The Nikon Coolpix S500 is a pocket sized digital camera. Apart from its size the main attraction is likely to be its simplicity as it is a straightforward, point and shoot digital camera. It has seven megapixels and a three times zoom lens. It is also one of the increasing number of smaller cameras offering image stabilisation.
Image Quality Nikon Coolpix S500 test shots
On the whole the Coolpix S500 handled my tests quite well. There were one or two instances where the camera was off the pace.
It was able to handle my out door tests well. Focusing when the zoom lens is being used is above average for this type of camera. This is illustrated in my first and third test shots. Both retain good levels of sharpness towards the edges of the shot. The second shot is not so sharp. When the zoom lens is zoomed right out many digital cameras find producing a very crisp photo difficult.
Looking at the first and third photos again I can see that the Coolpix S500 handles sun glare better than most cameras too. Very little detail is lost. The blue lines on the boat in the first photo are also shown in true colour. With the sun angling down on them many cameras show a purple tinge to these colours.
I like the outdoor portrait shot. Perhaps there could be a bit more strength in the colours of this shot, but the picture has a pleasing natural look to it. This is another sharply focused photo.
On the whole I think the colours the camera produces are just about right. They do not overpower you and my test photos are an accurate reflection of how the various scenes looked on the day.
Moving indoors to test for lower light I managed to get some mixed results. For the indoor portrait the Coolpix S500 struggles with focusing and the resulting photo is not as sharp as I would like to see. With the camera positioned closer to the subject for my extreme lowlight test a better, sharper result is achieved. If you are planning to take lots of indoor or general lowlight photos then perhaps you should look elsewhere for your camera.
Likewise I had trouble getting a decent macro shot. The fact is the Coolpix S500 can only focus from 15cm away from the subject. This means that any photo you take is likely to need heavy cropping to produce a shot that looks close in. You are then likely to run into difficulties if you want to print the shot.
When the ISO levels are increased picture quality will fall. This is a very typical scenario. At ISO 400 picture quality is just about acceptable, but as you move higher quality drops away to produce very grainy photos.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.58 seconds and five photos in 10.52 seconds. The time taken for a single photo is slow. With flash on times increased to 1.72 seconds for a single photo and 12.64 seconds for five photos. Again the time taken for a single shot is slow.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: A neat, compact camera. Although nothing really stands out about the design it is a pleasant unfussy camera. You can buy one in silver or a darker gunmetal colour.
Dimensions: 88 x 51 x 22mm
Weight: 125g
Batteries: A rechargeable battery (EN-EL10) is used for power. Both a battery and charger are supplied as standard. Nikon estimate you should be able to take around 180 shots before the battery needs to be charged.
Memory cards: Nikon have built 26mb of storage into the Coolpix S500. I was able to take 22 photos before the storage was full. The camera is compatible with SD and SDHC cards. No card is supplied with the camera.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Ease of use rating: Very Good - This is a pretty straightforward camera.
Points I like:
Easy of use - build quality
Where it could improve:
Indoor shot lacked focus - macro photos - shutter lag
Verdict:
Problems with close up shots and my indoor portrait mean that the Nikon Coolpix S500 falls below the standard of my favourite pocket sized digital cameras. It's a shame because I like this camera overall. Colours are natural and the sharpness of the outdoor photos is above average.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Nikon Coolpix S500 Summary |
| Description: | Seven megapixels and a three times zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 4 |
| Indoors: | 7 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 76 |
| Verdict: | "The Nikon Coolpix S500 is a fairly simple, pocket sized digital camera. Overall it performed well in my tests, but there were one or two areas where the camera does struggle. You should have no problems operating the camera and it has a pleasant no frills style." |
| Review Date: | June 2007 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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