Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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193 of 223 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice point and shoot for price, but has drawbacks, March 28, 2008
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).
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nikon Coolpix S210 8mp, April 15, 2008
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.
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84 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great to Carry Around, May 8, 2008
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.
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