Review based on a production Coolpix S10. Firmware Version 1.0
Announced in August, the Coolpix S10 is the latest incarnation of Nikon's 'twisting body' camera design that can be traced all the way back to the original Coolpix 900 in 1998, though - like the S4 before it - this one manages to squeeze in a big 10x optical zoom. Design tweaks aside, the S10's biggest enhancement over its predecessor is the inclusion of CCD-shift image stabilization (or Vibration Reduction, 'VR' as Nikon calls it), pretty much an essential for a camera with a zoom this big. The maximum ISO has also been boosted to 800 and there are a couple of interesting new features. The big zoom market is a crowded one, and truly compact models such as this have rarely impressed when compared to their bulkier 'SLR-like' cousins. Let's find out if the Coolpix S10 has what it takes to offer the ultimate 'pocket' super zoom, starting as ever with the headline features:
| Street Price | • US: $350 • UK: £240 |
|---|---|
| Body Material | Metal |
| Sensor | • 1/2.5 " Type CCD |
| Image sizes | • 2816 x 2112 • 2048 x 1536 • 1024 x 768 • 640 x 480 |
| Movie clips | • 640 x 480@ 30fps • 320 x 240 @ 15/30fps • 160 x 120 @ 15fps • 320 x 240 @ 30fps (PictMotion) • with sound |
| Lens | • 38-380mm (35mm equiv) • F3.5 • 10x zoom |
| Image stabilization | Image-sensor shift VR (Electronic VR when shooting movie) |
| Conversion lenses | No |
| Digital zoom | up to 4x |
| Focus | Auto |
| AF assist lamp | Yes |
| Focus distance | • 30cm-infinity • Macro: 4cm-infinity |
| Metering | n/a |
| ISO sensitivity | up to ISO 800 |
| Exposure compensation | n/a |
| Shutter speed | n/a |
| Aperture | F3.5 |
| Modes | • Auto • 4 modes with Scene Assist • 11 Scene modes • BSS (Best Shot Selector) • Exposure BSS • Single • Continuous • Multi-shot 16 (approx 1.9fps) |
| Scene modes | • Portrait • Landscape • Sports • Night Portrait • Party/indoor • Beach/snow • Sunset • Dusk/dawn • Night landscape • Close up • Museum • Fireworks show • Copy • Panorama assist |
| White balance | • Auto with TTL control • 7-mode manual (Direct sunlight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Shade, Flash and White bal. preset) |
| Self timer | 3 or 10 sec |
| Continuous shooting | approx 1.6fps |
| Image parameters | Color options |
| Flash | • Auto • Auto with red-eye reduction • Flash cancel • Anytime flash • Slow sync • Range: 0.3-5.4m (wide) / 1.0- 5.4m (tele) |
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD monitor | • 2.5-inch TFT • 230,000 pixels |
| Connectivity | • USB • AV out |
| Print compliance | PictBridge |
| Storage | • 16MB internal memory • SD card compatible |
| Power | • Rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL5 • AC adapter EH-62A |
| Other features | • Best Shot Selector • BSS AE • Interval timer • In-camera red-eye removal (automatic) • Face detection AF • D-Lighting (shadow lightening) |
| Weight (no batt) | 220 g (7.8 oz) |
| Dimensions | 112.5 x 74.5 x 40.5 mm (4.4 x 2.9 x 1.6 in) |
* Supplied accessories may differ in each country or area
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital
Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help
you understand some of the terms used).
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Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C. |
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This article is Copyright 2007 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.
Nikon Coolpix S10 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Vibration Reduction Zoom | $429.00 |
Nikon COOLPIX S01 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens (Silver) | Too low to display |
Nikon COOLPIX S6300 16 MP Digital Camera with 10x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens and Full HD 1080p Video (Red) | $113.00 |
Nikon COOLPIX S31 10.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 720p HD Video (Pink) | $96.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX S01 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens (Pink) | $75.99 |
Nikon COOLPIX S31 10.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 720p HD Video (White) | $96.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX S31 10.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 720p HD Video (Yellow) | $96.95 |
Nikon COOLPIX S6200 16 MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and HD 720p Video (Red) | $111.96 |
Nikon COOLPIX S31 10.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 720p HD Video (Blue) | $99.00 |
Nikon COOLPIX S30 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Zoom Nikkor Glass Lens and 2.7-inch LCD (White) | $87.90 |
Nikon COOLPIX S6300 16 MP Digital Camera with 10x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens and Full HD 1080p Video (Silver) | $168.00 |
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