Owners Opinions: Nikon Coolpix S4

I've posted my preliminary review based on a few days of experimentation.

While Nikon may be using the S4 to aim for the broad market of people wanting a subcompact or pocktetable digital camera that will easily provide acceptable point-and-shoot images, the quality of its form and function allows you to produce better results if you're familiar with good lighting and other photographic techniques that don't require in-camera manipulation.

I think the 10x zoom is a come on. It's quite a challenge to use this feature under most lighting situations, and doesn't fit in the point and shoot category of ease of use. Saying that it's usable in bright sunlight restricts this feature to a high-contrast lighting condition I generally avoid. Speaking of bad lighting, you can get acceptable results with the 10x using the flash for subjects in the range of 10 feet.

For the birders or any other specialty photographers who were hoping for an update to the 990, this is not it. It's not built for being adapted for digiscoping or microscopy.

In the end, in comes down to how much you'll want to use this camera. For me, the swivel and portability mean everything.

I just ordered an S4,and will report back when I've tested it out.Just wondering if you can tell me whether the charger and rechargeable batteries are included?

They provide 2 AA alkaline batteries, that's it.

Really like the S4 here, hard to beat it for a outdoor pocket camera. Sure it has limitations compared to dSLRs, but if you work with its strong points it give very nice results.

Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/jackcnd/nikon_coolpix_s4

Here's a full zoom sample ...

Can you post pictures of the same (not outdoors) subject using all ISO settings from lowest to highest?

Thanks

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Eugene

Canon is the best when it is working. Sigma is the same way now.

I've been meaningn to get to that, but I'll tell you that only ISO 50 is really smooth, ISO 100 and up you see more and more noise. I've accepted that.

I'll try and post some samples this week.

Eugene Powers said:

Can you post pictures of the same (not outdoors) subject using all
ISO settings from lowest to highest?

Thanks

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Eugene

Canon is the best when it is working. Sigma is the same way now.

Click to expand...

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Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/jackcnd
Sorted by Lens: http://www.pbase.com/jackcnd/samples_by_lens

For the rest:

http://www.pbase.com/augenblick/nikon_coolpix_s4

Thanks. Certainly not bad at all.
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Eugene

Canon is the best when it is working. Sigma is the same way now.

Your welcome.

Normally I'm not into shooting tests, but this one was easy enough to do.

I haven't been much outdoors because of all the rain, but once it clears up I'll make up for lost time. I'll also have to find a decent case for the S4.

I had my first S4-generated prints back from the Costco printing lab (1 hour) over the weekend. Some of the pictures were great! Some were blurry (tough to figure out avoiding that completely). I found a couple of them had purple haze around faces. Has anyone else noticed this yet? There was no external processing or special scene modes used. I think I read about this being a problem on other cameras like the S70 from Canon.

Thanks,
Roger
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journey through your universe: http://astronomylinks.com/

Roger, you might be seeing purple fringeing which sometimes happens with backlighting as with a strong sky light. I might be wrong.

If you keep your lighting clean, this should help.

Blurring due to camera shake should be resolved as you get used to handling the camera. I don't know how good Costco is about its quality control.

I'll go ahead and have some prints made so I can do a complete review.
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Bill K.
http://www.pbase.com/augenblick

I notice on auto mode the camera uses ISO 50 most all of the time, and if anyone is moving, they will be blurred, except in the brightest sun.

Its a nice pocket camera for outside use, but not the best for action or indoor flash use.

I demoed the new 9MP Fuji and even the 8800, but find the S4 suits my needs fine, mostly due to its size, zoom, and nice images.

I already ordered it for my wife. It has less noise (according to your pictures) than Minolta 7Hi and small enough to fit in the purse unlike Sony 828 which I also got for her. And with the longer lens, always charged batteries (I always have Nimh AA ready), I think she would be happy. If not I will feed her to the lions.
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Eugene

Canon is the best when it is working. Sigma is the same way now.

an intriguing design. 10X zoom in the pocket camera you can't get with any other design.
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Eugene

Canon is the best when it is working. Sigma is the same way now.

Looking forward to your test drive, after all before you feed her to the lions you have to test the S4. ;-)

Member said:

Eugene Powers wrote:
I already ordered it for my wife. It has less noise (according to
your pictures) than Minolta 7Hi and small enough to fit in the
purse unlike Sony 828 which I also got for her. And with the longer
lens, always charged batteries (I always have Nimh AA ready), I
think she would be happy. If not I will feed her to the lions.

Click to expand...

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Lost in the Colorado Mountains!!!

... if it only had a proper view finder.

she is not going to like it. She has not like any camera I bought so far for her. Women, can't live with them, can't kill them.
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Eugene

Canon is the best when it is working. Sigma is the same way now.

Ya, I would error on the side of Nikon on the Costco vs. Nikon quality argument, but they are typically competent in their one-hour lab work (where it stays on-site). I've had them ship out pictures and been very disappointed in that work.

It happened in one or two pictures, and the lighting may well have been bad as you suggest. I'll keep playing with it. I was more concerned about a chronic or design flaw that produced the purple haze, but I'm happy to keep playing with it.

Clear skies,
Roger
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journey through your universe: http://astronomylinks.com/