s10 as a pure point-and-shoot

I'm looking at the s10 as a replacement for my KM DiMage Z1 for my personal use camera. From what I've been reading, a lot of people seem dissapointed in the s10 because it lacks on-the-fly manual controls. While I know how frustrating this can be (the Z1 is likewise clunky with its manual controls) is it really that big of a deal if my goal is a camera that really is just for P&S?

I have the fortune of being able to check out d70's from my company anytime I'm looking to do serious compositions, or if it is a planned event (football games, airshows, the like), so my interest for the s10 is in having an ultra-compact camera that I can have on me 24/7 but still has a great zoom and VR. I took the Z1 with me on spring break last year...I spent half the time wishing I had just left it in the car/at the house because I got tired of carrying it, not to mention its lack of VR/IS makes the 10x optical zoom ineffective without also lugging a tripod. The s10's Face-focus also seems to fit really well with what I need - as a college student, about 95% of the pictures I'm taking with my Z1 are of friends around campus or at parties or just hanging out. The Z1 is a great camera....but its just too big to always have around!!!

So.....

Given my situation, are the cons of the s10 in regards to professional abilities something I should really be that concerned about?

Thanks

i like it as well

manual control is not important only and if only high iso is excellent

if iso400 can compete with s9500 @100%, then s10 will be one of
the best prosumer in the market

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2006 Lynx Award
Best Body Design:Nikon S10(Swivel screen, 10x, small, highly pocketable)

Just got my S10, the first pure point and shoot I ever owned (great alarm when I discovered that !)
Love it !!!!
Wait till you try it....

Paulsno

I've had the S10 for a day now...heres' my initial impressions. I haven't taken a lot of photos yet so can't really comment on the quality of the images. But I can comment on the operations of the camera.

Pros
1) Having 10X zoom is great. I'd never go back.

2) I'm very pleased with the image stabilization. I have no problem with camera shake while zoomed (during daylight shots). FYI, the vibration reduction uses 'real' image stabilization, not the crappy virtual 'electronic' post processing.
3) Small enough to put in pocket, sturdy, easy menus.
4) Beautiful screen.
5) Flash fills the room well.

Cons

1) Only has ISO override - no manual shutter or aperature. My old camera had this (which broke) and I already miss it. But this camera was bought primarly for my wife who doesn't care.

2) The "indoor/party" scene mode always seems to goto ISO 800 regardless of how much light there is. And so it is very noisy. I almost wish it didn't have the ISO 800 setting at all.

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Aaron

Thanks for the review.

I am interested in this camera for its flip lens and the stabalized zoom. But I also need to have good low light performance. When you have more time using it, could you comment on this and/or post some images?
Thx.

Yeah I would at least like to know how good the S10 is at
ISO 200 and ISO 400?

I think if you need a really good ISO 800 or Better
then you will have to buy a Fuji (F20 or F30, or even a F10 or F11).

The camera focuses about 1 in 10 times in low light situations. Its almost purely an outdoor camera if there isn't sufficient light inside.

I am very impressed with the image stabilization. If you listen very carefully you can hear the gyros spinning up when your press the shutter down halfway. Takes about 1/3 second for them to be ready. Small jittery shaking is totally removed (larger movements are not).

Flip lens is feels very sturdy. It can rotates a full 180 degrees (from pointing straight up to pointing straight down). It snaps into place at 0, 90 and 180 degrees.

I would say that CCD noise is basically absent at 50 and 100. A little at 200. Quite a bit at 400 (but still usable). And unusable at 800. The largest aperature is only 3.5, which isn't that great. If your really want to use this camera shooting MOVING targets indoors, I wouldn't recommend it - cause image stabilzation stabilizes the camera, not your subjects.

I haven't had any of the low-light focusing problems mentioned by others. At has a little focus assist LED that seems to work for anything within 8'. Can't be certain, but it appears to use the high 800 ISO when focusing in dark rooms - even with the ISO is fixed to 100 (for example). Then it switches back to 100 when the shot is taken.

If I have one big complaint, it is that in Auto mode you cannot tell what ISO and shutter are being used. I went into the deal knowing that you didn't have aperature or shutter override, but not even having it tell you anything at all really sucks (you have to download the photo to view the EXIF info). Hello NIKON? anybody there listening? Why can't you put the stinking ISO and Shutter on the screen?!

I'll try and post some shots shortly. (really)

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Aaron

I plan to use it indoor to take baby pictures, and also use it as a p&s camera. There are a few pictures on pbase shot with this camera, some in low light, not impressive, but seems usable.

I looked at Finepix F30 and am impressed by its low light performance. But I'll miss the flip lens (and maybe the zoom). Another camera I looked is the canon s3is. It's rather bulky.

poor iso in nikon dc will make many people want to shift to canon dslr
instead of nikon own dslr, due to the concern

oly has a good e400 and e330, but also price themselves out of market
fuji has a good e900, but don't want to continue

pana know iso performance is important and has make f30 became top seller, but keep participating mp racing

i think just every manufacturer are helping canon making sales
that is why they do make

digifoto said:

I plan to use it indoor to take baby pictures, and also use it as a
p&s camera. There are a few pictures on pbase shot with this
camera, some in low light, not impressive, but seems usable.
I looked at Finepix F30 and am impressed by its low light
performance. But I'll miss the flip lens (and maybe the zoom).
Another camera I looked is the canon s3is. It's rather bulky.

Click to expand...

--
2006 Lynx Award
Best Body Design:Nikon S10(Swivel screen, 10x, small, highly pocketable)

goto http://picasaweb.google.com/aaron7920/S10 for a few samples

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Aaron

ISO 400 has just a bit of grain-like noise - but much less nasty then almost all other brands. ISO 100 appeared to have even better colors than ISO 50! ISO 800 is noisy but there is minimal loss of detail. Basically the images look excellent - so it will come down to issues like shutter lag and AF speed. This camera could be the champ of the smaller size image stabilized super-zooms and for the "slightly larger than pocket sized" cameras which are usually only 4x zoom.

The box arrived yesterday, and I've charged the battery (curses, still another battery type to have a charger to keep track of).

I'm hoping to shoot some pics this afternoon, though skies are awfully gray and muddy here this afternoon.

But I will have some answers soon!
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scott b.
http://www.countryshots.com

Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter. Ansel Adams

I've had the Panasonic Lumix FZ7 since May '06. I haven't been dissapointed with daylight pics, low light is a challenge - but I knew that going into it.

The S10 caught my eye. I love the swivel - my 1st digital 3.2mp had a swivel screen and it was great! No getting down on my knee/stomach to take pics of my sleeping dog, I'm short taking pics cowded concerts was a breeze. The S10 also has the stability feature the panasonic has, and the pocketable size... So convenient.

I have the opportunity to return the Panasonic at full refund, and get the Nikon s10. I'd actually be getting back $20!

Currently have 3 cameras: Nikon d50, Panasonic FZ7 and FX9. Recently went on vacation to Disney World and found myself always reaching for the Panasonic FX9 (clearly not the better camera) because it was smaller and far more convenient to tuck in my pocket and go! And although not as small as the FX9 - the S10 is small and convenient enuogh that I would probably return the FX9 too.

So I guess in the end I'd like to know if the Nikon s10 is, at least, comparable to the Panasonic FZ7. I won't get hung up on manual controls, I've got the D50 for that.

Oh, forgot my manners. Name here is Cole.

I read your posts and visited the links and it's been very helpful. Just wish there were more reviews...

I've acutally considered getting the S10 and keeping it in the box sealed until I get to read a few reviews... And if I don't like what I read, I'll just return it. Dunno.

Thanks!

Sorry, I misspoke in the previous post. The lens can twist a full 270 not just 180 degrees.
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Aaron

Do you still love it? I just got it and it seems slow in writing to the memory card.

I also got an S10 recently, and come from a long history of SLRs, and quite a few digital cameras including the Coolpix 8700 and 8800.

I think the S10 is wonderful. Extremely compact, great lens, beautiful pictures, and easy to use. If I want to set f/stop and aperature, and get into a lot of complexity, I use other cameras. This is a true point and shoot.

By the way, another post on this thread criticized the f3.5 as being the biggest you can get on this camera. I have to reply that an f3.5 ten to one zoom is excellent, and way better than most other cameras. Thus the low light performance is very good, better in fact than the much more expensive Coolpix 8800 I also use. The VR image stablization also seems better than the 8800, which itself is excellent.

The S10 seems like a real winner to me.

Larry

I posted these before, in a different thread, but it will give an idea of noise in low-light conditions. I'll put the link to the full-size original shots under the photos:

Both are ISO 800 with the S10....





The full-size photos (as well as ISO 100 and 400 of the same shots):
http://www.pbase.com/wildbill/image/68806352/original
http://www.pbase.com/wildbill/image/68806359/original

Hope that gives you an idea of the inside, low-light noise. At the size I post things on the web, as well as making 4x6 prints, I'm not bothered by the noise of this camera.....printing an 8x10 would be a different story and I wouldn't use this camera for a shot I need an 8x10 of.

The S10 goes with me to Walt Disney World next week...we'll find out how it does beside the 8800.

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scott b.
http://www.countryshots.com

Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter. Ansel Adams

Your pictures are great. I am especially impressed with the indoor pictures. I just got the S10 last Sunday and have been playing around with it. I do take a lot of indoor pictures. I may be returning it as I'm not sure of the image quality of those pictures. I will be ok with the slowness of it saving to the memory card. Are you still happy with the camera? Is there anything in particular I should be doing when it comes to indoor pictures? I don't like the indoor scene mode at all and I'm going to try playing with different scene modes indoors. I've been thinking of switching to the Canon A710IS, which is bigger, but from what I've been reading, takes beautiful pictures, which is my main concern. I know it's slow with the flash on too. Thanks.