Above Average
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Above Average
Reviewed:
Feb 2007
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| Quick links: | Announcement | Review | Sample gallery | Forum |
| Announced: | Aug 24, 2006 |
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Average rating:
4.03
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Opinion: I'll rate with stars (***** being the best, *** being average, * being poor)
IMAGES STABILIZATION *****
Very effect 'real' stabilization, not the fake electronic post-processing (like the S7c). Of course, it only works to stabilize the camera, not a moving subject (like kids).
ROTATING LENS *****
Very sturdy. Can rotate 270 degrees from pointing backwards, straight up, foward to straight down.
CCD NOISE ***
Absent at ISO 50 and 100. A little at 200. Quite a bit at 400. Nearly unusable at 800 (but helps camera focus in low light).
ZOOM ****
10x zoom is great. Would have given 5 stars, but I can't seem to figure out how to disable the digital zoom which seems totally silly to have on a camera with 10x optical.
MENUS *****
Best menus I've used. Very graphically appealing and easy to use.
MANUAL CONTROLS *
These really is intended to a point-n-shoot. Cannot control (or even view) Aperature, Shutter Speed, Manual Focus, Flash delay. Coming from a camera that had all this, I really miss it. Lots of Scene modes that attempt to give control, but doesn't feel the same. Can control ISO though when not in Scene mode.
CONSTRUCTION *****
All metal body feels robust but not heavy. Just small enough to fit in a jacket or cargo pant pocket.
SCREEN *****
Gorgeous screen. Very intense colors and bright. Smudges easy, not sure of scratch resistance yet.
SPEED ***
Coming from my old camera (6 seconds from power on to first shot), this feels very fast (about 1 sec to first shot), but I figure it is probably about average for most qualtiy cameras on the market. Nice not having to wait for lens to extend /retract on power up/down.
MOVIE ***
Seems about average. Cannot optically zoom during movie mode - not sure how common this is. Has speaker for playback.
FOCUS **
Has trouble focusing in dark rooms when subject is more than 10' from the camera (out of range of the focus assist lamp).
When zoomed very far in, the focusing takes quite a long time (1-2 seconds?) - I guess this is because the depth-fo-field is very reduced when in zoom, so the camera has to try all the focus ranges before deciding which is the best. Whereas when zoomed out, the depth of field is very big, so the focus ranges aren't as extreme - so the camera doesn't have to 'explore' so much to find the best focus.
OVERALL ****
I'm still trying to convince myself that I don't really need the manual controls most of the time. Otherwise, I really like the camera.
Problems: none
Opinion: I was very disappointed in the camera overall. Found the image quality to be pretty good but also very inconsistent. Noise was an issue but I actually found the focus (or lack thereof) to be the bigger issue. Additionally, the flash controls (or lack thereof) presented a problem. And if you think the red-eye reduction mode works you are mistaken. It was completely useless and by the time the flash fired, the subject had already moved out of the frame!
Great LOOKING camera and the swivel design is super nice, which is why I was so disappointed in the performance of it. Screen is real nice too.
Movie mode was fine for the most part.
I shoot D200/D2H/D70 and I DO have my expectations in check for a p/s. I bought this camera to take primarily on personal/social functions when an slr is not necessary and cumbersome.
Problems: -Does not focus well at all in low light (at a party for instance)
-Serious lack of manual controls; relying on the preset modes in the camera leave you wondering if your image will come out the way you hoped.
Opinion: This camera has limitations, but within those limitations it is very good. It is the most compact of all the superzooms, and when folded up, is quite pocketable, or can easily be carried in a small belt pouch or purse. The most portable of all the superzooms I have seen.
The image stabilization works very well. On auto the camera will increase the ISO increasing noise. To avoid this, I manually set the ISO to 100 or 200 most of the time, depending on conditions. Never above 400 as I consider 800 unacceptable.
Flash, takes a little getting used to but play with it.
Optical quality is very good, and the macro is more useful then most superzooms as well as being more compact.
This is my go everywhere, all the time camera. It is a supplement to, but not a replacement for my DSLR. No regrets, this is the walk-a-bout camera I have always wanted. My only wish is for it to have a program shift mode, to provide some shutter/aperature control and to display exposure in the screen.
I love this camera, because it is always available. No more completely missed opportunities because I didn't have my DSLR.
Problems: No significant problems. the lack of a right hand grip is inconvenient, but not a killer.
Opinion: I didn't realise until I number-rated above how disappointed I was with this camera. I've had 4 coolpixes now (all swivel lens) (the 2500, 4500, s4, and now the s10) and I think I liked the first 2, esp. the 4500, the best.
the s10 takes its usual wonderful low-lit flashless photos, and I love the swivel feature as it allows me to take photos surreptitiously and from different and unusual angles. but I also have many problems with it, as I list below.
Problems: it seems the additional features (for example with the ISO speeds up to 800) have made the camera too sensitive. the 800 speed almost distorts the natural lighting and I have to manually set the ISO to 400 or lower in low lit conditions (I take many of my photos in low light without flash). But then I have to switch back to auto for other settings, which causes delays.
I'm also unsure why my flash photos at night are coming out blurry (and overexposed, although overexposure was a problem with other coolpixes too). this was never a problem with the other coolpixes, and I've tried several different settings and am unable to rectify the problem (which happens 50% of the time). another user said to play with the settings to get the flash right - would you be able to tell me what you did?
one of the reasons I upgrade from the s4 to the s10 is because of the joystick-like directional button. that button on my brand new s4 was slightly off centre and sticky. so I'd have to push it slightly off centre to get the option I wanted and then it would also get stuck in a position (for example flip through a bunch of photos when I only wanted to go back one). the problem only got worse the few months I had it. after 6 months I gave up because I had to press the button really hard sometimes to even get it to respond.
however, the s10 has the same exact problem (my mistake of course, for not researching it enough). the button is slightly off centre but not sticky (yet). It's working for now but I'm hoping it doesn't become an issue. (btw, I'm travelling abroad and using my camera daily for work, and so can't send the camera back for repair - hence just recklessly bought a new one).
I also found a lack of hard buttons. There was a display button on the s4 that they took out on the s10. and some other features which you have to scroll and click a few times to get to, which slows things down greatly when you're trying to get a quick shot with the right settings. the s4 had a switch button you could use to go between the scene setting, movie setting, and auto setting. now you have to press the mode button and then use the stupid offcentre joystick button to select your options.
the hinged plastic lens cap is also an issue. my s4 lens cap broke after a few months and it took Nikon more than a month to get me a new one (it was on back order, I suspect because lots of others have had this problem). the 4500 lens cap far superior because there was no hinge element. I'm just waiting for the s10 cap to break and since I'm in Bangladesh and nowhere near a Nikon outlet, it's going to be impossible to replace for a while.
And I don't know why Nikon hasn't figured out a way to include some kind of aperture control or shutter speed control for their newer cameras. Even a limited amount of control would have been a great additional feature. I'm considering switching to a DSLR, like the Canon Rebel, for the first time in years, in spite of the super-portability of the s10, its swivel lens, and its amazing low light capabilities.
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