Nikon Coolpix S710 review (red)

None of the 14-megapixel cameras we've tested have been particularly fast performers. It is after all a fair amount of data that has to be stored to the SD/SDHC card memory. But the Nikon is slow all around. Its shutter lag in bright conditions is 0.6 and 0.8 in dim lighting--longer than we like, but not far from the competition. Its time to first shot is a lengthy 3.7 seconds, which then draws out to a full 4 seconds from shot to shot. Luckily, that's so long that adding flash onto it only pushes the time to 4.1 seconds. At least burst speed is average at 1.1 frames per second.

The S710 does have a basic movie-capture mode up to a 640x480 resolution. The quality is OK, but it's disappointing to not find a 720p HD video option and, more importantly, that the optical zoom doesn't work while recording.

If you're looking for a point-and-shoot companion to a dSLR, the Nikon Coolpix S710 is a sound choice--but you'll need to overlook its comparatively slow performance and its limited low-light performance.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Time to first shot

Typical shot-to-shot time (flash)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Shutter lag (dim)

Shutter lag (typical)

Panasonic Lumix FX150

1.9 

3 

2.4 

1 

0.8 

Fujifilm FinePix F60fd

1.2 

3.2 

3 

0.8 

0.6 

Nikon Coolpix S710

3.7 

4.1 

4 

0.8 

0.6 

Canon Powershot SD990 IS

1.8 

3.6 

1.9 

0.6 

0.5 

Samsung TL34HD

1.3 

2.5 

1.7 

0.8 

0.4