Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Nikon coolpix S9700

May 19, 2014 9:01AM PDT

Thinking about getting my Granddaughter this camera as a Graduation gift.
From what I could find it only has a couple complaints on it.
One being the battery life on it is not all that great the second being the wireless feature is next to impossible to setup. I have looked at the manual online, but it's pretty hard without the camera in front of me.
Has anyone here used this camera? if so what is your opinion of it.
She is fairly knowledgeable about computers, electronics and such and if it says it has a wireless feature that she can't get working, she would not be all that happy.
The battery thing is not too concerning because she can always pick up a spare battery.
Here mother said when ever she looks at cameras it's always the Nikon brand that's why this camera.

Thanks

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
No matter if it had a day long battery
May 19, 2014 9:06AM PDT

Folk would want it to go for a week. As to wireless setup, as folk install firewalls and more this means that beyond the stock setup folk with security suites installed get to poke holes in the firewall and more.

Let me be clear I don't think it's all that hard but I wrote code for routers in the early 90's.

I wouldn't let these items dissuade you. http://www.cnet.com/products/nikon-coolpix-s9700-digital-camera/ (review) seems nice enough.
Bob

- Collapse -
Thanks, Bob
May 19, 2014 11:13AM PDT

She will be going on a trip to DC, NYC and Philadelphia and would want to couple up the camera to her Droid cell phone to send pictures to her friends an family back home while she is on the fly.
I know Google has the app from Nikon for her cell phone so I assume it would be a ad hoc setup, but really can't find much on it.
Looking at the price of the batteries and charger, I could send her 2 spare batteries and a extra charger so she would be covered for a full days shooting unless she decides to do a lot of 1080p videos.
I like everything about the camera other than that.
Will keep looking. Still have 15 days to sort it out.

- Collapse -
Small world.
May 20, 2014 12:23AM PDT

I'm working with the office on a WiFi transfer app and Adhoc is not supported in the current Android OS. Infrastructure and WiFi Direct is however. If Nikon has an app I'd be asking a lot of questions about this one.

Let me also share we have the EyeFi card and it can do what you asked without Adhoc. So it is possible today to get it to work but not use Adhoc. Setup was documented and I didn't think it was too onerous.

My old Canon T3i gets days on a charge and I carry a charged spare just in case. Never had to swap batteries. Find other reviews to see how many shots on a set of batteries.
Bob

- Collapse -
Answer
Nikon S9700
May 20, 2014 12:05AM PDT

This camera has a GPS (global position system) and if you keep the GPS turned-on all the time it shortens the battery life by half.
It is better to use GPS only when necessary.

All cameras with GPS suffer from shorter battery life.

..

- Collapse -
Thanks Snapshot2
May 20, 2014 12:34AM PDT

After reading more about the camera I am going to buy it for her.
That is really good to know about the GPS draining the battery faster, I will let her know about it.
Will still get her a couple extra batteries and an extra charger for that 3 week trip she is taking.
Her parents want me to set everything up for her before I give the camera to her so she can use it right away, so I will have time to see about the WI-FI problem I have read about on a couple forums. If it says it can be wirelessly connected to her cell phone, she will definitely want it working.
Am picking the camera up this AM so will have a chance to look at it closer.

Thanks again for the info on the GPS.

- Collapse -
Great camera, But
May 20, 2014 11:51AM PDT

Picked up the camera and played around with it and everything works like the book says, except the wireless problem that has been reported.
Put the app on both my Droid cell phone and iPad, downloaded the manual and went through it step by step half a dozen times, still can't get it to connect.
So had to go to Nikon tech support, so see what they have to say tomorrow.
Other than the one problem, this a great camera. Very little shutter lag for a P&S. Pictures are sharp and crisp, great color. The menu is like the Coolpix L810 I have, but this S9700 beats that camera in every way possible.
Think I will be buying me one.

- Collapse -
The WiFi setup can be trouble. For example.
May 21, 2014 1:10AM PDT

I posted the firewall issue at http://forums.cnet.com/7726-7589_102-5412417.html?tag=posts;msg5412417 and find that most consumers are not happy that a TV or camera maker won't help them re-configure their router to allow communication.

This area was not a problem a few years ago as it was accepted that communications should occur inside the LAN but security pundits wrote large and many routers now default to blocking such communication among devices.

You can guess that for many this firewall won't be a problem as most of what folk use their network for is for the internet so nothing broke there.
Bob

- Collapse -
Thanks again Bob
May 21, 2014 2:54AM PDT

Interesting article.
I am totally new to this wireless concept of a wireless connection from one electronic piece of gear to another without a wireless router being in the mix. I have a Netgear R7000 router with many things running off it and never have any problems setting that stuff up.
I have read a little about ad hoc, but really don't know how that works.
Guess I will have some idea of the whole thing once I get the cameras wireless set up with the smart phone or iPad.

- Collapse -
Wi-Fi does work
May 21, 2014 8:26AM PDT

But wouldn't be all that useful to me, but my granddaughter is going to really like it.
The book jumped a step that needed to be done, but Nikon tech support knew about it and had me up and running after a couple e-mails.
This is really a good P&S camera all around, I will be picking another one up for me tomorrow.

- Collapse -
Excellent P&S
Jun 11, 2014 5:58AM PDT

I have been using the camera for 3 weeks and couldn't be happier, it takes pictures I thought I could never get with a P&S.
I have tried most of the features that are in the book and they all work as advertized.
Went to a air show at our local Air Force base and left my DSLR at home, got some great pictures.
My only want would be if it were wider on the low end, but think most P&S cameras are that way.
One also needs to download the users manual and print it out as the little book that comes with it doesn't tell you all that much. The difference is from 45 pages to 226 pages.