Nikon Coolpix L100 Review

The Nikon Coolpix L100 is all about ease of use and zoom power. It has 10 megapixels and a15x, wide angle zoom lens. In terms of features this is a very basic super zoom model, although it does offer image stabilisation and a 3 inch LCD screen.

The Coolpix L100 will be attractive to anyone who is looking for extra zoom, but would like the most straightforward digital camera possible.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The quality of this shot does not quite match up to that produced by the majority of super zoom digital cameras. Most super zooms are impressive when it comes to picture quality and this camera does not quite hit those heights. With the Coolpix L100 the light areas on the boat give a problem and the camera struggles to bring out full detail. Focusing is not as crisp as I am used to seeing either.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This is a better effort. Taking into account the fact a wide angle lens is inclined to take the edge off focusing the standard here is similar to a lot of digital cameras.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Zooming right in there is a lack of true sharpness again. This is especially true as you move towards the edges of the picture. The level of purple fringing also suggests this could be a problem from time to time when you are photographing reflective objects under bright light.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
Overall I would award seven out of ten for sharpness. This is nothing deeply wrong, but the Coolpix L100 does not match up to the better cameras. How much of a problem this will be to you depends on the size of prints you plan to make and how serious you are about absolute photo quality.

Outdoor Portrait
Moving in closer there are no problems to report. I like the colours produced here and I can see few difficulties with portrait shots in good light.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
There is some shine showing on the face where the flash light bounces back into the lens. Aside from that the photo works well with plenty of detail and the colours are about right.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
With no flash used quite a bit of noise has found its way into the shot. This certainly takes the edge away from the crispness and definition of the shot.

Colours
In my view Nikon digital cameras normally offer the best colours with a very natural look to them. The colours produced by the Coolpix L100 tend to have a harsher look.

Macro
This is a mid range macro shot. As with other photos I have taken with this camera it is good enough, but lacks the true clarity delivered by better cameras. There is a slight blue colour caste produced under the artificial lighting.

Overall
Picture quality is more in line with a basic point and shoot camera then with most other super zoom cameras. Most issues I have found will only be noticeable if you start to make larger size prints.

Shutter delay times were about average, although taking more than one shot while using flash can be slow. Times were 0.4 seconds for one shot and 9.63 seconds for five. With flash on times were 0.54 seconds for a single shot and 24.71 seconds for five.

It took 3.28 seconds to turn the camera on and take the first shot. This is a little slower than standard.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

The Coolpix L100 is based around a Digital SLR camera. The large lens dominates the front of the camera and there is also a grip for holding the camera steady.

72.2 x 109.7 x 78.1mm

355g

Four AA batteries

Nikon has built 44MB on memory into the Coolpix L100. That is enough for between 20 and 25 shots. The camera is compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards.

Click here to save money on SD cards..

Compared with most super zoom cameras the Coolpix L100 is very easy to use.

Ease of use

LCD screen quality

If you are interested in extra zoom, but would like a few more features to get your teeth into try taking a look at the Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ7.

The Nikon Coolpix L100 gives you an option of a long lens on a point and shoot digital camera. The feature set is really cut down to the minimum. This helps to make the camera very easy to use. Picture quality is fair, but if you are looking for something extra there are a number of alternatives around. I think this camera is a little expensive for what it delivers.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menu

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Nikon Coolpix L100