ft and shockproof from 2m/6.6ft with no housing required. There is however a waterproof housing available that will keep the camera dry at depths of 40m/131ft.
Claimed to weigh 135g, Nikon says the KeyMission 170's battery will last 110min of video shooting or 250 still images.
Set to retail for £300 / US$370 /AU$530 the KeyMission 170 will be available in October.
Nikon KeyMission 80
Finally, there’s the KeyMission 80 which Nikon calls a "tough, wearable camera designed for quick shooting of stills and movies, enabling users to record every moment of their experiences as it happens."
There are separate front and back facing cameras both equipped with a small NIKKOR lens and 12mp CMOS sensor that capture Full HD 1080/30p footage. The camera also gets a rear-facing touchscreen LCD monitor for "easy selfies", and is waterproof down to 1m/3.3ft and is rated for drops of up to 5ft/1.5m.
Like the KeyMission 360, Nikon has not announced a claimed battery life.
The KeyMission 80 has left us scratching our heads considering everyone these days has a smartphone and even the now ‘outdated’ iPhone SE (below the 6S) can shoot 4k video.
Nonetheless, the KeyMission 80 is set to cost £215 / US$277 / AU$370 and will be available in October.