Nikon Coolpix S10 user reviews

Pros swiffle body is undisputed! .. sleek design, very unique..

Cons blur a lot, unreliable to use it in the low light conditions, hard to see the lcd under the sunlight, holding this camera to take pics cud be annoying, uncompromised flash

Summary I bought this camera only for one reason .. 10x optical zoom .. that's it,cos there were only 3 compact digital camera on the market that time, the lumix dmc-tz1, kodak v610 (i was bugged by the blurry pics issue for this one) and this camera, the coolpix s10, the one that i picked, for the sake of the nikon's big name. I'm a gig venues junkie .. and had some probs by bringing my dSLR cam cos they wudnt let me in with it, so i need a big zoom in the pocket .. but i was wrong, this S10 has signed a petition letter fighting against indoor low light conditions concert venues. And also, it's like waiting the snow to come to africa just to expect the picture not to get blurry inside the venues. I get embarrased taking pics out of it, cos ppl behind me seemed noticing the pics i took from the lcd turned blurry everytime i took pics. To be honest .. 90% of the pics are blurry taken without flash, even if you change all the settings .. and no use to gain the ISO up to the hill cos it will make the pics even worst .. I'm not a flash kind of guy, and this camera has no compromise on level of flash at all, turns out really bright which is unnatural and u wont be able to make arts out of it. So now i have to find another small camera that can be useful to be my sidekick at the concerts, and this time i guess i have to rest my 10x optical zoom lust and go with an ordinary 3x optical zoom only .. for the sake of the great camera

Anyway .. it's just my opinion, It might be a god and handy for others, but not for me.

You guys have any idea about the reliable camera for the low light conditions and something less blurry? (this is my biggest prob i had so far) I'm interested to get to know better of the fujifilm finepix f30 .. but they said that it has no optical image stabilation, so they overcome it with the great ISO ability to make the shutter works faster. Please help me out to find the substitute for this camera under my preference. Thank you.

Pros Slick design, compact, easy to use

Cons Worthless out doors

Summary On the surface - a slick design - very compact and a tremendous zoom. Shoots a 'true' image. But the camera is a disaster outdoors. The 'reflective' screen makes use against any bright sky (evan a cloudy one) virtually impossible. The user is "shooting blind". Not being able to see the target - kills the great capability of the zoom.

Pros twist lens/body, point and shoot defined, enclosed lens mechanism, much better display than the S4

Cons no manual focus but auto focus works so well I don't miss it, feels a little cheaper in construction than the S4, proprietary batteries VS S4's 2xAA (some may find that a positive given the li-ion increased life)

Summary we'll assume 5 years after release the only people reading these reviews are those enamoured by the unique swivel body design, hence unavailable from anyone else including Nikon, and may be comparing the S4 and S10. I have each, both acquired in minty condition, and there is little to dilly dally about: The S10 beats it handily. The S4 has a dim display unusable in bright light, as it has no optical finder that becomes a bit of a problem, LOL. The S10's is larger and far brighter, still could be better, but far from a deal breaker. Where the real difference is in image quality- Sure you can get a good image with the older S4, but like so many other digitals it's uneven. Doesn't always focus, sometimes too noisy, often blurry in low light or full zoom. The S10 however is uncanny and delivers a razor sharp image every time- in fact a real neat attribute is a predictable <1 second delay in shots you do not do a pre-focus half click on beforehand- this allows you to push the shutter, which always causes shake in most of us klutzes, and gives time while it focuses to steady the camera and center the subject most cameras do not allow. Almost like a 1 second minitimer. Of curse if you are capturing action photos 1 second shutter release is too long but you can then preset focus and it's up to speed with most. I thought I'd miss the manual focus but let's face it, we usually use that to compensate for shortcomings in auto focus in peculiar situations, like through a window or in a moving car. The Nikon S10's autofocus is as good as flawless.
I being a cheap camera buff have been picking up used cameras in thrift stores and on ebay, etc, for a few years, some I play with awhile , some I keep. Comparable cameras I own include Konoica Minolta Dimage Z5 and Z10, and the Nikon S4, the Nikon S10 is the best as far as results, it's a keeper. $25 from AMVETS thrift, Mint condition with case, battery and charger, memory card, and the previous owner left a 5 pound Scottish Sterling note in the pocket of the case for me. Could it be the Gods of Thrift were shining upon me that day?

Pros Compact with swivel arrangement, versatile in any awkward situation

Cons screen is hidden by hand while in use, no manual controls including focusing

Summary I am an amateur photographer who is interested in using fairly large zooms for nature and wildlife photography. Large zoom lenses are very expensive and this camera is very good in meeting my needs. With 10x optical zoom and 4x Digital zoom, you can effectively get 40x zoom (equivalent to 2000mm lens !). I thought 4x digital zoom will be grainy and will not be of any practical use. But to my surprise, with VR (Vibration Reducer), the image is quite satisfactory (for an amateur !).