Nikon Coolpix S210 Review

The Nikon Coolpix S210 is a pocket digital camera with 8 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. It is available in four colours, black, brushed bronze, blue, and plum.

The Coolpix S210 is one of the thinnest digital cameras on the market at just 18mm wide. So if a true pocket sized camera is of interest to you the S210 could be a camera to look out for.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
I really like the colours in this shot. In fact I find them quite striking. The Coolpix S210 does a good job when it comes to capturing detail in both the lighter and darker areas of the photo. Sharpness is not quite as spot on as some cameras manage, but it is nothing to be concerned about unless you are looking to make poster-sized prints.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
When the lens is used at its widest setting, there is some loss of light in the corners of the photo. In places, there is also a small amount of purple fringing. As with the first photo, this will only become noticeable if you are planning to make extra large prints.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Taking photos from this distance proves to be a hard task for this Nikon digital camera. Focusing becomes softer with the lens fully extended and the scene still away from the camera. Purple fringing also shows up in this shot. Colours remain vivid.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
With the building giving the Coolpix S210 something stronger to focus on the result is better all round. One of the problems I have with a number of Nikon digital cameras is that there is not a multi point focusing option. The inclusion of such an option could help to make landscape type photos more sharply focused from edge to edge.

Outdoor Portrait
I am happy with all three of my portrait test shots. They prove that the Coolpix S210 finds it easier when the subject is closer to it. The outdoor portrait has no problems when it comes to sharpness. The colours produced by the camera are not as vivid as those produced by some cameras and I think this gives the photo a more natural look.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
This picture works well for me. There is plenty of detail in the shot and I prefer it to the indoor portrait taken with flash.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
Again, there are no focusing issues to worry about here. I feel that the flash has lit the centre of the photo more than I would have liked. This leads to shadows being highlighted nearer the edges. This is quite a picky comment though!

Colours
I like the colours and also the brightness of the photos produced by this Nikon digital camera. Although the camera is capable of striking colours they stay on the safe side and do not overpower the shots.

Macro
In terms of the way the macro shot looks, I have no problems. It is a bright shot with enough detail showing. Be aware though that the Coolpix S210 needs to be at least 10cm away from any subject before it is able to focus.

ISO 400 and 1600
At ISO 400, noise creeps in, but this setting may allow you to take shots that would otherwise not be possible. At ISO 1600, noise becomes a much bigger issue. Even in good light it will clearly show even on smaller prints.

Overall
The sharpness issues listed above will only cause you a problem if you are planning to produce large prints. If you are looking for a snapshot camera, the Coolpix S210 should be able to do the job.

No matter how many times I ran the tests I came up with the same result. For the first time I can remember, this Nikon digital camera is much faster for a single shot with the flash turned on than with it turned off.

A single shot without flash took a very slow 1.62 seconds. With flash, the camera clocked an improved 0.58 seconds. Five pictures without flash took 18.93 seconds while with the flash on the time increased to 20.10 seconds.

It took 2.62 seconds to turn the camera on and take the first shot.

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

At 18mm wide this is a super slim digital camera. It has a simple, rectangular design and is available in a number of different colours.

55.5 x 90 x 18mm

220g

Lithium Ion (EN-EL10). Both a battery and charger are supplied as standard. Nikon estimate you should be able to take around 220 shots in between charges.

The Coolpix S210 is also compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards. Nikon have built 52 megabytes of storage into the Coolpix S210. I managed to take 36 photos before the storage was full.

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Ease of use rating : Very Good. One area I never seem to have any complaints with Nikon digital cameras is when it comes to ease of use. Their cameras are well presented and it is easy to find your way around the menu system they use.

Ease of use - small size - colours - brightness of photos

Where it could improve Shutter lag

If you are in the market for a super slim digital camera then it is also worth taking a look at the Casio Exilim EX-S10.

When looking at such a small camera as the Nikon Coolpix S210 it is rare to find perfect photos. This camera does a decent job and is a good snapshot camera for carrying around on your travels.

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