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Nikon Coolpix S3 6MP Ultra Slim Digital cameraReview of Nikon Coolpix S3 Digital Camera
The style conscious Nikon Coolpix S3 is certainly living up to its family name by delivering exceptional performance whilst remaining convenient. It¡¦s similar to the S1 and S2 in design but the S3 is a head and shoulders above them in every other way. With a bigger, more powerful lens, 6-megapixels, and heaps of user enhancement options ¡V we knew we were in for a real Nikon treat (and we weren¡¦t wrong). Design | | It is obvious when looking at the S3 that Nikon¡¦s ¡¥slim and convenient¡¦ design ethos still remains. On first impressions ¡V the S3 is has an impressive, stunning design giving it a look of elegance. The sophisticated silver finish and streamline design makes it nice to hold and even better to show off on those posh occasions. It is only 19.7mm deep so it¡¦s completely pocketable and would slip into a handbag without any problems. The back of the S3 is dominated by the 2.5in LCD screen which has elbowed out the optical viewfinder completely (we do prefer to keep hold of these for those blank screen moments ¡V never mind!). To the right of the screen you¡¦ll find a d-pad of controls, a mode switch and a menu button. | | Features | | The biggest feature that the S3 is boasting is its massive 6-megapixels. Nikon claim they wanted to produce an affordable, convenient camera that is capable of producing large format prints. So they¡¦ve really hit the nail on the head with the S3. However, the key selling point is the high resolution sensor - it provides you with amazing quality photos which, after all, that¡¦s what you buy a camera for. Nikon¡¦s 35-105mm zoom-Nikkor ED lens is superb ¡V what¡¦s more is that Nikon¡¦s right-angled optics system allows the lens to function throughout its focal range without protruding from the camera body. Perfect for those weekends where you fancy a go at being an undercover investigator. It has a 3x optical zoom which is rather average but works well. The selectable sensitivity settings range between ISO 30 and 200, again, this is what we¡¦ve come to expect. If you like the quirky features that are so commonly found of digicams of today then you¡¦ll love the extensive scene modes that completely turn picture quality around with their superb enhancements. You¡¦ll also enjoy getting your teeth into the face priority feature ¡V it automatically detects the presence of a human face in the frame before focusing accordingly to produce awesomely pleasing portraits (we can guarantee your friend with the big chin will like this). It has a massive 128MB internal storage but you may want to get an SD card to up the memory stakes. Talking of internals ¡V the S3 has got awesome internal software. We loved Nikon¡¦s ¡¥D-lighting to the rescue¡¦ function which rescued the shots we had taken with poor exposure, insufficient flash or excessive backlighting. It also has an automatic red-eye fix function so you¡¦ll never have to edit them using the software again. We were disappointed to find that there are no manual controls but the S3 makes up for this with everything else it has to offer. | | Performance | | Speedy Gonzalez came to mind when we powered up the S3 ¡V it took less than a second. It gave an impressive power-up-to-shoot time and continued to impress throughout the whole time that we played around with it. Even in high resolution, it was really quick. Saying that, after the S1 and S2¡¦s performance, we didn¡¦t expect anything less. The dependable image quality stood up to its reputation too. Images were clear and sharp with vibrant, rich colours. Perfect for 6x4 prints and on highest resolution it produced some awesome larger prints too. | | What's In The Box? |
„X Camera
„X Docking station
„X Wrist strap
„X USB cable
„X AV cable
„X AC adapter
„X Rechargeable Li-ion battery
„X PictureProject CD-Rom
| | Overall Opinion | | If you are dithering about which camera to get for and affordable price ¡V you should hesitate no longer. You won¡¦t get better than the Nikon Coolpix S3. It is a shame that the Coolpix S3 lacks manual controls; even so, it is a convenient, stylish camera that produces excellent photos ¡V what more could we ask for? | | By Lisa Malyon | |
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A Bit Boring In The Looks Department
Slim Enough For Any Pocket Or Bag.
2.5in LCD screen
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Pros
+ Extensive scene modes put on a good performance
+ In-built red eye fix function
+ 6 megapixels for under £300
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Cons
- Lacks manual controls
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Picture Quality 9/10
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Battery Life 8/10
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Setup Simplicity 10/10
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Build Quality 9/10
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Ease of Use 8/10
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Overall Rating
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By Lisa Malyon
14/7/2006
at 10:17:47am
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