Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The NikonCoolpix S9100is a photographic camera that seemingly achieves the impossible on several fronts . First on that list of surprises is its 18X soar lens , which cope with the optic reach of the Panasonic Lumix DMC - ZS10 at the top terminal of the sack - megazoom food market . It also serves up stunning paradigm quality for its sane $ 330 price : In our immanent tests , the S9100 ’s picture were on a equality with those of much higher - priced television camera such as its sibling , the Nikon Coolpix P7000 ( $ 450 ) , and the Canon PowerShot G12 ( $ 500 ) . And despite that sophisticated firepower , it ’s also one of the easy cameras to employ the right way out of the box , thanks to its simple button layout , straightforward menus , and array ofautomated modes .
But here ’s the most mind - boggling thing about the Coolpix S9100 : Despite having no manual controls and no raw shooting mood , it ’s the rare camera that ’s bound to please both novices and experienced shooters likewise . It has a great portmanteau word of originative automate controls and overall versatility that will make you forget about manual control very quickly — you belike wo n’t even miss them . If you ’re face for a long - zoom photographic camera that can match in your air pocket , is very prosperous to use , rarely ever takes a bad photograph , and never commence tedious , the Coolpix S9100 is among the best option we ’ve ever tested .
Hardware and optics
follow the Nikon Coolpix S9100 ’s 18X - ocular - soar electron lens ( 25 mm to 450 mm , F3.5 to F5.9 ) is a 12 - megapixel , behind - straighten out CMOS sensor that ’s optimise for low - luminance shooting environments . And the camera does perform fairly well in low - light position — just as long as it has a second of light to work with in your scene and you may allow a little seeable graininess in near - dark surround . However , the image quality becomes really telling when you use the camera ’s calciferol - Lighting and Quick Retouch editing functions after you take a barb . The redaction features make a retouched copy of your photo , brightening up the scene and sharpen contrast .
Without ergocalciferol - LightingWith D - LightingMacro Mode
Although you ca n’t dial in specific shutter speeds and fluorine - stops , the S9100 has scene modes that leave the shutter open for a few seconds ( Fireworks ) or fire it cursorily enough to freeze fast - propel objects ( Sports mode , as well as the camera ’s 9.5 - fps fusillade style at full resolution ) . It also offer a very good macro modality that allow you get within an in of your subject and capture images with a very shallow deepness of bailiwick for a pocketable camera .
Without D-Lighting
Wayon the other side of that 18X zoom lens , the Coolpix S9100 effortlessly interlace in on objects three metropolis block away , and the tv camera ’s sensing element - shift image stabilization does its job in keep shots as unfluctuating as possible . This is a camera that excels at both terminal of its prospicient - rapid climb lens . While shooting video , you may zoom with the full extent of that 18X lens , and autofocus stays sharp throughout the rapid climb range , too . I did experience a bit of searching at the midrange of the zoom lens when I was composing photo ; but while I was fritter video , focus remained locked in throughout the zoom .
Even though you ca n’t manually adjust the aperture and shutter options on the Coolpix S9100 , you do have direct control over the camera ’s ISO options , which range up to ISO 3200 . Visual stochasticity mouse in starting at about ISO 800 , but the television camera performs well at high ISO levels for a model of its monetary value and detector size .
Despite the deficiency of a unfeigned manual focus mode , the Coolpix S9100 provides a dainty bank of autofocus controls . The camera ’s ‘ Manual ’ autofocus setting lets you move the centering point to off - center areas of the persona for more - dramatic shots . The Subject Tracking autofocus mood is ready to hand for athletics , as it lets you select a propel target as a focus level ; in this mode the television camera retains focus on the subject , even if it leaves the discipline of view for a second or so before reentering the fit .
Without D-Lighting
In improver to a 1080p full high - definition movie - transcription mode at 30 frames per instant , the Coolpix S9100 adds a number of high - speed shooting modes to its video armory : a 240 - Federal Protective Service modality that record at a resolution of 320 by 240 ( good for YouTube ) , a 120 - fps in high spirits - speed mode at 640 by 480 , and 60 - fps recording at 720p . you could also interchange between continuous autofocus and single autofocus modes for video capture , and the photographic camera ’s audio circumstance allow you to turn on a wind - noise - cancellation feature for its twin stereoscopic photograph microphones .
This camera also has one of the better LCD screens we ’ve watch recently . The 3 - in video display on the Nikon Coolpix S9100 is tack - keen , and it asseverate good visibleness in anything but the most lineal sunlight .
The Coolpix S9100 is lighter and slim than most pocket megazooms on the market place , weighing 7.6 ounces with its shelling and card inserted . It ’s 1.4 inch bass — flimsy enough to fit into a front shirt pocket or most pants pocket . It ’s a well - looking photographic camera , too , with a matt - black faceplate and minimum buttons ; one thing to test before buying is the camera ’s ever - so - slimly raised grip , which add to its silklike looks but may not be rear enough to feel secure in your hired man .
With D-Lighting
Also worth cite is the camera ’s soda water - up trice , which is well designed and does n’t experience as if it ’ll snap off despite being made out of plastic . It pops up , wedgelike , out of the material body once you slew a on-off switch on the side of the camera . In our test , it was one of the best point - and - shoot flashes we ’ve seen in footing of evenly lighting a setting .
Scene modes and creative features
In addition to two well - performing Auto modes — a regular motorcar mode , and a scene - based auto mode that chooses the applicable scene preset depending on the surround — the Nikon Coolpix S9100 offers 14 scene mode . Among them are old standbys such as Portrait , Sports , Beach , Snow , and Sunset , as well as more strange extract that include Dusk / Dawn , Food , and Museum mode .
The camera also provides an Easy Panorama manner , which is similar to the Sweep Panorama go under found on Sony ’s tv camera : You exhort the shutter button and pan across a setting , and the camera then stitches together a panoramic image . The S9100 , however , go a few steps further than Sony ’s tv camera , giving you the option to make either 180 - grade or 360 - degree panorama via the menus . In general , the modality works well , just as long as you trash the camera slowly ; immediate pans led to blurry ikon in my test shot . Easy Panorama
you’re able to reach all the aforementioned way by selecting ‘ Scene ’ on the camera ’s modality dial and make your option via on - screen menus , but the S9100 also provide quick access to a few manner — Backlighting , Night Portrait , and Night Landscape modes , as well as the camera ’s uninterrupted shooting mode — instantly on the mode dial . The tv camera captures at a pace of 9.5 shot per s at full resolution , but you ’re limited to 5 shots per volley . It fires the shutter so quickly that getting the hang of it is a routine sly , and it works best when a tight - moving issue is already in move .
Macro Mode
A few more originative modes are ambuscade in the camera ’s ‘ personal effects ’ option , available by way of the mode telephone dial : a ‘ Selective color ’ option that get you sequestrate a unmarried color in a calamitous - and - white photo , a ‘ High - demarcation monochrome ’ effect that makes images count a bit like newspaper , and ‘ High key ’ and ‘ Low primal ’ effects for boosting and muting colors , severally .
High - line MonochromeHigh KeyLow Key
Some of the best features of this television camera include its post - changeable editing tools , which countenance you apply filters and quick fixes to written matter of your photos while retaining the germ effigy . Highlights include the aforementioned D - Lighting and Quick Retouch functions , which almost always improve the feel and detail of persona , and Fisheye and Miniature Effect filters , which let you mime the look of unlike lenses . Alas , all those extra goodies are available only in still - image manner ; you ca n’t use any of the consequence to video .
Easy Panorama
Performance, image quality, and video quality
The Coolpix S9100 turned in some of the best dozens we ’ve seen across the dining table for a point - and - shoot television camera in our lab ’s subjective examination for double quality . Its aggregate score for all four of our image - testing category ( exposure caliber , colour truth , sharpness , and lack of overrefinement ) was the highest of any camera we ’ve try in the last yr , think of that this is a well - balanced photographic camera that performs nicely in most shooting situations .
determine to its basic automobile mode , the Coolpix S9100 pull in scores of Very Good for color truth , picture quality , and lack of aberration . In the raciness category , it received a score of Good . Like many cameras these day , it has a tendency to make colors appear more bright than they do in the material macrocosm , which result in shining , lovesome - looking photos .
tap the thumbnail images at leave to see the full - size shots we used for our subjective tests .
High-Contrast Monochrome
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 shoots decent - looking but more or less grainy video in shiny twinkle . observe , however , that the tv camera ’s word musical score of Good for overall video tone is heavily skew toward its performance in well - lit situations , and its video recording gaining control does n’t execute well in down in the mouth - light environments . Its top - mounted stereo microphone broadly do a corking caper of recording audio , and for audio gaining control the camera pull in a grudge of Very dear .
you could watch the television we used for our video- and audio - quality subjective test , under both brilliant light and down light source , below . Select1080pfrom the drop - down carte du jour in the lower - right quoin of each musician to see the full - settlement snip .
consort to CIPA , the Nikon Coolpix S9100 takes around 270 stab per charge of its Li ion electric battery , which is enough for a battery - life rating of Good .
High Key
Macworld buying advice
So far in 2011 , the Nikon Coolpix S9100 is our top pick as a amply automated sac megazoom camera for casual users who could n’t worry less about manual controls but still need to take good - looking and originative photos . The S9100 also has the image calibre , lens versatility , and creative modes ( the post - changeable retouch and effects modes , in particular ) to keep experienced photographers more occupied than they might expect out of a television camera with no manual controls . The Coolpix S9100 knows what it takes to get the best shot in nearly any situation , and then just does it . This television camera offer great functioning and value for the cost .
Low Key
