Nikon Coolpix S30 - digital camera review: Nikon Coolpix S30 - digital camera

If you're looking for a good, inexpensive point-and-shoot to take to the beach or for a dip in the pool, the Nikon Coolpix S30 is it. Nikon stripped down the shooting options and the interface to make the camera simple for the whole family to use.

6.4

Nikon Coolpix S30 - digital camera

$100 at Amazon

The Good

With big buttons, an easy-to-understand interface, and limited shooting options, the <b>Nikon Coolpix S30</b> is a family-friendly waterproof and shockproof point-and-shoot.

The Bad

The S30 is not a camera you want to use indoors or in low-light conditions.

The Bottom Line

The rugged Nikon Coolpix S30 is a simple, inexpensive point-and-shoot to keep poolside, and doesn't try to be anything more.

Powered by AA batteries, the S30 is basically ready when you are. It can survive for up to 60 minutes underwater to depths of 9.8 feet and can survive minor drops. I wouldn't necessarily call it rugged, but it'll certainly handle more abuse than a regular $120 compact camera.

However, its photo quality and shooting performance are those of an inexpensive camera: it's slow and turns out above-average photos and 720p HD movie clips, but needs lots of light to do so. And, again, the S30 is a very basic camera. If you're after more than just automatic snapshots for sharing online, this isn't the one you want.

The S30's photos are good, basically on par with a decent camera phone. Give it plenty of light and you'll get good-quality snapshots. Given that this camera is designed for outdoor use, that's not such an unreasonable restriction. However, I would not recommend it if you need a camera that performs well in low light. Above ISO 200 there's a significant increase in noise and softness and, unfortunately, it's these higher sensitivities that are needed for indoor and low-light shots. The less light you have, the more noise and softness you get. Again, for shooting in bright, outdoor lighting, the S30 is good, but I wouldn't get it for regular indoor use.

Sample photos:
Nikon Coolpix S30

Colors are bright and pleasing from the S30 when shooting outdoors in good lighting. However, Nikon does include simple sliders if you want to adjust brightness, vividness, and hue. It's an extra bit of control I wasn't expecting to find on such a simple camera. (Read more about the S30's photo quality in the sample photo slideshow.)

Video quality -- both in and out of water -- is good enough for Web use. You get quite a bit of noise and artifacts, but at small sizes the results look fine. The zoom lens does not function while recording; there is also a digital zoom, but it gives unpleasant results.

You will not find a lot of fancy shooting options or a lot of control over results with the S30; it's just not that kind of camera. It's made for point-and-shoot use and while there are a few extra shooting modes beyond its auto mode (labeled "Point and shoot" in the camera), they're all basics. That's not a criticism, since in this case it's better that Nikon limited settings and functions.

Nikon did include a few effects to make those fun summertime shots by the pool a little more interesting, including a miniature/tilt-shift mode and an adjustable soft filter. These and more can be added after you shoot, too, in the playback menu.

Nikon did away with confusing terms and streamlined the interface so that anyone can pick up and use the S30.

Shooting performance, though, is disappointing. From off to first shot takes a lengthy 3.8 seconds and the wait between shots is nearly as long at 3.3 seconds. Using the flash adds a second to that time (though there is no way to force the flash to fire every time, so this time may vary depending on what you're shooting). Shutter lag -- the time it takes from pressing the shutter release to capture without prefocusing -- is a little long at 0.5 second in bright conditions and 0.7 in dim lighting. The S30 also has a continuous shooting speed of up to 1.5 frames per second for four shots, though our tests clocked it at 0.7fps.

Shooting with the Coolpix S30 might be a little weird for some people, too, because Nikon changed up the controls from its other Coolpix models and the vast majority of other compact cameras. On top are three buttons: shutter release on the far right, movie record button on the far left, and a power button in the middle. The buttons have a spongy feel to them, likely because of water seals beneath them. (The record button on my review camera kept getting stuck in the down position, too.)

On the back are a playback button, a row of four buttons running down the left side of the 2.7-inch LCD, and a navigation pad that doubles as a zoom control. There's no menu button; instead you just select things onscreen using the row of buttons. Instead of potentially cryptic wording or technical terms you're given options such as "Change colors," "Decorate," and "Choose a style," which means changing shooting modes. Again, if you're used to another camera's interface, it might take some adjustment, but it's otherwise very simple.

The seal protecting the S30's battery, memory card, and Micro-USB port is better than I expected.

As for its design, the S30 does look and feel somewhat like a toy. The body is basically hollow and without the weight of its two, AA-size batteries, it doesn't scream "durable construction." However, it survived my testing according to its specifications. That included three 60-minute periods in 2 feet of water (it's rated for 9.8 feet) and five drops straight down from 2 feet onto 2-inch plywood. Of course, this doesn't mean your results won't be different; rugged cameras are tested to survive very specific things and even using them within those parameters can cause damage. Regardless of a camera's ratings, make sure you read the user manual for caution and care instructions.

Our take
The Nikon Coolpix S30 is an inexpensive, family-friendly waterproof point-and-shoot that's best used outdoors in good lighting and with slow-moving or stationary subjects. If you need more than that, be prepared to spend more than $120 on a different camera.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

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