Nikon Coolpix L15 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Silver)

by Nikon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 1 x 2.4 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000VKUZDG
• Item model number: 25584
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,652 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Nikon Coolpix L15 is a quality compact digital camera that combines high performance with operating ease and the support of advanced features, including optical lens shift VR (Vibration Reduction) image stabilization. Built on a custom application of Nikon's innovative EXPEED digital image processing concept and incorporating the precision optics of a Nikkor lens, the Coolpix L15 is built to realize optimum performance and maximum image quality.

Offering the full imaging potential of 8.0 effective megapixels, the Coolpix L15 captures true-to-life color with enough fine details to leave plenty of creative freedom to crop or produce beautiful enlargements. The precision optics of a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens covers the highly practical range of 35-105mm (35mm equivalent), ensuring capture of various scenes from panoramic vistas to close-up portraits.

Optical lens shift VR image stabilization counteracts the effects of camera shake in lower light or when shooting unsteady subjects to help achieve sharper results. Active full time, VR also stabilizes images displayed on the 2.8-inch high-resolution LCD monitor for easier framing and more reassured shooting.

Intuitive operation and dedicated controls ensure faultless command over the performance features of the Coolpix L15. This includes the dedicated buttons on the top of the body for switching between shooting and playback modes. The expansive 2.8-inch high-resolution LCD monitor offers a bright and large image that makes it a pleasure to view, even out in the sun. And the no-nonsense design of the body itself assures a solid grip combined with the inviting balance of flowing surfaces contrasted by sharp edge lines.

Nikon Coolpix L15 Feature Highlights

Proven optical lens shift VR image stabilization
Field-proven technology originally developed for interchangeable lenses used in Nikon SLR camera systems, optical lens shift VR image stabilization provides the ability to shoot at shutter speeds as much as three steps slower without blurring the image, whilst also producing a smoother image when shooting.

New Easy Auto mode and scene modes for carefree shooting
Easy Auto mode makes it easier to turn on the camera and shoot without worrying about settings. Easy access to 15 different scene modes and three movie modes also ensures shooting that is tuned to give the best results to match the moment.

Three Unique Nikon Image Innovations
The Coolpix L15 features a selection of three innovative functions that provide the ability to actually improve the quality of images within the camera. Face-priority AF automatically finds, and focuses on people's faces for crisp, clear results time after time. (Face recognition capability may be limited in some shooting conditions.) In-Camera Red-Eye Fix automatically compensates to help eradicate traces of the annoying red-eye effect that can sometimes be encountered during flash photography. And D-Lighting can be applied to improve underexposed images or shots taken with too much backlight. D-Lighting automatically creates a copy of the image with detail added where necessary, but with well-exposed areas left completely untouched.

AA-size batteries for carefree shooting, anywhere
The Coolpix L15 runs on AA-size batteries, a standard battery size available in virtually every corner of the world. This means carefree shooting anywhere, free of any worries about running out of power or needing to recharge when that special moment arises.

ISO 1000 capability for better pictures in lower light
Making it easier to take great-looking pictures in lower lighting conditions or to capture fast moving subjects with outstanding clarity, the Coolpix L15 accurately measures available light to automatically select the optimal sensitivity setting for the shot between the range of ISO 64 to as high as ISO 1000.

Other Features

• Light weight with highly compact dimensions
• Macro shooting from as close as 15 centimeters (5.9 inches)
• 4x digital zoom extends compositional freedom
• Improved Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Improved menu interface, available in a choice of 23 languages
• Time zone function for easy setting of multiple locations
• Approximately 23MB of internal memory
• SDHC card compatibility
• USB connectivity
• PictBridge and ImageLink compatibility

What's in the box
Nikon Coolpix L15 digital camera, two 1.5V LR6 AA-size alkaline batteries, UC-E6 USB cable, EG-CP14 audio-video cable, AN-CP14 strap, dock insert PV-15, Software Suite CD-ROM

Product Description

Nikons easy-to-use COOLPIX L15 combines 8.0 effective megapixels with a 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor glass lens and VR Image Stabilization technology to give you crisp, blur-free images. To take those pictures the bright 2.8-inch LCD makes it easy to compose and share them. Incorporating Nikons In- Camera Innovations, the L15 has In-Camera Red-Eye Fix to remove most instances of red-eye, Face-Priority AF to find and focus on faces in your pictures, and D-Lighting to rescue overly dark images, all of which make great pictures easy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

129 of 134 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just perfect!, October 19, 2007

By 

A. Hochberg - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon Coolpix L15 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

This camera does everything I need it to. I was looking for:

-AA battery capable. I do a lot of hiking/camping and cannot afford to run out of power like my wife's Kodak rechargeable does.
-At least 6 MP, this exceeds that with 8, but you can adjust that down if you want.
-Large LCD display. This camera has a 2.8", which is the largest I have seen on a AA battery powered camera.
-Movie mode with audio. This is cool in a pinch for self-explanatory reasons. (There was no mention of this feature on Amazon's description, but I tested the camera out at a retail store, and it has it it!)
-Compact size. The L15 is only an inch thick. Just perfect.

Also, the interface is so user friendly. I can't believe how easy it is to use. The menus are simple to figure out. I never even looked at the manual.

The only draw back I can think of is the delay between shots utilizing the flash. I think I wait about 4-5 seconds before I can take another picture. This doesn't really bother me since I use this outdoors during the day.

It is simply a perfect point and shoot camera. If you are looking for the features I was, you willl not be disappointed!

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Weak effort, not worthy of Nikon name., January 20, 2008

By 

Bradford Schmidt (BradfordSchmidt dot com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon Coolpix L15 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

Brief Version: Frankly, I'm shocked that a camera as poor as this ever made it past the Nikon quality control department. Perhaps the problems can be resolved with a firmware update and perhaps not (the firmware on my L15 is version 1.0 - there were no updates available on the Nikon site as of this writing). However, I am extremely disappointed with the L15 and am returning it. A note on the star rating: had I been able, I would have gone with 2.5 stars, if only for the inclusion of image stabilization at this price. However, in the context of this being a Nikon, one of the premium camera brands, I felt rounding down to a 2 was fair. Furthermore, I do hope this is a helpful review - I know that positive reviews have a tendency to be ranked as helpful, but I have tried to give a full and fair picture (pun unintentional but noticed) of this camera. I tend to think that those users that love this camera would have a coronary from the pleasure of using a camera not hobbled byt the issues that this one suffers from.

Verbose Version:

My Background: First of all, I'm relatively tech savvy. I'm a bit of a gadget and electronics geek and do a fair amount of reading on a range of related topics. When I get a technology item that does not live up to my expectations, I search the web, review the manual, and look for firmware updates when and where such a search is applicable. I have also done extensive work in the digital realm, including design and product photography. I mention this simply to help people avoid the mistake I made of assuming many issues detailed with this camera are user-error. Frankly - much of the time poor reviews are written by people that either have unrealistic expectations or do not understand how to use the product. That is not the case for this review.

My Expectations: A dependable point and shoot camera that simply works well. Exposures should be passable, focus should be relatively fast and accurate, shot to shot time should be within the realm of reason. I own and use a DSLR, so I'm not looking for a camera that I can use for my professional work, nor do I expect it to perform like a such a camera.

My Experience: With the exception of the first item in that list and one or two other things, my experience with the L15 has been extremely poor. Here's how it lays out:

The (relatively) good first:

Image Stabilization: The L15 has optical image stabilization and it actually works well. Yea.

Startup Time: Quite good actually. I pick it up, turn it on, and it's ready to shoot without waiting too long. My last Nikon (Coolpix 4600 as I recall) was much worse in this regard and there is nothing worse than a camera that you carry for those spur-of-the-moment shots that takes so long to start up that the moment has passed. At least this is not true of the L15.

Exposures: Average. Handles white balance and exposure about as well as any other camera in its class.

LCD: Nice 2.5 inch display, though it washes out pretty badly in sunlight. Most do though, so that's common. I'd rate this one worse than average in sunlight.

Stop-Action Movies: Very neat stop-action movie mode to make animated film. Takes patience, but it's fun. Unfortunately you can't delete an individual frame so if you make an error your whole film is shot. (Caveat: this wasn't a huge deal for me, so I might be mistaken about the ability to delete a frame - I was unable to figure it out or find it in the manual and decided to return the camera before investing any time in searching the web for a work-around). Downside here is the awful focus system that detracts from the fun of filming (see below).

Other: It's small enough to carry easily, and uses AA batteries. A requirement for me in a point and shoot.

Now the bad:

Shot to shot time: this has been written about repeatedly. The amount of time this camera takes to write photos to the card is ridiculous. It can range from 3 or 4 seconds to over 5. This is WITHOUT the flash. Using the flash, it can climb to over 10. Absurd. And the annoying hourglass on the display just rubs it in. It can take so much time to write shots to a card that it's just pointless to even consider taking a series. Since there's no optical viewfinder you can't even set up your next shot while you wait. Completely unacceptable. Now, you might think it doesn't sound so bad, but believe me: the first time you are waiting around like a dope holding a brick while your shot disappears you'll think differently.

Auto Focus: Slowwwwww. Can take a ridiculously long time to find focus, and often just can't at all. Grinds away, creeping towards focus, then can't lock. No real rhyme or reason to why it's good or bad in any situation: the lighting can be great or it be low enough to require the focus assist, it still just WON'T focus sometimes. And I'm not talking about focusing on something with no contrast or no image information like a flat wall. I'm talking about a photo of people sitting at a table, taken from a reasonable distance, and it just can't focus. No manual focus ability means you are just hosed: you have to move around, try different zoom depths and angles until it can find focus. Seriously the worst auto focus system I have personally used in any digital camera, and I've been shooting digital since 1997 and have owned well over a dozen cams.

Flash: Double flashes every time, in any flash mode. Really weird.... This isn't when it's set to red-eye reduction - it's ALL the time. Pre-flash followed by flash. So people look away or blink just in time for the actual photo. Others have posted on this.

Synopsis: The bad far outweighs the good on this camera. All the things that really matter in a point and shoot fail miserably with the exception of startup time and image stabilization. Using this camera in real life situations is an exercise in frustration to say the least, and I can't imagine having to keep using it without at some point hurling it into a wall in frustration.

I'm returning it and getting the Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom for the same price (as of this writing, $140). The focus is faster and more accurate, shot to shot is faster, it has image stabilization, and my experience with Canon Powershots has been good thus far. I'm hopeful I'll have a better experience. In the same price range I was also considering the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7S 7.2MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) which has a wonderful 6x optical zoom, but decided on the Canon for reasons I'll outline in another review.

If you are dead-set on this cam, I urge you to try it out at a local store before buying it. If you can't I'd advise looking elsewhere unless you love to be frustrated.

Another really well done and documented review is here:

http://www.cameras.co.uk/reviews/nikon-coolpix-l15.cfm

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great pictures, slow shutter., December 30, 2007

By 

M. Keefer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nikon Coolpix L15 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

The Good:
The camera takes great pictures with vivid true color in many different lighting conditions. Image stabilizer works great, I've taken many zoom and low light shots with no blur. In a low light restaraunt, I was able to take clear, sharp and non-noisey pictures with no flash.

Camera has many scene selections and settings as well as a simple point and click mode so it can take good pictures in most conditions.

The L15 has a larger than normal screen for this type of camera that is very clear and bright. Very impressive display, have received may comments about it.

Video quality is very good for a small digital camera. Looked smooth and decent even when played back full size on a laptop disply and a TV.

The Bad:
As others have commented, the shutter speed is slow. It took me several attempts to get a decent picture of my three year old. She would blink or move in the period of time between pressing the shutter release and the camera taking the actual picture. The delay is far less with no flash but it still creates a challenge getting a pictures of kids or capturing quick moments.

After taking a flash picture, you'll need to wait a couple/few seconds before taking the next shot. I didn't find this to be a very big deal, it has never tken more than a few seconds but some may get annoyed with it, as you can read with other reviewers.

Overall:
I think the L15 is a great bang for buck digital camera. I purchased it mostly to take pictures on a trip over seas where I will primarily be taking the usual shots of scenary and people standing in front of scenary so the slow shutter is not a big deal for me. I wanted an inexpensive small digital that took good pictures in various conditions and I'm very satisfied with this camera.