Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix S210 8.0MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Graphite Black)

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

I just bought this camera two days ago from a camera store (yes, of course it's cheaper here). I have four other cameras, two film (Nikons) and two digital (one Nikon and one Olympus), but I wanted something that I could fit in my purse or backpack. Many times I want to take pictures, but am too lazy to carry my camera gear unless I'm planning a photo outing. This camera literally fits into my jeans pocket so I will be able to carry it every day.

So far I find the camera's menu systems are similar to the menu on my other Nikon cameras (N80, D70). This makes the learning curve easier. When you turn the camera off, the lens collapses into the body of the camera, and there is a lens cover that closes over the lens to protect it. That isn't shown in the photograph.

I like that the camera allows you to turn off the flash if you don't want it on. I like to do natural light photography; sometimes I don't want the flash. Too many point-and-shoots try to think for the photographer and "fix" everything for you, but sometimes you want to do silly things when you're doing experimental art! The camera has several white balance options, as well as monochrome, sepia, and cyanotype (blue). The photographer has the option of using these or adjusting the settings manually.

There is a good user manual with the camera. I found it easy to find things in the table of contents, or the index. Instructions are pretty straightforward so you can go to the section you want without having to read the whole chapter.

This is the first time that I bought something new on the market. Typically, I buy something after it has been reviewed for at least 6 months, but I had to replace the "family point and shoot" before Easter. I was replacing my old Nikon Coolpix 5900 (which was a little bulky, but took FANTASTIC photos). I also loved the video quality. I stayed with the Nikon family because it is what I know, and I just am not ready to pay so much for the Canon lines (and I don't like the photo quality - can't explain, but I like my Nikon better).

I got the camera 2 weeks ago, and so far I have found:
1) That it is incredibly small - which is good and bad. It can go anywhere, but holding it makes you kind of nervous, like you could drop it easily.
2)The large viewscreen is large, and I am very worried that I may drop it and shatter it easily. The camera itself is very smooth, and feels "slippery" in your hands.
3) The one complaint that I know I even had with my old Nikon - shutter/recovery time is slow with this camera - you can't just "click" away. This is not so nice when you have fidgety children, and you want to capture a moment.
4) The scene/mode setup has slightly changed for me, and to get to a different "mode", you can't just turn the dial, like I did on the old 5900, you have to push a few more buttons. This will be tedious when you are moving from different environments, and want to alter the settings.
5) The biggest complaint I have is that this camera is has a very sensitive at autofocusing, and based on what I have seen so far, it will not take pictures closeup unless you actually set it at the macro mode.

I don't think I will return it because I have found that unfortunately, these new digital cameras don't seem to last, and I won't invest over $200 for a point and shoot. This is good for quick shots when you are out on the go, and can fit in your back pocket. For the better photos, I use my D80 (it is a dream).

4/4/08 UPDATE - I have used the camera a little more. I have noted that:
1) to get the shots to come out, you really have to become quite knowledgeable with how to adjust your settings (exposure compensation, mode, light source, white balance, etc.) READ THE MANUAL, and PRACTICE. Once you figure that out, your pictures are fine. This does get a little tedius when you are trying to capture that moment with fidgeting subjects (i.e. children & animals).
2) Also, the movies are not MPG's anymore they are now in the AVI format. They still turn out fine, and the mic is SUPERSENSITIVE
3) The latch for the battery compartment is still the same - this worries me because this is what failed on my 5900, (and my mom's Canon). Once that went out, (and we went on vacation), the camera was never the same (i.e. beach air, sand, AC - you do the math). You would think they would fix this problem, but I am seeing it with not just one line, but others as well.
4) I am not a real fan of the way you switch from regular camera, to a specific scene (i.e. indoors, niteshots, etc), to movie mode. You have to push a MODE button, scroll, and then push OK. The buttons on the back are the same as my old 5900, just a little smaller (men with big fingers could get annoyed easily).
5) The on/off button is TINY and is right in next to the button that you use to take the photos/and take videos (at the top of the camera). Honestly, I confuse them at times, and will turn the camera off when I want to begin a video.

All in all,If I could do all over again, I wouldn't go ultracompact and would go more compact. It serves it's purpose, but remember - you are getting what you paid for.

UPDATE 1/9/09: By September 08, I had to get another camera because this one decided to break down on my family vacation - I am TRULY not a fan of this camera (the Lens just decided to not open and close). I will just give it to my 4 yr old, and let her play with it. I gambled and got the waterproof Pentax, and so far, I am pleased (not elated, but will be satisfied for now).

Turns on very fast
Very compact, excellent to take anywhere
Nice strap to fit around your hand, very easy to pull it out of your pocket and turn it on all with one hand safely, while your holding other things in your other hand
Battery seems to last forever enough for so many many pictures a day
Great quality pictures
Easy uploading to computer, software easy to install.

I bought this for my daughter's 5-year-old birthday (some of you may call me crazy, but I'm looking forward to a "year in pictures from a 5-year-old's perspective". I wanted nice picture quality with, and this is paramount, great shutter response. This camera is very fast, so my daughter doesn't get frustrated thinking she hasn't gotten the shot. The LCD screen is nice, big and bright. It's super easy to use - she already knows how to zoom in and out and review pictures (you can go back to picture-taking mode just by pressing the shutter button halfway). I've been comparing pictures to my Canon SD800 IS and these pictures are as good or better. The colors are very accurate (also a big consideration for me - my fair skinned family can easily look blue or red with the wrong color balance) and pictures are, while not as sharp as high-end cameras, sharp enough for regular prints. I think Nikon may be finally putting in some competitive cameras in the compact market.

As well - the camera seems very durable, it's made of metal/ A lot of lower-end cameras are plastic. It's already stood up to her slinging it around by the strap into the wall with no trouble (well, not to the camera, but to her there was).

I was going on a cross-country trip and was looking for a digital camera to bring with me when my mom recommended this one. I'd never owned a digital camera before, so I was looking for one with a reasonable price and not too many complicated features. This camera fits all my needs and more. Physically, it's a cute color (plum) and small enough to slip into your pocket if you're in a rush (as I was when I took it to the Celtics parade). The interface is pretty intuitive, and I personally prefer using a menu to switch modes over the standard wheel as I'm often worried about bumping said wheel by accident!

As for the pictures it takes? They're not perfect, but they suit my purpose. Some people may want something with more megapixels, but 8 is enough for me. It sometimes has trouble focusing on the correct subject. It doesn't seem to have much of a problem with pet eye, though! Also, the video feature is a wonderful bonus, it picks up audio surprisingly well. Make sure to buy an SD card, though!

A small worry I have is that the battery compartment door seems a little.. "loose." It's not going to pop open on its own, but it does wiggle a little bit and sand could probably get in if you took it to the beach. Buying a case for it would probably decrease that risk significantly, though.

Overall, I feel this is a great digital camera for the price and makes a good starter digital camera for someone like me who isn't usually very good with them.

The camera is easy to use, love the color....but you get what you pay for. I wish I would have spent the extra $50 something for the added pixels and optical zoom on the S520. I get blurry pics and I don't see any image stabilization, it doesn't zoom very far, and the camera is really light-weight, so make sure you wear the wrist strap or the thing may go flying. Overall its a good deal, but if you don't plan on buying another camera anytime soon, fork out the extra cash for a better model.

What a great little camera for the price! I am so happy with my purchase. The camera is so easy to use (I can't stand cameras that make you go through 5 menus just to delete a picture) and user friendly. The quality of pictures is impressive for a camera this size and price. I would tell anyone who bought this camera, to read through the manual at what settings to turn on for different types of pictures. It tells you exactly how to take a picture of all sorts of views, like fireworks, people standing indoors in front of bright windows, etc. It helps a lot to know what to turn on/off for such scenes. Some of the complaints I've read in other reviews make me think that people aren't learning how to use settings properly.
The color of the camera is nice, already gotten compliments on it. The view screen is a very good quality. One of the most important features to me is how fast it takes pictures. I also needed a camera that would take good up-close shots of the jewelry I make. The macro setting is perfect and the pictures turn out great. I'm very pleased. I would recommend this camera to anyone who wants great candids at family events/outings or a compact but well made camera for taking casual portrait-style pictures.

My wife and I purchased this as a complement to our Nikon D80 with the intent that she'd carry this small camera in her purse for candids. All told, we're pleased with the size and speed of the camera but it really struggles to focus, has a difficult time handling either bright or low light, and takes pictures that I'd describe as "better than nothing". We love our D80 and hoped just a bit of that Nikon know-how could be found here and are having a tough time to find it.

This is a great camera for general everyday use. The only problem I had was that I purchased this camera bundled with the recommended Kingston SD Card on Amazon's website. I was having trouble with the camera not saving the photos to the SD Card. I contacted Nikon's tech support and they informed me that only SanDisk, Lexar, Toshiba and Panasonic SD Cards are approved for use in this camera. I honestly don't see how that makes a difference but I will be trying a different card to see if that works.

Turn it on and shoot a picture in just a second! Good quality pictures and great video!
Life battery is one day and a couple of hours with intense use. The low battery sign will appear when you are already out there for another intense taking pictures day, so: get an extra battery or make sure every night you re-charge it. It takes about 1 1/2 hours to recharge it and the charger is light so you could event take it with you all the time.
I has many picture options, try them to improve the picture quality.
Very thin and light!
Great display (may be the cause of low battery life...).
Suggest at least 1GB memory card and a 2GB if you plan on making videos.