The new resolution high bar for compact digital cameras has been set at 12.1 megapixels – and the Nikon Coolpix S700 is up to the challenge. Along with a high resolution, the S700 has a stabilized 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and automated modes. This pocket digital camera can take images that can be printed poster-size, but it also has a poster-size price tag of $379.
With 12.1 megapixels, the Nikon Coolpix S700 sits at the top of the trendy Coolpix S-line. The camera outperforms the less expensive Nikon S510 in most image quality categories, sporting good color and white balance accuracy, and excellent resolution. On the downside, the S700 suffers from extremely high noise levels at ISO 1600 and 2000, which makes for grainy images, limiting its usefulness for low light photography where these high sensitivity settings are used. Additionally, ugly noise smoothing, which ruins fine details, is evident even at lower ISO speeds. The S700's high resolution is in part to blame for these problems, and shows that cameras with incredible resolution sacrifice low light performance and dynamic range.
The high resolution is the main draw on the Nikon S700; its components are just ordinary. The 2.7-inch LCD is the best component with its 230,000-pixel resolution and extremely wide viewing angle, perfect for showing off your images to a group of friends. There is also a powerful flash unit, but it casts a bright spot in the right half of the image and sometimes overexposes subjects.
Rounding out the components is the 3x optical zoom lens with its equivalent 37-111mm range. This is narrow compared to the competition. For instance, the Panasonic FX100 has a 28-100mm zoom range, which provides a much wider angle than the Nikon. The Nikon Coolpix S700 pairs an optical image stabilization system with its lens, which reduces blur in images. However, it doesn’t work in the Movie mode where photographers could use it to eliminate the bumps from shaking hands.
The Movie mode should be avoided anyway. There is a lag when starting to record a video and when the video stops, the audio cuts off about a half-second before the image does. Movies look good when lights are bright, but forget about it in low light. Along with the Movie mode, there is a Program mode and 16 Scene modes. There is a help guide that explains the function of each exposure mode and option in the menu: this is very useful for beginners.
The S700 includes an updated face detection system that can recognize up to 12 faces at a time and has an ISO range from 64-2000, all at full resolution. The 3.5 x 2.1 x 0.9-inch slim camera has flat surfaces that are great for shoving in a pocket but awful for handling; the camera feels like it could easily slip out of your hands. Users can quickly glide through menu options with the rotary dial, a control that few digital cameras have but is very ergonomically friendly.
The 12.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S700 has okay components, a set of automated modes, and a few interesting features. It even outperformed its predecessor, the Nikon S500, and its less expensive sibling, the Nikon S510, in every test we put it through in our imaging lab. But the S700’s $379 price tag is simply too high when competitors are releasing similar models for less.
For a more in-depth review, visit the Nikon Coolpix S700 Review at our partner DigitalCameraInfo.com
