Nikon Coolpix L19 Review

The Nikon Coolpix L19 is an entry level digital camera. It has 8 megapixels and a 3.6x optical zoom lens. It has a very basic set of features and this helps to make the Coolpix L19 very easy to use. It has a good sized, 2.7 inch LCD screen.

If you are looking for an extremely straightforward camera that can be relied upon to take a decent picture for a fair price then this camera is difficult to beat.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
For all my outdoor scenic shots I have taken with the Coolpix L19 I have used the Landscape scene mode rather than the fully automatic shooting mode. In the past I have been disappointed with sharpness of my outdoor photos taken with cameras in this part of the Nikon range, but using this setting has had quite an effect on the sharpness of the photos.

As well as the sharpness of the shot I am also impressed by the colours the camera has captured. Many models produce a noticeable purple tinge when looking at blue lines on the boat. Here they remain blue. The only negative point about the shot is the loss of detail on the white slats under the roof of the building. This is caused by sun glare.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
On the whole I am happy with this test shot. Focusing and definition are inline with what I expect from a camera in this price bracket. In fact the scene is sharper than many similar digital cameras manage. My one concern is the dark areas creeping into the corners of the shot. This is something that is only likely to occur when the lens is zoomed out. I have noticed this issue with other Nikon digital cameras and there is little that can be done to overcome the problem.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Staying with the Landscape setting sharpness looks good with the lens fully extended. There is plenty of detail showing in this example. Nikon have a knack of using the light to produce vivid photos.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
My final outdoor test shot confirms the Coolpix L19 is able to produce sharp photos. There has only been minimal fall off in sharpness towards the edges of my shots. For a cheaper model the camera has performed well so far.

Outdoor Portrait
I really like this shot. The colours are spot on. They give the photo a lift, while retaining a natural look. Focusing is sharp too.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
This is another good effort. The flash lights the photo evenly and is subtle enough to let the colours through.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
There is a small amount of noise that shows up in this shot and stops it from being perfect. I think you will need to use flash for most indoor shots taken with the Coolpix L19 or at anytime when the light starts to fade.

Colours
Nikon is one of my favourite brands when it comes to colour and lighting as well. The colours are vivid, but do not overpower.

Macro
You should be able to take good quality macro shots with the Coolpix L19. They are not going to be on par with those taken by considerably more expensive digital cameras, but the camera should be able to cover simple close up snaps.

Overall
Taking the price tag into account the Coolpix L19 does its job well. If handles most situations and is a good all round camera.

Shutter response is not instantaneous, but the Coolpix L19 posted good times for a low priced camera. A single shot took 0.31 seconds and five took 8.1 seconds. Flash slowed the camera to 0.59 seconds for one shot and 14.59 seconds for five.

Cheaper cameras have a tendency to be on the slow side to turn on and take the first picture. The Coolpix L19 was around a second slower than average at 3.9 seconds.

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

The Coolpix L19 is not the most elegant digital camera. It has a plastic body and is on the large side for fitting into a pocket.

96.5 x 61 x 29mm

130g

Two AA batteries

I was able to take 8 photos before the 20mb built in memory was full. The camera is also compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards.

Click here to save money on SD cards..

Very good. In fact this camera gets 10 out of 10 for ease of use. Part of this is down to the small number of features you can change, but if you are looking for simplicity you will find it hard to better the Coolpix L19.

Ease of use - colours - picture quality

Darkness can creep into corners when the lens is zoomed out

Other good quality entry level digital cameras include the Canon Powershot A480.

The Nikon Coolpix L19 sets out to be an easy to use snapshot digital camera and it does it very well. You will be hard pressed to find a digital camera any easier to use than this one. My test shots worked well, but be prepared to utilize the built in scene modes for best results.

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 L19