Nikon Coolpix S1

Posted 10/21/2005 at 9:47am | by

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While its dimensions are almost identical to the S500, the Nikon S1’s slightly thicker body makes it feel less like a “spy camera.” This isn’t a knock, certainly, as the S1 is still plenty small—you’ll have no problem stashing it in your pocket or handbag.

The internal, very quiet, Zoom-Nikkor 3x optical lens produces very good overall image quality with nicely saturated colors in both indoor and outdoor shots, as well as balanced exposure. We did see a bit of barrel distortion in images shot at wide angle, and just like every compact camera we’ve tested, noise became noticeable at ISO 400. (Though, again, not at an alarming level for a camera in this category. And ISO 200 shots appeared slightly better than with the S500.)

Like all the cameras in this roundup, the S1 has the traditional automatic exposure mode coupled with a variety of scenic modes to fit most any occasion. And it has an excellent macro mode—able to shoot subject matter as close as two inches to the lens.

In terms of raw shooting performance, the S1 is on par with the S500, with the added ability to shoot in continuous mode, which was very speedy for a camera of this size and delivered impressive results. One downer is that the LCD displays the last image captured, even in continuous mode, which can make it tricky to follow a moving subject. As is becoming common these days, the S1 doesn’t have a traditional viewfinder—it relies 100 percent on the 2.5-inch LCD. Fortunately, the LCD is quite serviceable for composition, even in bright sunlight and indoor conditions. (An auto-focus assist lamp helps in low-light situations.)

Unfortunately, the position of the internal zoom lens (upper-right corner of the body) makes it very easy for your finger or a shadow from your hand to make it into shots. Though with practice this should be less of an issue. All in all, the S1 is another solid choice for a general-purpose, compact camera.
--Steve Klett

Verdict: 8

+ Cool Cucumber: Small, lightweight, durable construction. Speedy continuous shooting mode.

- Melted Ice Cream: Too easy for your fingers to spoil a great shot.

URL: www.nikonusa.com