Performance was rather slow in our tests. The Coolpix L6 took 2.5 seconds to start up and capture its first image and 2.5 seconds between images thereafter with the flash turned off. Turning on the flash dramatically slowed that down to 8.1 seconds between shots. If time is money, you'll likely have to triple the price of this camera, at very least, if you plan to shoot with a flash. Shutter lag measured an unimpressive 1.3 seconds in our high-contrast test, meant to mimic bright shooting conditions, and an even less pleasing 3.2 seconds in our low-contrast test, which mimics dim conditions. In continuous shooting mode, we captured VGA-sized images at an average of 1.77 frames per second (fps) and 6-megapixel images at an average of 1.59fps.
With adequate light, the Coolpix L6 can make some pleasing images. Most casual snapshooters will probably really like them. We did notice some fringing but also saw tons of fine detail and were pleased with the camera's accurate exposures. The automatic white balance did an admirable job of serving up nearly neutral images with our lab's tungsten lights. There was a slight hint of warmth, but most people won't even notice. The tungsten preset had about an equal amount of greenish cast, while the manual white balance we set was the most neutral of all. Since we couldn't select specific ISOs, we weren't able to perform our usual battery of noise tests. In field tests, we were able to force the camera to ISO 800, and while there was obvious noise, we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't nearly as much as we would have expected.
While we were not pleased with the inability to select ISO, the Coolpix L6's biggest drawback is its glacially slow performance, especially with flash enabled. If you can get past the fact that you'll have to wait anywhere from 2.5 to 8.1 seconds between shots, and you like the idea of fully automated shooting, the Coolpix L6 could be a good choice. But your best bet is to spend a little extra cash and step up to a faster camera.
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Nikon Coolpix L6:
