Nikon Coolpix S3000 Evaluate | Images Weblog

Introduction

Ease of Use

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 is the cheaper and less complicated sibling of the S4000 mannequin that we reviewed earlier within the 12 months, shedding that digicam’s 3 inch touch-screen LCD and 720p Excessive Definition film recording functionality, however in any other case providing the identical design and core options. Weighing in at solely 116 grams with battery and reminiscence card inserted, the Nikon Coolpix S3000 is a really compact digicam. Due to its small dimension and average weight, it simply matches right into a shirt pocket. By way of design, it is a handsome little snapper that efficiently blends traditionalism with model.

The entrance plate is dominated by the lens, which sits totally retracted into the physique when the digicam is powered off, however extends about an inch or so upon power-up. Protecting a 35mm equal focal vary of 27-108mm, it has a most aperture of f/3.2 on the broad finish and f/5.9 at full telephoto. Like most small-sensor digicams, the Nikon Coolpix S3000 lacks an iris diaphragm. In very robust daylight it employs a built-in impartial density filter to keep away from overexposure, however this clearly has no impact on depth of subject, because the bodily dimension of the aperture doesn’t change.

Notable by its absence is any type of optical / mechanical picture stabilisation – it is a obtrusive omission on condition that ultra-light cameras just like the Coolpix S3000 have little bodily inertia and are inherently susceptible to picture blur attributable to shaky palms. As a substitute there’s Digital VR post-processing and a movement detection possibility which will increase the ISO setting to offer a quicker shutter velocity, each of which finally lead to poorer picture high quality.

Entrance	Rear

The one different components seen when viewing the S3000 entrance on are the flash, the AF help lamp and the built-in microphone. The flash is a slim little unit that works fairly properly as a fill gentle, however clearly will not gentle up a complete ballroom. The AF-assist gentle doubles because the self-timer lamp, whereas the microphone is there to document mono sound with films as properly as voice memos for stills.

The highest of the S3000 options a big shutter launch surrounded by a zoom lever, and a small energy button that sits flush with the digicam’s floor. The latter – which generally is a bit onerous to press resulting from its dimension and recessed place – incorporates a tiny LED that lights up when the S3000 is powered up.

On the again of the digicam we discover the two.7 inch, 230k dot display screen, a flash / cost lamp, 4 buttons – Capturing Mode , Playback, Menu and Delete – and a standard four-way navigation pad. These controls primarily change the S4000’s touch-screen interface. The navigation pad offers choices for setting the flash, publicity compensation, Macro mode and self-timer.

Entrance	Entrance

The total vary of flash modes embrace auto, auto with red-eye discount, fill flash, sluggish sync and compelled off. Be aware that the provision of those flash modes varies with the capturing mode and sure different settings. The self-timer choices are less complicated: 10 seconds, 2 seconds and off. Disappointingly the Macro mode solely focuses as shut as 8cms to the topic. The OK button within the centre of the four-way controller confirms on-screen menu choices.

The Menu icon brings up the primary menu display screen whose content material varies in line with the chosen capturing mode. The capturing modes on provide embrace Auto, Scene Auto Selector, Sensible Portrait, Topic Monitoring and Film. Considerably confusingly, Auto is the mode that provides you probably the most management over the capturing course of. No, you aren’t getting to set shutter velocity or aperture instantly – the latter could be unattainable given the shortage of a diaphragm anyway – however you may set the ISO velocity manually, which is one thing you can not do within the different modes. Different parameters that may be set by the consumer on this capturing mode embrace decision and file high quality, white stability, drive mode, AF space and AF mode. These are all buried within the menu – none of them has a digital shortcut button of its personal. Which is a pity, on condition that a few of these features – like ISO, WB or white stability – are fairly steadily used, and the awkwardness of accessing them could be irritating at instances.

Those that’d moderately not fiddle with ISO speeds and white stability settings will seemingly select Scene Auto Selector as an alternative of Auto. The Nikon Coolpix S3000 provides 16 scene modes plus a Scene Auto Selector that places the digicam in cost and permits it to select from the six mostly used scene modes at its personal discretion, primarily based on its evaluation of the scene in entrance of the lens. That is the true auto mode, which requires – and permits – the least quantity of consumer management over the image taking course of. In fact, selecting a scene mode by hand is all the time an possibility.

Sensible Portrait is a capturing mode of its personal moderately than one of many scene modes. On this mode, the S3000 hunts for smiling faces and snaps a photograph every time it detects one. Additionally, there is a pores and skin softening possibility that can be utilized to take away blemishes and different minor imperfections, giving the pores and skin a easy look within the course of. The depth of the impact can be set to Excessive, Regular or Low. The operate can after all be turned off as properly. The Blink Proof possibility forces the digicam to take one other picture if it detects an individual who’s blinking within the picture.

Reminiscence Card Slot	Battery Compartment

Topic Monitoring is a brand new auto-focus possibility that mechanically focuses on the primary topic after which follows it across the body. You merely place the sq. goal over the topic and press the OK button, which then locations a yellow rectangle round them. If both the topic or the digicam is moved, the main target and publicity stay focused on the yellow body. That is particularly helpful for erratic topics like kids and pets, though the system does typically wrestle to maintain up, forcing you to lock focus once more.

In distinction to its massive brother, the S4000, the Nikon Coolpix S3000 can solely document standard-definition VGA movies. The decision is 6400×480 pixels, whereas the body charge is 30 frames per second. Mono sound is recorded with films, however the optical zoom can’t be used whereas filming. Single or full-time AF could also be chosen for films – within the first case, focus can be locked at first of every clip, whereas within the second case, the digicam will preserve adjusting the main target whereas filming, which can trigger the sound of the main target motor to be picked up by the microphone. Most clip size is restricted to 29 minutes. Digital VR could be turned on to assist keep away from digicam shake, though the standard of the video is affected.

Movies and stills could also be saved both within the S3000’s restricted 47Mb on-board reminiscence, or on a individually bought SD or SDHC card (SDXC playing cards should not supported). The reminiscence card shares its compartment with the provided EN-EL10 lithium-ion battery. Nikon seems to have made a aware effort to position the compartment door as distant from the tripod socket as doable, so that you would possibly be capable to change batteries and reminiscence playing cards whereas the digicam is mounted on a tripod, however it’s going to additionally rely on the form of head and / or fast launch plate you might be utilizing. The battery could be charged by way of a laptop utilizing the provided USB cable or by way of the EH-68P AC adapter, utilizing the identical cable. Though the battery is detachable, it should be within the digicam for charging (very like a cellphone battery). The variety of pictures that may be captured on a single cost is about 220, although the precise determine could differ with the quantity of flash and zoom utilization.

In use, the S3000 proved to be adequately responsive for its class. Begin-up was fairly quick contemplating the digicam has to increase the lens earlier than it may possibly begin taking photographs. The zoom motion could be described as easy for an influence zoom, and the comparatively average 4x zoom ratio ensures that it does not take ages to go from broad angle to most telephoto or vice versa. Total, the design works fairly properly, though I actually missed shortcut icons for oft-used features like ISO velocity and white stability.

Picture High quality

The entire pattern pictures on this Evaluate had been taken utilizing the 12 megapixel Fantastic JPEG setting, which provides a median picture dimension of round 4Mb.

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 produced pictures of common high quality through the assessment interval. Noise and lack of nice element turns into apparent on the comparatively sluggish velocity of ISO 400 after which progressively worse on the quicker settings of 800 and 1600. The quickest setting of 3200 is just for use as a final resort. Chromatic aberrations had been pretty properly managed, with restricted purple fringing results showing in excessive distinction conditions. The 12 megapixel pictures had been slightly smooth straight out of the digicam on the default sharpen setting and require some additional sharpening in an software like Adobe Photoshop, as you may’t change the in-camera sharpening stage. Macro efficiency is poor, solely permitting you to focus as shut as 8cms away from the topic. The built-in flash labored pretty properly indoors, with little red-eye and sufficient general publicity,a lthough it did undergo from inconsistent white stability. The utmost shutter velocity of two seconds is not lengthy sufficient to permit the digicam to seize sufficient gentle for many after-dark conditions.

Noise

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 has sensitivity settings starting from ISO 80 to ISO 3200 at full decision.

Focal Vary

The Nikon Coolpix S3000’s 4x zoom lens offers a focal size of 27-108mm in 35mm phrases, as demonstrated beneath.

Sharpening

Listed here are two 100% crops – he right-hand picture has had some sharpening utilized in Photoshop. The out-of-the digicam pictures are barely smooth on the default sharpening setting and profit from some additional sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You’ll be able to’t change the in-camera sharpening stage to fit your tastes.

File High quality

At full decision, there are two JPEG high quality settings accessible together with Regular and Fantastic, with the latter being marked with a star within the menu.

Chromatic Aberrations

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 exhibits little purple fringing, though you could find examples of it in areas of excessive distinction as proven within the examples beneath.

Macro

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 lets you get as shut as 8cms to your topic, in this case a Compact Flash card.

Flash

Vignetting just isn’t a significant problem with the Nikon Coolpix S3000, no matter whether or not you utilize the flash or not.

And listed below are a few portrait photographs. Flash exposures produced by the S3000 exhibited white stability inconsistencies as clearly proven beneath, however red-eye wasn’t a significant drawback.

	Flash On (100% Crop)

Evening

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 is hardly the perfect instrument for night time images, because the longest shutter velocity is 2 seconds and you can not set it manually. The shot beneath was captured at a shutter velocity of 1 second at ISO 80.

Pattern Photos

It is a collection of pattern pictures from the Nikon Coolpix S3000 digicam, which had been all taken utilizing the 12 megapixel Fantastic JPEG setting. The thumbnails beneath hyperlink to the full-sized variations, which haven’t been altered in any manner.

Pattern Film & Video

Product Photos

Entrance of the Digicam

Entrance of the Digicam / Turned On

Isometric View

Isometric View

Rear of the Digicam

Rear of the Digicam / Picture Displayed

Rear of the Digicam / Turned On

Rear of the Digicam / Picture Displayed

High of the Digicam

Backside of the Digicam

Facet of the Digicam

Facet of the Digicam

Entrance of the Digicam

Entrance of the Digicam

Reminiscence Card Slot

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 is a classy however finally primary point-and shoot digicam aimed primarily at snapshooters. It’d lack the intelligent touchscreen interface or HD video of its larger brother, the S4000, however it does crucially price half the worth.

The shortage of options and frills could postpone some potential house owners, however we discovered the S3000’s pared-down method refreshing. It is tough to search out an excessive amount of fault with a £100 / $150 digicam that is very slim, gentle and manufactured from metallic moderately than plastic. We might have preferred to see an optical picture stabilisation system moderately than the ineffective digital one, particularly given the feather-weight nature of the S3000, the macro focusing distance is a disappointing 8cm even on the wide-angle setting, and the VGA films are beginning to look dated, however there’s little else to complain about given the entry-level price-tag.

So far as picture high quality is worried, outcomes are commendably on a par with the S4000 – that’s, strong moderately than spectacular. A small sensor with loads of pixels can be inherently noisy, which requires some fairly heavy-handed noise discount. This in flip leads to a really apparent smearing of nice element, even at base ISO. Having stated that, the photographs are nonetheless sharp, at the very least within the picture centre. Chromatic aberrations are nearly a non-issue, and the colors are very correct so long as you might be utilizing the digicam in pure gentle. Indoors, the auto white stability struggles to compensate for the completely different color of the assorted gentle sources, however the digicam does at the very least present an choice to set the white stability manually, one other nice shock on an in any other case primary mannequin.

The Nikon Coolpix S3000 is an affordable and greater than cheerful step-up from a camera-phone or first-ever digicam, providing strong build-quality, a confirmed interface and acceptable picture high quality with a touch of fashion.

Evaluate Roundup

Critiques of the Nikon Coolpix S3000 from across the internet.

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