Testing / Performance

The next chart shows the same information with the squares representing the ideal color from the GretagMacbeth chart and the circles representing the colors output by the Nikon Coolpix S2. The closer these shapes are to each other, the better the camera’s color score will be.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of space between most of the circles and squares. The Nikon Coolpix S2 received an overall color score of 6.74, which is not very impressive at all – even for a compact digital camera. Most slim models exaggerate the reds, but the S2 exaggerates yellows and blues and just about everything in between. The Nikon S2 had a mean color error of 9.01; the lower this number, the better, as it represents a deviation from the ideal. Most point-and-shoots over-saturate colors quite a bit and the Nikon Coolpix S2 held true to this by over-saturating 16.2 percent. Overall, the colors reproduced by the S2 are a bit washed out and lack vibrancy as well as accuracy, however, they may be adequate for some point-and-shooters.

**Still Life Scene
**Below is a lovely still life scene photographed by the Nikon Coolpix S2.

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Click on the image above to view a full-resolution file, but beware of the large link.](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=NikonS2-StillLifeLG.jpg)

Resolution / Sharpness*(2.98)
*We measure resolution by recording a series of exposures of an ISO resolution chart at various settings and apertures and importing the files into Imatest Imaging Software. The program recognizes the pixels at work in producing the image after the camera has compressed the file. We compare our count with that of the manufacturers’ and assign a designation of "good" if it’s within 70 percent, "very good" if it’s within 80 percent, and "excellent" if it is within 90 percent of the original effective pixel count on the sensor.

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Click on the res chart above to view full scale image](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=NikonS2-ResLG.jpg )

Since the Nikon Coolpix S2 flaunts 5 effective megapixels on its 1/2.5-inch type CCD, the resultant 2.98 megapixel count following capture and processing doesn’t result well for the user. In fact, this is only 59 percent of the advertised pixel count. This could be due to excessive JPEG compression, while the camera also over-sharpens images within the camera by 13.1 percent. Many photographers like to toy with the sharpening in post-production editing software. However, I doubt any of those photographers will ever own the S2.

Noise – Auto ISO*(4.78)
*While the Nikon Coolpix S2 does offer both automatic and manual adjustment, most users of this camera will opt for the automatic setting. We tested noise levels when the camera chose the ISO itself and it performed adequately, earning a 4.78 overall auto noise score. This is decent news for the point-and-shoot Coolpix S2 user, but they will face problems in low light situations with a limited shutter duration, ISO range, and max aperture.

Noise – Manual ISO*(5.07)
*Most digital cameras should handle noise far better when the ISO is manually selected and the Nikon S2 did not live up to its potential. Below is a chart showing the noise levels produced by the S2 at each ISO speed; the horizontal axis shows the available sensitivity ratings, while the vertical axis displays the resulting noise.

As you can see from the chart above, noise levels were not properly suppressed by the S2 when it reached its max ISO 400 setting, however, at ISO 200 and below, the camera performed well. This means users should expect clean images when shooting outdoors and in profuse lighting, but results will be disappointing in low light situations.

Low Light Performance* (2.0)
*The automatic shutter speed range on the S2 only reaches 2 seconds at its slowest, while the max aperture only opens to f/3.0 at its widest setting. Throw in the camera’s 400 maximum ISO setting and capturing acceptable images in low light with the S2 becomes quite difficult with the S2. We tested the Nikon S2 in the night landscape mode to increase the exposure time and disengage the flash. We shot a sequences of exposures in decreasing light levels of 60, 30, 15, and 5 lux. Two table lamps provide light equivalent to 60 lux. A single light bulb emits about 30 lux. 15 lux is what you’ll get from a soft night light and 5 lux is what you find under your bed.

After a few exposures in the auto mode, it was evident that the S2 wasn’t capturing anything below 30 lux. The images it did get at 60 lux didn’t have the reddish tone that is seen above. So a switch to the night landscape mode added a red hue, but allowed more light into the camera. More photographically-inclined users can also attempt to get better night exposures by manipulating the exposure compensation.

As you can see, all of the charts are quite dark and discolored. The Nikon Coolpix S2 was definitely designed with bright sunshine in mind. All of the pictures are slightly blurry, as the S2 had trouble focusing in this lighting. None of these exposures warranted the Blur Warning that Nikon advertised, which is a little disturbing. And these were shot on a tripod with the ten-second self-timer to avoid camera shake.

**Speed / Timing **
*Startup to First Shot (5.79)
*The Nikon Coolpix S2 takes a ridiculous amount of time to power up. From the moment the lens door is slid downwards, it takes the camera 4.21 seconds to take the first picture. This is very slow, so be sure to have the camera on and at the ready long before any action happens.

*Shot to Shot (9.30) *

In the S2’s continuous shooting mode, it took a picture at an average of every 0.65 seconds. Many point-and-shoots can take 2 or 3 frames per second, but this is okay for the slim models that are under an inch thick.

*Shutter to Shot (7.04)
*Set up your shot and hope it doesn’t move. The Nikon S2 has a shutter lag of 0.48 seconds – and that’s when the battery is full. 

Physical Tour

Front*(7.5)
*The front of the Nikon Coolpix S2 largely so featureless, losing the impression of a that it doesn’t look like a digital camera – until you slide its lens cover open. The Coolpix S2 logo is engraved in the mirror-like metal door, which protects the flash, lens, and AF assist illuminator. Those three features are horizontally oriented, with the rectangular flash sitting to the left and the AF illuminator all the way to the right. The 3x optical zoom lens sits between the two, although it hardly has the appearance of a traditional lens. The tiny opening remains flush with the camera’s surface even when it is zoomed all the way in. Information about the lens surrounds the flash (yep, I think it’s strange too): "Zoom Nikkor ED, 5.8-17.4 mm 1:3.0-5.4." The metallic lens cover slides downward to reveal those features. On the left side of the silver-bodied Coolpix S2 is an embossed Nikon logo.

Back*(6.5)
*All of the camera’s controls are located on the back except for the shutter release button. The 2.5-inch LCD monitor takes up about two-thirds of the back’s surface, all to the left side. Beneath the monitor is a Nikon logo, printed in black. To its right at the top is the tiny zoom control within a depression in the camera body. Below the divot is a cluster of icons and controls – and they initially look intimidating. Below the zoom control and just on the right side of the LCD is the clearly labeled Menu button. To its right is a small LED indicator. Directly below the Menu button and LED is the multi selector, which has icons in all directions from it. At the top is a flash icon; the right has a copy icon; the bottom shows a flower icon representing the macro function; the left shows the self-timer function. In the middle of the multi selector is the OK button to make selections. Surrounding this button is a donut with four dots, one in each of the four navigational directions – this is how you scroll through menus. There are two small circular buttons below the multi selector: the one on the left activates the playback mode and the one on the right is the delete function. At the bottom of this convoluted mess is a black shiny panel with three icons and a button in it. This is the button that selects the modes. The icons light up across the top of the button when they are selected. A camera icon shows green; the scene and movie mode icons show orange.

**Left Side ***(6.0)
*This side is even more featureless than the front. There is nothing to even slide and reveal any mysteries. Nothing at all.

Right Side *(6.0)
*The right side does have a cover that slides slightly to the right and then flips open with hinges on the left. Beneath the door is the slot for the SD card and the skinny lithium-ion battery.

Top*(7.5)
*The top of this Nikon Coolpix has a sleek look and feel to it, with a shiny band running down its center and a matching shiny shutter release button. To the left of the button is an indicator light. The far right corner of the top is hollowed out with a bar; this serves as a wrist strap loop. Above and below the shiny strip are a few holes that serve as the built-in speaker. Just to the right of the strip is the built-in microphone.

Components

Viewfinder*(0.0)
*The 2.5-inch LCD screen acts as the viewfinder, as there is no optical viewing window included. There is 97 percent field coverage while shooting, which is just okay. The worst part of this setup is the poor resolution of the screen: 110,000 pixels.

LCD Screen*(7.0)
*The Nikon S2 is equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 110,000 pixels. The size is impressive, but the resolution is poor. When recording, the screen shows 97 percent of what the lens sees. This is substandard, as most LCDs will give you 100 percent coverage. In playback mode, the screen does show 100 percent of an image. In both modes, image information and selected features’ icons clutter the sides of the picture. This information can be hidden, but it’s all or nothing. The brightness of the monitor can also be adjusted in the setup menu. The menu shows a picture of a girl in a yellow hat. Next to her is a five-step control that can be scrolled up or down to brighten or darken the image.

**Flash ***(5.5)
*Nikon included a fairly weak flash unit that is only effective to about 8 feet. It lights the field evenly unless you use it in the macro mode (then it blows the picture out). The following flash modes are available: Auto, Flash On, Flash Off, Flash with Red-eye Reduction, and Slow Sync Flash. The flash mode is selectable in most shooting modes, although the camera does have defaults for some of the scene modes. For example, the indoor scene mode automatically selects the red-eye reduction flash, but still allows the photographer to overrule the system and select a different mode. In general, the flash was not as strong as it should be and slightly too concentrated. For close range portraits, the harsh light will illuminate every pore on the subject’s skin and may not product the flattering result desired.

Zoom Lens*(6.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix S2’s metallic door protects its 3x optical zoom lens from the elements. However, the lens could probably do without the door given its flat position on the camera. The Nikkor 5.8-17.4mm, f/3.0-f/5.4 zoom lens is constructed from 12 elements in 10 groups – and stays within the camera body at all times. The outside cover slides down to reveal the lens, but watch your fingers when you handle it; several times I slid my fingers right over the lens and left smudges on it. The lens is controlled by a tiny toggle on the back of the S2. The zoom is fairly responsive; it’s not the stickiest I’ve handled, but certainly not as smooth as butter. It would have also been nice if Nikon had been able to open the lens a bit more at its max aperture to f/2.6 or f/2.8, to help out in low light conditions.

Design / Layout

Model Design / Appearance*(7.5)
*The "S" in Nikon’s S-series stands for "style," and this is where the line really sets itself apart. The Coolpix S2 is a stylish digital camera, as it is thin and sleek. At first glance, this model reminded me of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 with its sliding cover (perhaps, this was intended). The sliding lens cover definitely has the appearance of a mirror.

Another big selling point of this digital camera is the splash-proof design. The S2 cannot be immersed in water; however, it’s nice to know that a little mist from the ocean won’t damage the camera. The body is built with plastic and metal components and even has a rubber gasket in the battery and memory card cover. The design is surprisingly functional while still remaining sleek and stylish.

Size / Portability*(7.0)
*For a 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.9-inch camera body, the sleek Coolpix S2 weighs a little more than you’d think. Its 5 ounces (without the memory card or battery) give the digital camera some heft. Of course, it really does not weigh that much – your wrists won’t hurt from holding it for awhile, but it is slightly heavier than its sleek look gives away. But the S2 is still built for portability. The sliding door covers the lens, which never extends from the camera body. The flatness of this model makes it extremely attractive to point-and-shooters who just want to whip a camera out of their pocket for a quick shot. There is a wrist strap included, but I would probably put the camera in my pocket before I dangled it from my wrist.

Handling Ability*(5.5)
*The downside of having a completely flat surface is that it can sometimes be difficult to grip. To Nikon’s credit, there is a tiny thumb divot on the back side of the Coolpix S2. But other than that, there’s not much. This camera is made for occasional photographs, not six-hour photo shoots. The buttons on the back are quite small, so if you’re handling this camera, I hope you’ve got feminine fingers.

**Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size ***(5.0)
*As mentioned above, the control buttons are much too small for the average fingers. The zoom control is narrow, the mode button is skinny and almost flush with the camera body, and the multi selector is constructed of a single panel – making it easier to press the wrong direction. I realize there is limited real estate on the Nikon Coolpix S2, but cramming tiny buttons together doesn’t result in a very functional layout.

**Menu ***(7.0)
*Some of the controls – such as flash and macro shooting – are located on the multi selector, but most can only be accessed in the menus. The shooting menu is available in the Auto mode and has the following options: Image Mode, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Continuous, BSS (best shot selector), Sensitivity, and Color Options. When the Scene modes are activated, the shooting menu consists of a huge grid of other scene modes. Users can scroll through all of the scene modes, as well as a few random modes such as the Voice Recording mode and Panorama Assist. The Setup menu is available from the scene and shooting menus. The Setup menu has the following options: Welcome Screen, Date, Monitor Settings, Date Imprint, Sound Settings, Blur Warning, Auto Off, Format Card, Language, Interface, AF Assist, Reset All, Menus, and Firmware Version. The menu options can be selected to appear as text or icons, which is nice. However, live views are few.

As mentioned above, the control buttons are much too small for the average fingers. The zoom control is narrow, the mode button is skinny and almost flush with the camera body, and the multi selector is constructed of a single panel – making it easier to press the wrong direction. I realize there is limited real estate on the Nikon Coolpix S2, but cramming tiny buttons together doesn’t result in a very functional layout. Some of the controls – such as flash and macro shooting – are located on the multi selector, but most can only be accessed in the menus. The shooting menu is available in the Auto mode and has the following options: Image Mode, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Continuous, BSS (best shot selector), Sensitivity, and Color Options. When the Scene modes are activated, the shooting menu consists of a huge grid of other scene modes. Users can scroll through all of the scene modes, as well as a few random modes such as the Voice Recording mode and Panorama Assist. The Setup menu is available from the scene and shooting menus. The Setup menu has the following options: Welcome Screen, Date, Monitor Settings, Date Imprint, Sound Settings, Blur Warning, Auto Off, Format Card, Language, Interface, AF Assist, Reset All, Menus, and Firmware Version. The menu options can be selected to appear as text or icons, which is nice. However, live views are few.

Ease of Use*(6.5)
*It’s quite easy to take a picture with the Coolpix S2; it’s a point-and-shoot. However, if you’re interested in doing more than just pointing or shooting – such as accessing the exposure compensation or changing the USB mode to print – then this probably isn’t the digital camera you’re looking for. Nikon tried to make the S2 a simple camera to use by including help menus and a COOLSTATION dock. Once all the wires are configured, it’s not so confusing either. However, this is not an all-around easy to use digital camera system.

Modes

Auto Mode*(6.0)
*Ironically, the most manual control available on the S2 is offered in the camera’s Auto mode. Within this mode, the exposure compensation, white balance, and ISO sensitivity can be adjusted. The scene modes automate everything according to a specific lighting situation, but the automatic mode is the cover-all. Unfortunately, it didn’t work very well. When I attempted to take pictures of my new favorite subject, my three-month-old. I snapped some pictures and found that his arms were blurry from his constant thrashing, despite the presence of the Blur Warning. Sometimes the warning would appear and other times the S2 would just snap the shot and I’d find the blurriness in playback mode.

Movie Mode*(4.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix S2’s QuickTime movie mode is grainy and not very smooth with its 15 frame per second rate. It does offer three size options of 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120. There is also a time lapse movie option in full resolution. There is a tiny amount of digital zoom in movie mode, but it only distorts the picture even more. Audio is recorded, but it is not of very high quality; there is a constant background noise that sounds like a light wind.

The time lapse movie option is the most interesting feature, but perhaps the most useless too. This feature takes a still image at a selectable 30 seconds, 1 minute, or every 5, 10, or 30 minutes – so it wouldn’t exactly qualify as a real time lapse feature to cinematographers. This mode strings the images together into a movie clip. This mode will be great for watching a worm crawl or making a claymation movie, but doesn’t work well for anything that moves faster than a sloth. Once the S2 is in the time lapse mode, it won’t respond to any other controls. The only way to snap the camera out of this mode is to turn it off and on again. Movies are easy to watch in the playback mode. Users have the same controls as a VCR available: fast forward, rewind, stop, play, and pause. However, there is no in-camera editing of movie clips.

Drive / Burst Mode*(6.5)
*This digital camera has a continuous and multi-shot burst options. The continuous mode shoots about 1.8 frames per second for 6 images before the buffer is filled. The multi-shot mode takes 16 pictures quite quickly and stacks them into one 4 x 4 tiled image file. It looks like an index print. There is also an interval time shooting mode that acts just like the one in movie mode, but it is composed of several still images instead of images strung together into a QuickTime file.

Playback Mode*(7.0)
*The playback mode can be accessed from any shooting mode by pressing the designated playback button. Pictures can be viewed individually, but when you scroll through them the image is fuzzy at first. After a half second or so, the image clears up – although it’s never completely smooth with the poor LCD resolution. Pictures can also be viewed in screens of four or sixteen, depending on how many times you press the wide end of the zoom mechanism. There is a slide show function available, but there are no cool options for fades or wipes or even for how long to play each picture. So for those of you who like the in-camera slide show creativity, keep looking; this isn’t your model. User can rewind, fast forward, pause, stop, and play movie in playback mode. There are no dividing and editing features, like some compact digital cameras have. The Playback menu consists of the following options: Setup, Print set, Slide show, Delete, Protect, Transfer marking, Small picture, and Copy.

Custom Image Presets*(8.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix S2 is built for the audience who will frequent the scene mode options. They are easy to access and easy to use. There are 15 scene modes in all: Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/ Indoor, Beach/ Snow, Sunset, Dusk/ Dawn, Night Landscape, Close up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Backlight, and Panorama assist. The scene modes are laid out on a menu with an image mode option for changing the image size and a voice recording mode, which simply records audio. It does not take a picture with audio like many digital cameras can do. When the user finds anything confusing in the menu, the user can access the Help Guide with a touch of the telephoto end of the zoom mechanism (there is a question mark icon by it). The Help Guide explains each scene mode. For example, the Copy mode’s explanation is, "Take sharp pictures of printed text or whiteboard drawing." The Help Guide is a nice feature, as is the framing assists in some of the scene modes. The Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, and Sports modes all have selectable framing assists that appear in the form of yellowish translucent lines in elementary shapes. For the portrait, you frame the subject’s face in the circle and shoulders in the rounded rectangle. It’s a very simple setup, but it will help novice photographers compose their shots. The much-talked-about Face Priority AF must be selected in the portrait mode to work. The mode is supposed to automatically recognize faces and focus on them for clear portraits. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as well as I’d anticipated. The camera shows a red box around the face when it recognizes it, but it took quite a few seconds to find it. Sometimes the red box would appear on a shoulder or something other than a face. Faces must be shot straight on for this mode to work properly; it didn’t recognize profiles. 

Control Options

 

**Manual Control Options **

There aren’t many manual controls on the Nikon S2. This Coolpix is made for the point-and-shooter who just wants a quick shot without having to adjust the aperture. Users can manually select exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance.

**Focus
***Auto (7.0) *

The contrast detection auto focus system focuses from 1 inch to as far as the lens can "see." In dim lighting, the S2 shoots out a beam of orange light to assist the AF system. There are auto focus options, but they are hidden within the nooks and crannies of menus. The Face Priority AF can be found in the Portrait scene mode menu. It doesn’t work as well as I’d wish. It takes a long time for the camera to find the face to focus on, then only holds the focus as long as the subject is completely still. There is a Continuous AF mode hidden in the movie mode menu. When selected and when the camera is moved, it sounds as if a baby grasshopper is trying to escape from the camera body.

*Manual (0.0) *

There is no manual focus on the Coolpix S2.

Exposure*(7.5)
*Elements that control exposure, such as the shutter speed and aperture, are completely automatic on the Nikon Coolpix S2. Users can adjust the exposure compensation to go as bright as +2 to as dark as -2 with steps every 1/3 of the way in between. There are live views for the exposure compensation, which makes it easy to select and take good pictures right off the bat.

Metering*(5.5)
*This Nikon Coolpix only has one metering mode: the 256-segment matrix metering that is included on most Nikon digital cameras. For users looking to make more precise exposures, a camera that includes a spot metering mode would be a better alternative.

White Balance*(7.5)
*The white balance menu is composed of text and icons and offers live views. Scrolling through the Auto, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, and Speedlight options gives the photographer a good idea of what colors each one will produce. Amazingly, the S2 also has a fully manual white balance mode. And even better, it’s easy to use – so perhaps some of its targeted demographic will learn to use it. Users simply must frame something white, then press the OK button to measure it. The manual white balance worked well, depicting accurate colors in a range of lighting setups.

**ISO ***(6.5)
*Users can allow the S2 to automatically select the ISO sensitivity, or they can manually select a rating of 50, 100, 200, or 400. There are no live views for this menu option, which is slightly disappointing. The ISO 400 rating is also a bit limited by today’s standards. Some point-and-shoot oriented cameras are now including 800 and 1600 ISO options to help out in low light. This would have been particularly helpful to night shooting, given the camera’s f/3.0 max aperture.

Shutter Speed*(0.0)
*Shutter speeds are automatically selected by this Nikon Coolpix in a stunted range of 2 seconds to 1/350th of a second. Most compact cameras have a slightly shortened automatic shutter speed range, but this is ridiculously stunted. It is very difficult to get good pictures in low light when you can only open the shutter for 2 seconds. And it’s very difficult to get action shots when the top speed is 1/350th of a second. Perhaps that’s why my three-month-old’s arms were always blurry.

Aperture*(0.0)
*The Nikkor zoom lens on the S2 has an aperture range starting at f/3 in the wide setting and f/5.4 to f/8.5 in the telephoto setting. Of course, the Nikon S2 automatically selects the aperture.

Image Parameters

Picture Quality / Size Options*(6.5)
*The Coolpix S2 has four size options of 2592 x 1944, 1024 x 768, 2048 x 1536, and 640 x 480. Each size is configured to a specific situation. For example, the 1024 mode is called PC screen and the 640 mode is called TV screen. The highest resolution has two compression settings of High and Normal. The other sizes don’t have that option.

Picture Effects Mode*(7.0)
*There are several in-camera picture effects available on the Nikon S2. Standard color is the default, but there are also Vivid color, Black & white, Sepia and Cyanotype options available. The standard and vivid color options look very similar; the only difference I could see was in the richness of the brown colors in vivid. The sepia and cyanotype look okay, but the black & white is lacking in contrast. I would say that you can just fix that later, but the included software is missing a contrast tool!

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity **
*Software (6.5) *

The Nikon Coolpix S2 comes with PictureProject software version 1.5, which includes ArcSoft Panorama Maker 3 and QuickTime 6. It took my computer about ten minutes to load it– and my computer takes its sweet time doing everything, so it shouldn’t take yours any longer than that. This software is quite easy to use. There is a row of buttons across the top with the following options: transfer, import, print, mail, share, slide show, muvee (yes, this is how it’s actually spelled), burn, auto enhance, auto red-eye, and help. There are editing functions down the right column: brighten, D-lighting, color booster, photo effects, sharpen, and straighten. The cropping icon is just above the photograph. This program is very easy to use, but is missing a contrast tool (which is necessary for this camera’s inadequate black-and-white color mode).

In practice, the red-eye correction feature did not perform as it should. When I uploaded a picture of my son with classic red-eye, which should have been corrected by the in-camera feature to begin with, the PictureProject software only half-fixed the issue. When I hit the automatic red-eye button, only one eye was corrected – leaving my son with a demented one red eye, one black eye look!

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs (7.0)
*The S2 comes with a COOLSTATION camera dock that is chock full of ports, plugs, and the like. This requires an exorbitant amount of wires. The actual dock is a single piece of plastic with holes and metal jacks sticking out all over. The camera sits on top of a USB jack. At the back of the COOLSTATION, there are three ports: USB, A/V out, and DC in. The USB hooks up to the computer or printer. The A/V out connects to the television. The DC in is what recharges the battery and consists of a wire that runs into an AC adapter; another cable connects the AC adapter to an electrical outlet. This does clutter your desk top, but the real estate on the actual camera body remains open and functional.

*Direct Print Options (6.0) *

The included COOLSTATION is required along with the camera to print pictures because the has the USB key. Once the camera and printer are connected via the COOLSTATION, the user must enter the setup menu and select the printer option in the USB mode. This certainly isn’t the easiest method of transfer, but it is not extremely difficult either. Users can print photos one at a time or select a group of images and have them printed all at once.

*Battery (6.0)
*The S2 comes with a thin lithium-ion battery (EN-EL8) that lasts for up to 190 shots. It recharges inside the camera when it is docked in the included COOLSTATION. There is a battery life indicator on the LCD screen. You can tell that the S2 is low on battery life when the LCD keeps shutting off.

*Memory (3.5)
*There are 12MB of internal memory on this camera. Since that will only get you five pictures at full resolution, you’ll want to purchase an extra SD card. The slot sits next to the battery slot beneath a door on the right side (when viewing from behind).

Other Features*(7.0)

Blur Warning –* A shaking hand shows up on the screen to warn you that your picture will be terrible; if you can do without the warning, it can be turned off.

Welcome Screen – You can have the welcome screen depict the Nikon logo, an animation of the Coolpix logo, or a picture of your own.

Date – While every camera admittedly has this feature, setting the time on other cameras isn’t as novel as it is on the S2. The S2 has a tiny map on its LCD and a list of cities in each time zone. You simply scroll sideways and select the city and area of the map you’re in. Easy!

Languages – The S2 can speak your language, as long as it’s German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Swedish, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or Korean.

Auto Off – This digital camera can be programmed to shut off, and therefore save battery life, after 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, or 30 minutes.

*Sounds Settings – *The Nikon S2 has a small portfolio of different sounds. The shutter can sound like the shutter of a traditional film camera, a water droplet, or some sort of strange alien noise. Beeping for scrolling through menus can be turned on and off. All of these sounds can be controlled by the volume, which can be set to loud, normal, or off.

Self-Timer – The Nikon Coolpix S2 has a standard 10-second self-timer.

Best Shot Selector – This function captures images at a rate of about 2 frames per second while the shutter release button is pressed down. The camera then selects the least blurry, best exposed picture and saves it.

Overall Impressions

Value*(4.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix S2 goes for a retail price of $449.95, which is a bit much for a compact digital camera that sports only automatic options and takes blurry photographs. The S2 does offer some nice features such as a 2.5-inch LCD screen, a stylish all-weather body, and 5 megapixels, but the picture quality – which is the most important – just isn’t there. There are much cheaper digital cameras that offer portable bodies and large LCD screens that have decent or great image quality.

**Comparisons
***Nikon Coolpix S1 –* The Coolpix S1 is very similar with 5 megapixels and the same 3x optical zoom lens. The body is still sleek and skinny – it is just a hair thinner and a touch lighter - but there is no sliding door on the front to protect the lens and flash. This camera sports a 2.5-inch LCD screen and 12MB of internal memory. These models share the same automatic modes and guts; their only differences are the design and price. The Nikon S1 retails for $379.95. That’s one expensive lens cover on the S2.

**

• **Fujifilm FinePix Z1 –* This digital camera will be a contender in the pocket-size camera market. This 5 megapixel model is only 0.7 inches thick and quite light at 5.3 ounces fully loaded. The Z1 is built with a monocoque design, meaning that it is formed from a single sheet of metal. This makes the FinePix very sturdy, although not necessarily splash-proof like the S2. The Z1 has a similar sliding lens door that covers the 3x optical zoom lens, which does not extend from the camera body. The Z1 proved to be a fair-weather camera in our testing, as it didn’t do well in low light at all. This Fuji retails for a pricey $450.

• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 –* The T5 almost doesn’t look like a digital camera. This Sony model has a sleek body that looks almost like a cigarette box with a similar sliding lens door. The 5 megapixel Cyber-shot T5 has a similar feature set with a 3x optical zoom lens, 32MB of internal memory, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. Always thinking of style, Sony offers this model in several colors, all at a cheaper retail price of $350. These cameras have similar controls too; everything is automated except the ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation selection.

*Canon PowerShot A95 –*This compact digital camera is one of the most popular models ever put on the market. It has 5 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens like the Nikon S2, but it has a smaller 1.8-inch LCD screen (although it does rotate) and a thicker camera body. For a cheaper retail price of $399, photographers can have 13 scene modes plus even more manual control.

**Who It’s For
***Point-and-Shooters – *Nikon definitely markets the S2 to point-and-shooters who want a stylish digital camera. It is slim and sturdy enough to put in a pocket and includes still and movie modes for on-the-fly shooting.

Budget Consumers – This pocket-sized digital camera is a bit on the pricey end of things at $449.95. Budget consumers may want to look elsewhere for the same features in a more economical body.

Gadget Freaks – Some gadget freaks may get a big kick out of the COOLSTATION and a few interesting features like the time lapse video mode and the time zone date mode, but the lack of control could be too confining for some gadget freaks.

Manual Control Freaks – The Nikon Coolpix S2 is not for you. There is no manual mode and not many manual control options other than white balance.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – The lack of manual control combined with the S2’s inability to produce high quality photographs will probably prevent any pros or serious hobbyists from ever considering this as even a toy for their child.

Conclusion

**Conclusion
**The Nikon Coolpix S2 is built with style in mind, as well as ease of use for the fashion-conscious point-and-shooter. The 5 megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD comes packed in a splash-proof metal body with a 3x optical zoom lens that remains flush with the camera body at all times. The stylish design includes a sliding lens door that protects the lens and flash while providing a nice mirror for your own fashion purposes.

The Nikon S2 has 15 scene modes as well as its generic automatic mode. There is no manual mode and there are hardly any manual controls, although there is a manual white balance setting. The S2 isn’t supposed to have manual controls though; this camera is built for people who don’t want to bother adjusting the aperture – they just want to take great pictures. Unfortunately, even that may be hard with the Nikon Coolpix S2. Many of the photographs I took turned out blurry, even in bright daylight. The image quality obviously isn’t emphasized on this model, as it boasts a lot of features that digital camera manufacturers are flaunting this year. The camera has a large 2.5-inch LCD screen, but its resolution is substandard. It has 12MB of internal memory, but that’s only enough for about ten pictures. It has fancy Nikon technology that claims to recognize faces, fix red-eye, and compensate for poor lighting; however, I found these features a little lacking. The Coolpix S2 does come with a unique time lapse mode for still and video, as well as a nice help guide to aid those point-and-shooters. Retailing for a pricey $449.95, Nikon hopes consumers will be enamored with the S2’s design, because internally, it is just another expensive digital camera with a shortage of manual options and substandard picture quality.

Specs / Ratings

Specs Table
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