Customer Reviews

Nikon Factory Refurbished Coolpix S203SL 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom - Silver

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I bought this camera from Target Stores on Black Friday for $88. Original price was $139 and I think it was a bargain. The camera itself is slim and the buttons are easy to navigate. The camera comes with Li-Ion re-chargable battery USB cable, battery charger and a strap. There is also a Nikon software CD with .pdf manual inside. Unfortunately there is no SD card or a case in the box. This is another $20-25 extra. The camera has very good functions like distortion control, blink control, smile detection. There are auto scene functions like party, indoor, sports, food, etc. photography. I may say it is a good camera if you compare the price. Otherwise, the colors and the sharpness of the images are not as good as a Canon or Sony, but the closest camera to S203 will cost you at least $149. If you are considering a slim and tiny, good-design camera with a lot of options, S203 could definitely be the option. This camera also shoots video images and record sound memos. If you are considered or obsessed about the exposure or shutter speed this camera is not really that bad, even better than Sony. Like all other point-and-shoot cameras this camera takes stunning pictures in day like, but not that strong on low light levels. Auto white balance is good and I have to say better than to use a preset white balance adjustment.
I don't know any other camera better than S203 configuration with this price. But if the price is going to go back to $139, I recommend to add $30-40 and go for a Canon!
Quick Update: After spending 12 hours with the camera and shooting 500 pictures, I have to say that this camera is good for the price but do not expect stunning images both outdoors and indoors. I tried different white balance settings and as I mentioned before quite impressed about it. But when it comes to reds and blues, the camera is not really that good.
Finally this camera is good for purse or shirt pocket to carry or for children. Otherwise do not expect more form this camera.
Quick Update 2: On NIKON USA website I could not find anything about this particular model. There is S230 on the website but not S203. Also there was a coupon for registration inside the box and to apply for sweep-takes the deadline was January 2009 which is 10 months ago as of today. After not being able to find any info about this camera on Nikon website, I suspect it is a low quality model just for Black Friday. I returned it back to Target stores.
Final word: Think twice before buying this camera.

I got this camera as a second camera for my wife to carry it in her purse. This is my FIRST non-canon camera. The Video and Pics came out good and mostly all the pics are all indoors, I hope the camera performs better outside. The controls are not overwhelming and are easy to operate. I just love that the flash is in the centre (you know how a finger can hide the flash screwing up the shot). It is good for $88 and smaller than my blackberry. I would recommend this as a second camera or for children.

Like some of the other posters, I purchased this camera on Black Friday at Target thinking I was getting a good deal. I previously owned the Coolpix L20 and had no problems with this model, so I figured this camera was a safe bet. Boy, was I wrong. Every picture I take is either blurry or off colored. This is the worst camera I have used in a long time. I am heading out tomorrow and returning this piece of garbage back to Target.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced Nikon try the L20. It truly is a wonderful camera. Every picture I took looked professional and I received many compliments on the quality.

I bought this camera on black friday for $88, but returned it. It's very small and easy to use, but the picture quality is very poor - very little detail, color off/not natural, and flash gives orange tint. In general Nikon makes great cameras - this one is not though.

I have owned nikons, and nikon coolpix models in the past which were excellent. However, this is the absolute worst camera I have ever owned.

It is so bad, I wonder if it is counterfeit. It is worse than any cell phone camera I have used. Definitely worse than an Iphone.

I foolishly used it to photograph my sons birthday party. Out of 66 pictures only 4 are ok. The rest are blurry, orange, dark, or washed out. And I was trying to be careful with the photography.

Dont buy it. If you do, save the receipt and the box.

i purchased this as a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law. It has lots of good features for the price, but the end result was disappointing, especially in low light situations (those requiring flash). We compared his pictures (both on the LCD and printed out), to mine that I took with a Canon SD800IS that was over a year old. The Canon pictures were far sharper in both daylight and flash environments. We are returning. We hope that spending $50 more will get us a bump in performance. I have had other Nikon products with no issues - this one's surprising.

If Nikon had one shred of integrity, they would recall the Coolpix S203 camera. After a year of using this camera, over 50 percent of pictures are blurry or out-of-focus. I have yet to take a good picture indoors with this camera. A bad product hurts the entire Nikon line of cameras! Needless to say, when it came to buying a DSLR, I went with a Canon!

I bought this camera at target for a family vacation and it has worked well for the past year but went to use it recently and the lcd screen is blank with a bar running along the bottom. got the replacement plan out and called target replacement service and they will not honor the replacement plan. So when I can replace this camera I will probably get a cannon or a more expensive nikon and will definately be going to best buy who will take any electronic back no matter what has happened to it. For the record they claim we damaged it but it has never been mishandled in any way. They suck.

I received this camera as a gift and it is terrible. I am so disappointed and frustrated. Photos taken outside are OK, but inside photos? forget it. 98% of the photos I've taken with this camera, inside or outside, are fuzzy, blurry, low quality, and/or pixelated. TRUST ME; this camera is not worth the money.

I also purchased this camera on Black Friday from Target like many of the other reviewers. I've used it for several events and for random pictures over the last few months, and while it's definitely not professional quality (who would expect professional quality for an $88 camera?), I'm extremely pleased with it. The pictures I've taken at several concerts have come out crystal clear and with very good details, which while you're bouncing around on the floor in the general admission pit, is no easy feat! I took a video at one show and almost passed out when I watched it the next day, the quality was that good for what everyone seems to think is a cheap piece of junk. The battery lasts for quite a while, and as one reviewer mentioned, it doesn't come with a memory card, but a 2G card is only an additional $20-$25 and well worth purchasing. So while this is not a camera for amateur professionals, it's a very good little camera for every day use. For the $88 I paid for it, it's proven to be an excellent purchase!