Drop, charge, and lose the cords
CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 06/02/2009
- Released on: 04/01/2009
Editors' note: Nikon released a firmware update for the Coolpix L100 that will allow the camera to use rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. The use of these batteries will allow the camera to shoot up to 600 photos on a single charge. The update also adds an NiMH option to the camera's setup menu. This added feature changes the camera's overall rating from 6.4 to 6.6.
A majority of megazoom cameras--at least those styled like digital SLRs--have advanced features such as shutter speed and aperture-priority modes, bracketed shooting, and electronic color filters. They also usually carry price tags upward of $300. Nikon took its budget-friendly megazoom--the Coolpix L100--the other direction by limiting shooting options and setting the price below $280 offering up a purely point-and-shoot experience with a wide-angle 15x zoom lens on front. Unfortunately, it seems the quality of that lens as well as one major handicap keeps the L100 from being a better low-cost megazoom option than it is.
| Key specs | Nikon Coolpix L100 |
| Price (MSRP) | $279.99 |
| Dimensions | 4.3 inches wide by 2.8 inches high by 3 inches deep |
| Weight (with battery and media) | 15.8 ounces |
| Megapixels, image sensor size, type | 10 megapixels, 1/2.3-inch CCD |
| LCD size, resolution | 3-inch LCD, 230K dots |
| Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length) | 15x, f3.5-5.4, 28-420mm (35mm equivalent) |
| File format (still/video) | JPEG/AVI |
| Highest resolution size (still/video) | 3,648x2,736 pixels/640x480 at 30fps |
| Image stabilization type | Mechanical and electronic |
| Battery type, rated life | AA alkaline (4), 350 shots |
The L100 is reasonably compact for a wide-angle megazoom camera, though it's clearly far from fitting in any small pockets. The handgrip is big and comfortable and the control layout is straightforward (almost generic). On top is a power button and shutter release surrounded by a zoom ring. On back is a standard four-way directional pad with Shooting mode and Playback buttons above it and Menu and Delete buttons below. The menu system is basic with a tab for mode-specific shooting options and another tab for system settings--both accessed with one press of the Menu button on the same screen.
There is no viewfinder. You'll have to rely on the LCD for framing shots, which was bright enough for use in direct sunlight. If you use a flash at all, the one on the L100 has to be raised manually. The raising part isn't the issue, though. It's that unlike most point-and-shoot cameras, the L100 won't tell you when to use the flash unless it is raised. However, a bigger problem with the camera's design is that it can't be used with rechargeable AA batteries; only alkaline or lithium cells can be used.
| General shooting options | Nikon Coolpix L100 |
| ISO sensitivity (full resolution) | Auto (80 to 800) |
| White balance | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Manual, Flash |
| Recording modes | Auto, Easy auto, Scene, Sport Continuous/High sensitivity/Smile, Movie |
| Focus | Face priority, Center |
| Metering | Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Color effects | Standard, Vivid, Black & White, Sepia, Cyanotype |
| Burst mode shot limit (full resolution) | Seven photos |
In case there was any confusion because of its design, the lack of shooting options on the L100 makes it clear that this is nothing more than a simple snapshot camera that happens to have a long lens on front. It's best suited for users who intend to leave everything in automatic. Nothing drives this point home more than the near complete absence of control over ISO sensitivities--it's automatic all the way. The only exception is the High Sensitivity mode, which fixes the ISO to 720 and higher and lowers the resolution to 3 megapixels. If you're in Auto mode, you can adjust white balance and light metering, and there is the capability to shoot using different color effects, but that's about it for adjustments. Easy auto is Nikon's scene recognition mode, which makes settings based on what's being shot. If you don't agree with it, you can always drop into Scene mode and pick the one that's best suited for your subject.
Megazooms aren't known for their speedy performance, and while the L100 doesn't buck the trend, it holds its own in all but full-resolution burst shooting. Start-up to first shot is very good 1.9 seconds. Shutter lag is on par with others in its class at 0.7 second in well-lit conditions and a full second in low light. Shot-to-shot speed is an above average 2.1 seconds and turning on the flash only adds 0.2 second to that time. The L100 has two burst modes. One's a high-speed mode capable of up to 13 frames per second for up to 30 frames, but the resolution is only 3 megapixels or less. The other is full-resolution continuous shooting for up to seven photos, which is what CNET Labs uses for testing. That option comes in at a dreadfully slow 0.4fps.
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