Besides preset white-balance options and exposure compensation, the Coolpix L2 has no manual controls. Picture-quality options are limited to size (in megapixels), with no choice of compression, ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, or aperture, nor does the camera indicate the settings it's chosen.
Despite the Coolpix L2's simplicity, image quality is surprisingly good. Shots have pleasing colors, although automatic white balance bleaches beige walls and curtains white. Test images are mostly sharp and crisp. The Nikon L2 has solid macro capabilities, although it's tricky to get the subject in focus; at wide angles, the camera is frequently unable to focus. We noticed occasional purple halos along high-contrast edges, but the camera did a decent job of preserving highlights and shadows.
Performance dulls the Coolpix L2's overall glow, however. It requires 4.5 seconds to wake up and inflicts a shutter lag of 0.9 second in the best of conditions. Under the worst, it can take up to 2 seconds between shutter press and image capture. And with the flash active, it hesitates almost 7 seconds between shots.
The extremely bare-bones Nikon Coolpix L2 is a sluggish performer that takes some very good pictures for a budget model. If you want extremely simple, one-button shooting, the Coolpix L2 might be for you. Just don't plan on shooting the kids or pets.
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Nikon Coolpix L2:
