bergsa's Full Review: Nikon COOLPIX S1 Digital Camera
I bought the Nikon S1 about a month ago. I've used it on the (infamous) family vacation to Mt. Rushmore and the 4th of July parade/fireworks, both with great results.
Its main advantage is size. The best camera in the world is useless if you don't have it with you, and being truly pocket size make that a non-issue.
Picture quality is very good. 5 megapixel is plenty for candid shots that will never make it past a postcard size print.
I like the completely internal lens. There's nothing to bump or bend, even in telephoto mode.
I use a 1 gig SD card, so I leave it on the lowest JPEG compression. Image quality is very good up to about 400% enlargement. Uncompressed is not available, but it hasn't been an issue.
There are many operating modes. The 4th of July led me to use Fireworks which is a slow shutter speed that made the bursts come alive by showing streaks. Sports-multiple was also nice. It takes a rapid series of small images and makes one large photo; a time lapse of fireworks is very interesting.
The movie mode (.MOV files) is OK for making web clips, but not for critical movie shoots. Think of it as a convenience, not a key feature.
Focus can be slow, especially in low light. It's easy to shake the camera, a common shortcoming in this size. Using a big tripod looks ridiculous, but it's needed for some shots. I wish it had a remote shutter release so that I could set it on something and not touch it for a shot.
The only time no viewfinder bothered me was in bright light when the display got washed out. Any other time I found "what you see is what you get" to be an advantage. Images are MUCH sharper than its display can show.
Based on my kids and I taking hundreds of pictures, I'd buy it again.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 375 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
5-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints 3x optical zoom with Zoom-Nikkor lens; 2.5-inch LCD display Exclusive Nik...More at Amazon Marketplace
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