Nikon Coolpix S4 6MP Digital Camera

[Rob Williams]

Looking for a feature-packed camera that won't empty your wallet? The S4 features a swivel-lens capable of 10x Optical Zoom, a 2.5" LCD screen and even includes rechargable batteries and charger. But does it take quality pictures? Read on..

Discuss the review right here!

[madstork91]

I couldnt find a link to the forum thread in the review rob ;-p

I liked the look of this camera. Im constantly wishing I had one for some things but Im always affraid of being on the other end of one

I like the video features on new cameras and i was wondering if you might be willing to post a video on the site.

[Rob Williams]

I no longer have the camera, and didn't even think to take video. I have the P3 here which would likely take similar video if you want me to do it with that.

I have no idea how the review doesn't have a discuss link. Odd copy/pasting screwed me up there big time.

[madstork91]

so sad on both accounts.

That's a sweet camera for sure. I just recently saw the camera and it really cought my eye. I have an Olympus C740 UZ which also has a 10x optical zoom, but it is really bulky, so that's why this Nikon S4 appealed to me.

It's interesting to see the 10X zoom not looking very clear, are you sure that was optical zoom and not the digital zoom? And the night shots come out blurry because you didn't have the camera still enough. You need to mount it on a tri-pod or something. Any camera will take blurry night shots unless you hold it really still.

Thanks for the review though, I was curious to learn more about this camera.

[Rob Williams]

Glad you liked the review. As for Optical/Digital, I am quite sure that is was the Opitcal, though don't quote me. That review was rather rushed due to deadlines so I ended up overlooking a few things before I sent the camera back.

Future camera reviews will be more in-depth. I plan to make sure things like that are not skipped.

[madstork91]

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

Glad you liked the review. As for Optical/Digital, I am quite sure that is was the Opitcal, though don't quote me.

Had to be done... ;-p

[Rob Williams]

Oh so I spelled a word wrong! There's no built-in spell checker here!

[Jakal]

You offend my religion!

[Buck-O]

When you move beyond 7x or 8x, the zoom bar on the screen turns green to denote that the quality will be significantly lessoned.

From my experiences with useing, and ill go out ona limb here and say, hundreds of digital cameras over the course of my lifetime, the majority of them work in the following fasion...

When the zoom indicator changes color, or moves into a segmented, or greys out box, or makes any other change in movement, or color, or location that does not follow the same layout as the rest of nearfield zoom indicators, there is a high probibility, and likelyhood that the camera has switched to a digital zoom mode.

That said, given the noticible dithering in the photos at anything beyond 5x zoom, i would say its a fair estimate that they are using a digital zoom for anything beyond that.

Where their marketing dept felt that they could say the camera has a 10x optical zoom is absolutely beyond me, because obviously, it doesnt. My only guess is that they are useing optics for focusing in on long range objects, or for focusing on nearfield objects with a tight zoom. Thus still maintaining an "opticaly assisted zoom"...when in actuality, its jsut a focusing mechanism just like every other camera out there of similar quality and features.


Also, for my own personal preference, id like to see rars or zip of the original raw photos. And preferably comparison photos for the differnt levels of photo quality, to compare continuity between the largest, and smallest photo settings. And also a comparison of full wide, full zoom betweenteh various quality settings too, again to see how much the digital zoom will degrade teh image quality in those various situations.

After reading the review, im left with a bit of an empty feeling, that i want to know more about the camera, its capabilities, and what its capable of doing. Granted, im not looking for a digital image solutions camera review with color wheel reproduction flow charts, and grey scale tests, and all that nonsence that no consumer grade camera should be made to endure (and no consumer should ever bother to read), but i still want more technicle insight then what i got. Because the pros and cons kind of left me scratching my head, and the score, while im sure deserving, i really didnt get WHY it deserved it...that make sense?


Anyway, if its any consolation, i will probibly be looking to get a Nikon when i go Camera shopping later this year.

[Rob Williams]

Originally Posted by Buck-O

When the zoom indicator changes color, or moves into a segmented, or greys out box, or makes any other change in movement, or color, or location that does not follow the same layout as the rest of nearfield zoom indicators, there is a high probibility, and likelyhood that the camera has switched to a digital zoom mode.

Aye, fo sho.

Originally Posted by Buck-O

Also, for my own personal preference, id like to see rars or zip of the original raw photos. And preferably comparison photos for the differnt levels of photo quality, to compare continuity between the largest, and smallest photo settings. And also a comparison of full wide, full zoom betweenteh various quality settings too, again to see how much the digital zoom will degrade teh image quality in those various situations.

The camera doesn't take RAW. The P3 review will include more of this though.

[madstork91]

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

Oh so I spelled a word wrong! There's no built-in spell checker here!

huh? I was just quoting you cause you said not too...

< operant defiant.

[Buck-O]

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

The camera doesn't take RAW. The P3 review will include more of this though.

Sorry, perhaps i didnt make myself clear enough.

I dont mean the *.raw format. I mean the picture as its takenoff of the camera, in an uncompressed type of way. I.e. the full 2056x182 or whatever res of photo in jpg, png, bmp, whatever the cameras default "typical user" setting is, avliable in a zip or rar, so you can view the original image without resizing or re-compression through a graphics editing program, like Photoshop.

That make a bit more sense?


Of course, if the camera does offer multiple file formats, it would also be cool to see a tripod set of identicle shots to compare any dithering, or coloration changes that happen between the different formats.

[Rob Williams]

Hehe, I knew what you meant. I just wanted to get you going.

The next review will have original high resolution pictures. The only full size images I have were not planned and came out horrible.

[madstork91]

Techgage: Still in the process of growing and learning.

Maybe you could ask nintendo for a brain age game like they gave to george?