Nikon COOLPIX S570

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:05:55 +0000

Nikon COOLPIX S570 is a 12 megapixel compact point-and-shoot digital camera with 2.7-inch screen and decent video recording features.

Nikon COOLPIX S570 pros:

+ Superb image quality
+ 5x optical zoom
+ Good battery life
+ Video recording in 640 x 480 at 30fps
+ Low noise levels

Nikon COOLPIX S570 cons:

- No optical image stabilization
- No HD video recording

The design:
Nikon COOLPIX S570 measures 56.5 x 92 x 21.5mm and weighs 129 grams. The camera is available in a few different colors so you can get the most suitable one for yourself. This Nikon camera has a metallic finish which adds to its serious look. The Nikon COOLPIX S570 is small even for a compact camera so it is easy to carry around, yet if you have larger fingers you may find operating it quite challenging. The front of the camera houses the Nikkor 5x Wide Optical Zoom lens and above it the flash, whereas the back houses the 2.7-inch LCD. On the right side of the screen is the 4-way controller and below it the mode selector and playback buttons. The top of the Nikon camera hosts the shutter release key and a slightly recessed on/off button. The bottom houses only the battery and memory card compartment and the tripod mount.
In the continuous mode the Nikon COOLPIX S570 will take slightly less than a photo per second in the highest resolution.

Performance:
The built-in flash in the Nikon COOLPIX S570 has the reach of 5.5 meters which is better than cameras such as Canon PowerShot S90, or Nikon Coolpix L100. The red-eye reduction feature in the camera not only pre0flashes, but also applies some image post-processing to remove the vampire eyes effect. It takes the Nikon COOLPIX S570 less than three seconds to start up so it is quite fast. Unfortunately, the camera has no optical image stabilization and the electronic stabilization that it does feature won’t work miracles.

Image quality:
The Nikon COOLPIX S570 features full auto mode which takes care of all the settings for you, but it also has a few scene modes to choose from if you decide you want to set everything manually. The automatic mode works really well and the images look good. They are sharp, with plenty of detail and accurate colors. Also the noise level in quite low. In the manual mode everything depends on you, but if you know what you are doing you can achieve really good result with the Nikon COOLPIX S570.
The camera can also record movies in up to 640 x 480 resolution at 30 fps. Although it cannot compare to cameras capable of full HD video recording the video quality is surprisingly good. For sure it is more than enough to record a video for YouTube.

All in all, although the Nikon COOLPIX S570 does not have optical image stabilization it takes high quality photos which should be satisfactory for al casual photographers. Especially that it comes at a really reasonable price of about $180.
Selected Nikon COOLPIX S570 features and specifications:
Camera Flash
Features
AF illuminator
Red Eye Reduction
Yes
Flash Modes
Fill-in mode, slow synchro, auto mode, flash OFF mode, red-eye reduction
Camera Flash
Built-in flash
Main Features
Still Image Format
JPEG
White Balance Presets
Incandescent, fluorescent, cloudy, flash, daylight
White Balance
Automatic, presets
Exposure Modes
Program, automatic
Image Stabilizer
Electronic
Light Sensitivity
ISO 100, ISO 800, ISO 400, ISO 200, ISO 80, ISO 1600, ISO 3200, ISO auto (80-400), ISO auto (80-800), ISO auto (80-1600)
Optical Sensor Size
1/2.3″
Effective Sensor Resolution
12,000,000 pixels
Total Pixels
12,390,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Type
CCD
Color Support
Color
Resolution
12.0 Megapixel
Digital Zoom
4 x
Shooting Modes
Frame movie mode
Face Detection
Yes
Battery
Supported Battery Details
1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( included )
Supported Battery
Nikon EN-EL10
Other recently reviewed digital cameras:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550, Panasonic DMC-GH1, Canon PowerShot S90, Olympus E-P1, Nikon Coolpix L100, Kodak EasyShare Z950, Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3.

Nikon Coolpix L100

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:45:18 +0000

Nikon Coolpix L100 is a fully automatic point and shoot digital camera capable of taking 10 megapixel photos and with 15x zoom lens. The camera has quite a low price, but a reasonable set of features which ought to be more than satisfactory for amateurs.

Nikon Coolpix L100 pros:

+ 10 megapixel photos
+ 15x optical zoom
+ 3-inch 230,000 dot LCD
+ Low noise
+ Plenty of scene modes
+ Simple to use
+ Effective image stabilization
+ Feels comfortable and durable

Nikon Coolpix L100 cons:

- Limited ISO range
- Images tend to be too soft
- Video recording only in standard definition
- No manual modes

The design:
Nikon Coolpix L100 measures 110 x 72 x 78 mm and weighs 355 grams so it might seem a bit big, but it only helps you hold it tight which is especially important when you zoom in to the 15x that the camera offers. The design of the Nikon Coolpix L100 is quite simplistic. The front of the camera houses only the 15x zoom lens and the AF assist lamp. The back features the 3-inch 230,000 dot LCD, flash lamp, Mode button, playback, menu and delete buttons and the 4-way circular button with timer, flash, exposure compensation and macro. The right side of the Nikon Coolpix L100 is completely bare, whereas the left side houses the speaker and I/O port cover. The bottom of the camera houses the tripod mount and the battery and memory card chamber hidden under a latch. The top of the camera features the pop-up flash, zoom control, power button and the shutter button.

Performance:
The Nikon camera has five color modes. Some of them are quite useable, others like Cyanotype, or sepia are in my opinion unnecessary as you may easily apply such effects on your computer. Unfortunately, there is no manual ISO setting so you will have to make do with the automatic one, but as it works pretty good. The camera is capable of taking up to 3648 x 2736 images, or 3584 x 2016 in the 16:9 mode. The image stabilization works fine and is very useful especially if you zoom in to the entire 15x.
The video recording feature in the Nikon Coolpix L100 is rather disappointing as it manages only recording in standard definition (640 x 480). The color accuracy is good, as is the resolution, but the camera records audio only in Mono. So you end up with low resolution videos with rather poor sound.

Image quality:
The Nikon Coolpix L100 has quite good color accuracy, and if you want to make use of the scene modes bear in mind that the vivid may sometimes oversaturate. The noise level is low both in good lighting conditions and in poor light. When it comes to the resolution the Nikon Coolpix L100 does pretty well, but still not good enough. Even a year ago results that we achieved with this digital camera would be just fine, but now it scores slightly below the average. The images tend to be too soft and with some slight distortions.

Conclusion:
If you know that you lack some professional knowledge and the high end digital SLRs might be too complex for you and you do not intend to record videos with your digital camera the Nikon Coolpix L100 should be the right choice for you. Also, considering its low price it might be an excellent present for older children.

Nikon Coolpix L100 features and specifications:

Effective pixels

10.0 million

Image sensor

1/2.33-in. CCD; total pixels: approx. 10.7 million

Lens

15x Zoom-NIKKOR; 5.0-75.0mm (35mm [135] format picture angle: 28-420mm); f/3.5-5.4; Digital zoom: up to 4x (35mm [135] format picture angle: 1680mm)

Focus range (from lens)

50cm (1 ft. 8 in.) to infinity (∞); Macro close-up mode: 1cm (0.4 in.) to infinity (∞)

Monitor

3-in., approx. 230k-dot, TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating

Storage media

Internal memory (approx. 44 MB), SD/SDHC memory cards*1

Image size (pixels)

3648 x 2736 (High: 3648★/Normal: 3648), 2592 x 1944 (Normal: 2592), 2048 x 1536 (Normal: 2048), 1024 x 768 (PC: 1024), 640 x 480 (TV: 640), 3584 x 2016 (16:9: 3584), 1920 x 1080 (16:9: 1920)

Vibration Reduction (VR)

Image sensor shift VR

ISO sensitivity

Auto (auto gain ISO 80-800), High sensitivity mode*2 (ISO 720-3200)

Interface

Hi-Speed USB

Other recently reviewed digital cameras:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, Kodak EasyShare Z950