Nikon Coolpix S6 Digital Camera
Product Features:
- 6.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
- 3x optical zoom; 3.0-inch LCD display
- Wi-Fi capability, offering IEEE 802.11b/g support for wireless photo transfer
- BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the sharpest shot automatically from ten sequential shots
- Powered by lithium-ion battery; stores images on SD memory cards (20 MB internal memory included)
- Ratings: 3.5 from total of 31 reviews
- On sale: $219.00
Product Description
The stylish Nikon Coolpix S6 combines high-quality imaging performance with impressive digital photo sharing technology. The sleek, modern wave design of the S6 Series cameras, along with 6.0 effective megapixels and a 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor ED Glass lens, makes it ideal for the user who wants a camera with added style.
Sharing digital images is easy with the new Pictmotion (TM) function, which allows users to select their favorite images, choose one of five royalty-free, pre-installed music files, or their own choice of music, and automatically produce slide shows with pace and transition selected to match the music and style. Slide shows can be played back with ease on the S6 s 3 LCD, which is viewable for a wide 170-degree angle.
I received this as a gift, which as such was really cool from the friends who gave it to me. This model’s appeal in particular is that it can send your photos to your computer wirelessly, so let me get that right out of the way: you can eventually get it to work, but it saps the battery quickly (and I had two), and more importantly… I just could never get a good picture out of it, so the wi-fi wizardry is for naught.
As a camera… What a disappointment; this applies to most point and shoots: they seem to get many eye catching parameters right, except the important ones. Large LCD screen? Check. Big brand name? Hey it’s a Nikon so it must be good, right? Wi-fi wizardry or some such? Check. Results? Awful.
Whenever you try to get a picture it tries to “think” for you, never relinquishes control… And eventually takes the shot… So the moment you were trying to capture is gone, unless you like having people grin artificially for ten minutes… It tries to flash at the slightest provocation, resulting in those garish “tourist” shots; you can disable the flash but then it’s completely underexposed… Because I’ve always had somewhat shaky hands my shots always came out blurry. The only good point about this camera in particular is its macro mode – with the right lighting, loads of time and even more patience. But right after I lent this camera and one of the batteries was lost, it’s just been gathering dust. What a waste!
But even worse, honestly, is that the experience is bad enough to kill any photographic aspirations, and that’s my biggest beef with this camera and its brethren. I ended up buying a Canon 30D DSLR and that’s been great; while I remain brand agnostic what could I possibly believe from Nikon?
So my advice is simple: If you’re getting a camera for yourself, look at a cheap DSLR, and if you’re worried about the size, look at the Olympus range of small DSLRs like the Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization w/ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Lens or compacts but not point and shoots like the Canon PowerShot G11 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Stabilized Zoom and 2.8-inch articulating LCD, the Panasonic DMC-LX3 10.1MP Digital Camera with 24mm Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)or their equivalent in other brands: You are buying this to unleash your creativity, for which you need to learn and eventually use manual control… No camera, even the ones that cost $8,000 can think better than you. If you’re planning a point and shoot as a gift maybe the person in question would gain more from even just a lens…
Pretty nice overall. Great screen! Good video capability! Works with all Windows, Mac, & Linux just fine via USB. The wifi is annoying to use on the camera, and also is only with Windows I think.
Taking pictures in the evening tends to have blurry results (often I am too close or too far for the flash to be much use.). Also, the flash is somewhat overly “hard” (rather than soft), so I don’t really like how the pictures look with flash.
I wish it was easier to switch between video and photo modes.
Bought this as a present for my wife… works fine as a basic camera with low res video recording as well.
Love the following:
1. Size of the display screen – Ahhmazing!
2. handy – small enough to fit comfortably in pockets/ handbags
3. Simple to use.
Some surprises and disappointments were
1. Never could get the Wi-fi to work
2. Flash pictures taken at night have some white spots – I believe it could be due to the fact that the flash is too close to the lens.
3. While taking videos, the powerful microphone also records the noise of the lens focussing, which can be annoying if shooting in a quiet place without too much ambient noise.
4. Because there is no viewfinder, shooting in bright sunlight is a challenge – or an act of faith – you just have to trust that the camera will get what you want – but cant see in the bright light!
Will not highly recommend.
Enjoy!
I paid a premium for wifi, which has never worked. The software required is buggy and poorly supported. When my Mac crashed while installing the software, the support person (who was not easily understandable) told me to reset my router. Support was a joke. The pictures quality has left me disappointed. I won’t be buying another Nikon point and shoot.
This is the first Nikon I have ever owned, and I am happy to say that I am impressed. I had a Sony cybershot DSC-1, and I used to think the pictures on that were great until I got this camera.
My situation was I brought my Sony to Florida and on the 2nd day, something happened, and the lense went out of focus. Went o some of the “same day repair” places down there to find out that it would be a min of $40 to look at it, and that situation would probably cost a min of $250.
At that point I started looking at what these shops had to offer and I came across this camera. I must admit at first I wanted to ignore it, thinking it was all hype over the great lens, and the wireless ability, but the more I looked at it, and thought about it, I started to get into it, and I will say the pictures it took after we bought it, were amazing.
I have some of the most clear pictures in the parks then I would have ever thought I would get. I would say this is probably the best purchase I have ever made, and even though I paid a little more for the camera then is posted here on amazon, I realize I was in a tourist trap, and he also threw in a 1gig high speed SD card for free…