Nikon cameras, Nikon Digital Cameras, Nikon cameras—A review, Camera, Nikon Coolpix P5100, Nikon Coolpix S50, Nikon Coolpix S510.

This camera connects a sensor resolution of 12 MP to a Nikkor-branded 3.5x optical zoom lens with optical image stabilization. It has an LCD display measuring 2.5" with a very high resolution of 230,000 and an optical viewfinder, an advantage in trying lighting situations or when you want to go easy on the battery life.

But if you're a shutterbug, you get the full program, aperture, shutter and manual exposure modes, besides also getting 15 scene modes. Hi-ISO and movie modes are also provided. You'll find it to be truly versatile. Add to this its add-on lens converters that include a telephoto and wide-angle lens converters.

It has an impressive body made of magnesium alloy and a good grip. It also has a very thoughtful devised built-in accessory shoe for better support for Nikon Speedlights and advanced i-TTL flash control.

The Nikon P5100 works on a lithium-ion battery, while it stores images on SDHC/SD/MMC cards and an in-built memory of 52MB.

Its specifications are listed below:

Basic Specifications

1.Resolution:- 7.20 Megapixels
2.Lens:- 3.00xzoom (38-114mm eq.)
3.Viewfinder:- LCD
4.LCD Size:- 3.0 inch
5.ISO:- 100-1600
6.Shutter:- 4-1/2000
7.Max Aperture:- 3.3
8:Memory Type:- SDHC / SD
9.Battery:- Custom LiIon
10.Dimensions:- 3.6x2.3x0.8in (93x59x21mm)
11.Weight:- 4.4 oz (125 g)

The Nikon Coolpix S50 comes with a 7.2 megapixel CCD image sensor connected to prism-folded Nikkor 3x optical zoom lenses. It also has a large 3" LCD screen, and offers a reduction in optical vibration which gives the advantage of giving steady shots in low light areas.

It also stands out for its lack of wireless connectivity. But this isn't a big disadvantage as this camera's WiFi only allows you to upload your pictures on a Nikon server instead of transferring them directly on to a PC.

Special Features

1.Resolution :-7-megapixel effective CCD imager
2.Lens :-Nikkor 3x optical zoom lens (38-114mm in 35mm equivalent)
Nikon's Optical lens shift VR (Vibration Reduction) system
3.Viewfinder :-LCD
4.LCD Size :-Bright, 3.0" LCD color monitor with anti-reflection coating
5.ISO :-up to ISO 1600
6.Shutter :-Automatic exposure and 16 re-programmed Scene modes
7.Memory Type :-13MB internal memory and SD memory card slot
8.Battery :-Rechargeable Li-ion battery and battery charger included
9.Body :-Compact, durable and lightweight

Other features:

1.QuickTime 640x480 @ 30fps movie mode w/sound, length limited only by memory card capacity
2.Built-in flash with auto, fill, slow sync, and red-eye reduction
3.USB connectivity, PictBridge direct-print compliant

The Nikon Coolpix S510 features an 8-megapixel CCD connected to a Nikkor-branded 3x optical zoom lens with VR optical image stabilization. It has a 2.5" and 230,000 pixel LCD for framing and playback, but no optical viewfinder.

Special features: Like the Nikon S510, it has:

D-Lighting to enhance darker images and so show better details

Best Shot Selector mode which takes a number of shots and allows the camera to pick the best one and delete the others

Red-Eye Fix which eliminates any traces of red-eye in your pictures

Face-Priority AF which automatically focuses on faces

Other features:

1.ISO range of 64 to 2,000
2.52MB of built-in memory
3.Secure Digital slot compatible with the latest SDHC cards, USB and NTSC/PAL video connectivity
4.Its power source is a custom rechargeable lithium-ion battery and comes with a charger

You can use this camera specially for:

Image quality. The quality of images here is very good. In fact, if you know how to use noise reduction software, this camera can give you superlative results.

Performance. It has a slightly better startup time of 1.9 seconds, complemented by an above average full auto focus shutter lag at 0.68 to 0.70 seconds.

Multi-coated zoom lens. This camera has a multi-coated 3x optical Nikkor zoom with five elements comprising five groups. Its aperture ranges from f/2.8 at wide-angle to f/4.7 at telephoto with a range of 35mm to 105mm in 35mm equivalents.

With its Vibration Reduction (VR) technology, you can hold the camera even at shutter speeds of under 1/60 second. And you can set VR with Response Priority. With Macro mode, you can get within 5.9 inches of your subject.

Record modes. Once you spin the Navigator dial, you can view and access Auto, Scene modes, Movie mode, Hi ISO, Voice Memo and Setup.

Shooting modes. This camera has six Shooting modes which include Auto, Scene, Voice Recording, High Sensitivity and Setup. Scene mode includes Portrait, Night Portrait, Landscape, Night Landscape, Close Up, Party/Indoor, Fireworks Show, Sports, Beach/Snow, Dusk/Dawn, Sunset, Museum, Backlight, Panorama Assist and Copy.

Playback modes. These include Play, Calendar, Audio Playback, List by Date and Setup.

Quick start up. It starts up and shuts down real fast. It also has a fast shutter.

Compactness. It's so small it can fit into your shirt pocket, camera bag or coat pocket.

Smart look and good feel. It is compact, small in size, has metal boxes. It is light and compact.

Point and shoot shots. Use this camera for point-and-shoot shots or if you are shooting at a badly lit venue.

No need to use flash. To get shots in low light, you don't have to use the flash. Instead, use the combination of high ISO sensitivity and a vibration reduction lens.

Large size. It is large enough to not only compose but also evaluate images.

 

Top of the camera. Here, it has a large shutter button and a compact Power button with a green button for LED and a small speaker grill.

Bottom of the camera. It has a tripod mount, cover for the locking compartment cover, SD card in front and a battery.

Big LCD, few controls. It has Menu, Navigator with EV, Flash, Macro and Self-Timer options, apart from Zoom, Playback, Mode and Trash.

Versatile in different lighting. It adapts to difficult and different lighting situations.

Icons. On a single screen, it has all icons and their text descriptions.

Button interface. Its interface has barely a few buttons.

Flash. It has a faster than average flash cycle time, which needs just 5.7 seconds to recharge the flash. The fact that this camera is lighter than others is also an advantage here.

Zoom Range.  It has a unique digital zoom range of 35mm to 105mm to 4x.

Shooting. This camera adjusts very well to different and fluctuating lighting-whether you shoot in an exhibition hall or fancy restaurant or under water.

High ISO. The Nikon Coolpix S510 uses a high ISO setting of 1,600, much more from the auto range of 64-1,000. But you can also manually select ISO 2,000. If you want to use the really High Sensitivity Scene mode, the ISO is set to 1,600.

If you need to use ISO 2,000, select it manually from the ISO menu. However, you can also shoot at the maximum resolution provided by the sensor.

This high definition camera can display your images in the order in which you shot them and sort them datewise. You can also choose a particular date from a calendar to find the date you want and the photos you shot.

 

Storage and Battery. The Nikon Coolpix S510 is powered by an EN-EL10 3.7 volt 740 mAh lithium-ion battery to give you 170 shots. But if you use its high ISO option, you can get over 200 shots per charge. It comes with an AC adapter (EH-62D). This camera stores images on SD/SDHC cards with 52MB of internal storage.

Good movie quality. The quality of the movies here are of good quality because here only digital zoom is available in Movie mode. But since you cannot start a shot zooming in, you have to use the digital zoom to a full 4x. To begin, use Movie mode and then use digital zoom. This means you always begin at wide-angle which is a big limitation and drawback.

Movie mode comes with two more options: With the Time-Lapse feature, you can capture photos at already determined intervals that are united in one 640 x 480 movie at 30 fps. The other feature, Stop-motion, allows you to shoot the Nikon S510's shutter whenever you like and line up your 640 x 480 images in a movie format which you can play at 5, 10 or 15 fps.

Basic Specifications

1.Resolution :-8.1-megapixel sensor
2.Lens :-3x optical zoom Nikkor lens (35-105mm 35mm equivalent)
3.Viewfinder:-LCD
4.LCD Size:-Bright, 2.5-inch LCD with 230,000 pixels
5.ISO:-64 to 2,000
6.Shutter:-1/1,500 to four seconds
7.Max Aperture:-f/2.8
8.Mem Type:-SDHC / SD
9.Battery:-Custom lithium-ion battery