The ultra-slim Coolpix S1, a 5.1-megapixel camera featuring state-of-the-art technology like the exclusive new Face Priority AF (Auto Focus) feature, enhanced image quality and improved speed, within a smooth, compact design. Along with the line's first, bright 2.5-inch LCD screen, the 3/4-inch thin Coolpix S1 is perfect for the customer who values style and sophistication on par with traditional Nikon performance.Nikon has narrowed the picture-taking process down to three simple steps - turn on the camera, frame the shot & snap the picture. It's that simple! Imagine a camera smart enough to find a face in a portrait shot. Nikon's new Face Priority AF function can do just that when selected through the Portrait Scene Mode. As its name suggests, Face Priority AF ensures that faces remain in focus when shooting portraits by automatically sensing the presence of a human face within the frame and setting accurate focus accordingly. The result is a sharp portrait with the press of a button.Beyond faces, the Nikon Coolpix S1 can also automatically detect and fix red-eye directly within the camera. The S1 detects & corrects red eyes in most typical situations without the need to press buttons or select & highlight the eyes in playback, withhout the hassle of additional software.Nikon's exclusive new D-Lighting function is another addition that can literally turn throwaway shots into frame-able memories. The D-Lighting feature can be selected in Playback mode
1 Top Point and Shoot digital camera - excellent design!
I just got mine on Friday - found one of the few shops around that got one early (the other shop sold all 3 it had in an hour!) - and have been playing with it all weekend. Verdict : Brilliant.
The design is really good - it fits very comfortably in any pocket you have, and despite rumours that the screen would be hard to see in daylight, I haven't had any problems at all with it so far. The start up time is quick enough to whip it out of your pocket and shoot at a party - especially once you disable the intro screen. The zoom works well - and the quality of the photos has been as good as I expected from a Nikon quality camera. The only issue I had was on the very first night I took it out - after downloading the pictures, it seemed every picture had some sort of weird circles on it - after a gentle blow on the lens though, I haven't seen them since - so am guessing it was just some dust on the lens from the factory.
The features are well thought out and easy to use - I was quite impressed by the templates and built in help in scene modes (this is my first Nikon camera by the way) - and the panorama assistant was really well made and easy to use. Also of note, I've found that the flash is incredibly bright and really lit up the dark bar and everyone in the frame - almost too much so.
Make no mistakes though - this camera is not meant for the semi-pro. You won't find all the controls, shutter speed, reliability, etc that you'll find on an SLR. I've read several pre-reviews on this camera that critisize its ability to do complex photography - but at the end of the day - that's not the target consumer for this. It's firmly targetted at the lower end consumer that is looking more for a replacement for APS or disposable cameras - that is, something that is extremely portable, simple point and shoot, but still able to come out with great quality photos. And on that front - it performs incredibly well.
