Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix L3 5.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

The L2 and L3 models are twins with a shared instruction manual. For some the more expensive L2 may be a better choice.

At a camera store I made several identical shots with both cameras and the L2 produced consistently sharper images when zoomed in on the fine detail of ordinary shots. (Using readability of distant text to judge sharpness of jpg images saved in the largest file size.)

With simpler menus than higher priced cameras these seem to be a good choice for the less determined photographer in your family. I am going to use mine as a backup for an older pocket digital on a trip and ultimately as a spouse's camera. While she likes 4X6 prints, for which the L3 would be fine, I will keep her files and view them on computer and so chose the extra sharpness.

This is a very likeable little camera that is significantly smaller than my older digital. To keep that size advantage I found a Tamrac slip in case with Velcro closure flap at a photo chain store with many cases to choose from.

--
On a trip the L2's daylight photos and videos were very good and the Best Shot Selector a fine feature, however the weak flash was a serious limitation in many situations. Some dark images were improved by a feature Nikon calls "D-lighting". In dark situations my old digital produced far better images. I would subtract one star if Amazon would let me edit the rating.

I waited to review this camera until I'd really put it through the paces on a 10-day trip to Paris, where I used it in pretty much every conceivable scenario: indoor, outdoor, sunny, cloudy, closeup (macro), high zoom, videos in the day and night, etc. I've explored all of its features at this point, including all of the scene modes (panorama included).

This is a good camera. To my thinking, the single best feature is the "D-Lighting" option. This feature is an automatic color/lighting adjustment tool that one accesses when in "play mode" (viewing previously-taken pictures). It's a very smart feature that will compensate for poor lighting situations. I used this on almost every picture I took. The panorama feature is also nice--it's used in conjunction with the bundled software Nikon includes with the camera. Video mode is quite good--with a 2GB card, and tuned to a lower quality (smaller) video mode, you can actually get a couple hours of video on this thing.

I'd recommend this camera for amateur/casual use--it's very intuitive, and will suit those not inclined to gadgetry and technology. Also a VERY good first camera for a teen. It's certainly not the best thing out there, but it's inexpensive and takes excellent pictures at 5.1 MP. Also, the AA battery life is long, and makes it easy to keep the camera powered, even in a foreign country using a different voltage (no recharging necessary, just replace the batteries). Very lightweight, and can be tucked into a pant pocket.

Some shortcomings: the biggest flaw is that the camera has no HOLD function--that is, there's no way to disable the on/off button without removing the batteries. Thus, if you put the camera in your pocket and the power button is unintentionally pressed, the camera will turn on, and the lens will try to open. This may lead to the "lens jamming" other reviewers have complained of. This was an annoyance, though one I easily overcame by removing one battery in situations where I thought it might be an issue. Also, if the lens tries to open but can't, the camera will shut down and display a "lens error" message. This might drain the battery, but, in my experience, won't seriously hurt the camera. Another shortcoming, though one shared by most cameras in this price-range, is that it lacks the aperture to take really good sharp pictures in low-lighting situations, without a tripod. The small lens simply can't gather enough light fast enough to get detailed nighttime city-scapes, for instance. Anything beyond the range of the flash (which is good) will be dark or blurry. The same problem might confront a user in a museum where flash is prohibitied. Unless you have a tripod or a very steady hand, the pictures are likely to turn out blurry. Finally, several users have complained that the memory-writing process is slow--that is, after taking a picture you have to wait several seconds while the camera saves the picture before you can take another one. This is true. My understanding is that some of this has to do with the write-speed of the memory card you purchase, but some of it also has to do with the camera itself. Not recommended for situations in which you'll want to snap off several pictures in quick succession.

On the whole, I think this camera is an excellent value that will suit most needs. I'm glad I got it, but I also know that it won't satisfy more demanding users.

I bought this camera while saving up for a Nikon D50 (It was cheap, and I really needed SOMETHING to take pictures with, as my other camera had bit the dust) and was pleasantly surprised by it. It takes brilliant macros and it also performs wonderfully outside. If you can get outside and play with this thing, you won't be dissapointed.

That's not to say there aren't a few problems. For instance, the flash is worthless, and I found myself loading up on off-camera light so I wouldn't have to use it. But at 150 dollars, I was willing to just deal with that. It truly is a bargain.

This camera takes decent pictures but it has a lot of problems. I have two small kids and it's hard to get a picture of them unless they are standing completely still. The shutter speed isn't fast enough, reload is too long after the flash goes off, don't even try to take a picture with the flash off it just comes out totally blurred. Like the other reviewers that have had problems with the lens jamming, mine has done that too, I've only had the camera maybe 6 months and it's already broken, not very sturdy for someone on the go with little kids. I'm very dissappointed in this camera.

This is our 3rd digitial camera, and the best we have had yet. Our other cameras are a Sony Mavica CD model and a Kodak v550.

Unlike the Kodak, this camera is well designed so it "fits" like it should in your hands. The various menu buttons and options are very intuitive, and spaced properly across the back of the camera. (In contrast, the Kodak model has many of its tiny control buttons packed across the top of the camera, making them hard to use and to read).

The LCD screen on the back of the camera is very large and is not washed out by sunlight, a problem many other cameras have.

The photos are sharp, well focused and easily manipulated with the software that comes with the camera.

A great camera for the money.

This camera is definitely worth whatever you are spending on it! The fact that it is so small and cute (yes, I said cute... I'm a girl) is just a bonus. The features are amazing, you'll never use them all... but even if you are a real novice you can't go wrong... I mean, there's a section where they even give you the outline of the person, you just have to line them up... point, and shoot. It's even good for taking pics in the dark... even if it looks dark in the screen before you take it, the powerful flash lights up everything.

The fact that it takes a regular SD card is also excellent, you can get that anywhere unlike some of the other proprietary ones. And you only need two AA batteries.

Cons... well, I guess battery life could be a bit longer when you've got lots of video to take. And somebody out there in Digital Camera world needs to come up with a way to improve lighting for taking video as well... maybe a steady lamp that you can manually switch on or something!

Unlike many mini digital cameras, the Nikon L3 is set up to be easy to use. The 3x optical zoom is a simple rocker switch, positioned so that it's accessible while holding the camera with one hand, as opposed to the awkward combination arrow pad / zoom arrangements on other cameras. The menu is set up so that the most common options are displayed first, rather than forcing you to scroll down through innumerable pages. It takes plain old AA batteries and has a tripod mount, two essential features that are often inexplicably omitted from cameras in this size. With the exception of the odd plastic cover for the USB port, it's superbly put together.

The quality of the "normal" 5MP pictures is unfortunately not that great, but it looks good when you use "fine" mode. Shutter lag is OK, a second or so, though it can be set up to fire continuously while the shutter is held down. The "Scene mode" promises better pictures, including detecting faces in portraits, but I haven't seen any noticeable difference. The video quality is decent, though the grinding noise of the autofocus mechanism means that you have to use a fixed focal length if you care at all about the audio.

Overall, it's a fine camera to stick in your pocket.

Wow Nikon missed the mark with this one. The menu is just crazy - feels like a marketing guy on steroids put every conceivable ridiculous feature imaginable into this camera. The flash is worthless.

Buy this camera only if;
1) your shots tend to be outdoor action shots where no flash is ever needed
2) you can get it for $50 or less

Nikon Coolpix L3 is a great camera because it's made for the middle class consumer. The flash charger takes about 4 seconds in between pictures. The flash compensation feature is innovative. However, you can do this in the computer to adjust the brightness and contrast better. One of the best things about this camera is that it allows you to shoot videos with audio for however long your memory card can hold. Other cameras can just shoot videos for a minute or two.

I purchased this camera as I was looking for something smaller than my old Canon PowerShot S45. The Coolpix is definitely easier to use and more portable. There is one major draback,however. The flash is too weak and makes the indoor pictures look too dark. The D-Lighting feature that comes with the camera consistently makes people's faces red, which is not so good. Also, don't expect to take two pictures in a row. The batteries require 5-6 seconds between pictures.
Yet, I still like the camera because I can play with the many different shot settings without thinking too much. Also, the video is great.