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Battery charger is included
- Reviewd on:
2008-08-27
By: Wooly
I purchased this camera about 5 weeks ago, just before leaving on a 3 week overseas trip, so had little time to familiarize myself with the majority of the numerous features. But the camera is easy to use, at least as far as the basic "point and shoot" practice goes. I'm very pleased with the large display, although it sometimes still is hard to see the shot when in a bright outdoor setting. But I typically could make out some basic outlines, as opposed to my previous p & s pocket size Minolta camera (S2), where the display was useless in any lighting conditions brighter than daytime outdoor with a full cloud cover. That, as well as the fact that the battery charge on the Minolta seemed to last for fewer and fewer shots, even on replacement batteries.
A viewfinder (on the Nikon) would be nice in those very bright outdoor situations, but I guess that that is the trade-off for getting a screen that is almost the size of the camera (I'm not kidding: it's 2 3/8 inches wide on the camera which is 3 3/8 wide overall). I'm very pleased with the quality of the shots (I took about 200), some of which were shot from a moving train, and still seem sharp.
My main reason for writing this review is to make others aware of two things: 1. The camera comes with its own battery charger. The reason I bring this up is that no-where in the written specs on Amazon did it say anything on this topic. Furthermore, somewhere on the Amazon website it also drew attention to "Customers who purchased this (camera), also purchased the following:" one of which was a battery charger. I went to the Nikon website, and got the impression that a charger was included, which is what I would have expected. Since I could not afford the time it would take to order a battery charger once I received the camera and found no charger, I phoned Amazon customer service to ask the question. That person came back on line after researching this for several minutes, and told me that the camera did NOT come with a charger. So I of course ordered the charger (from a different supplier than the camera, all thru Amazon). Both Amazon and this second supplier were very accomodating in giving me a refund, as well as (Amazon) refunding my s & h charge, but it still cost me some $7 for return shipping.
The second issue is the tight fit of this camera in the Nikon Coolpix leather case (also offered by Amazon, from yet a third supplier). It is very easy to inadvertently turn the camera on when pushing the camera into the case, and evidently the camera stays "on" until the battery is totally discharged. Nikon had no suggestions / never heard of this problem. I managed to pound out the top of both sides of the case enough to not have that happen again.
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Excellent Photos, Abysmal Audio
- Reviewd on:
2008-08-02
By: P. Griffin
I was so excited to receive my brand new CoolPix S52 (Eco-Green), and the photos were really quite excellent. I was also pleased that it was very easy to learn how to use the various camera features. HOWEVER, when I used the movie or voice recording modes there was a very high level of awful static sound recorded EVERY TIME. I upgraded to the best memory card I could find, and that did not make a bit of difference.
Naturally, I returned the camera under Warranty (with sample video/audio) to Nikon TWICE for repair or replacement. To my dismay, they returned it to me both times stating "Your unit was thoroughly checked and was found completely within the factory standards". They also said not to expect the sound quality to be excellent because it didn't have a "sophisticated microphone". Maybe so, but it shouldn't be so poor that you cringe when you listen to the playback.
I was so disappointed that I sold the camera used and replaced it with a Canon PowerShot SD850 IS (Digital Elph) Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom that I am extremely happy with (both photos and sound are fantastic).
Bottom line - if recording movies is important to you, don't buy this camera. It will be a big disappointment and a waste of money. If you decide to buy it, be sure to test the movie and sound recording modes soon after you receive it to be sure you are satisfied.
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Excellent camera, but a few caveats
- Reviewd on:
2008-06-26
By: A. Todd
I am a novice photographer, who was looking for a good quality point-and-shoot to (hopefully) improve my ability to take good pictures. Specific features that interested me in this camera: the picture stabilization that compensates for hand-shaking; the compact size; usability of the interface and (I admit it) the 'cool' factor of this Nikon.
Some small gripes: The nonwireless version of the camera - the S52 - comes with a battery charger and charger cord. You cannot recharge the batteries through the USB connector to the camera; the only way to recharge is to have the battery charger at hand. Thus, you either have to lug around the charger and cord with you, or have a second charged battery for long outings. This isn't really made clear in any of the product literature online - I did not understand this aspect until I read the user manual.
Another small gripe: The S52 Nikon camera here on Amazon.com here is at a great price (about $50 less than the price Nikon quotes on its website). I expected there to be at least a cheapo carrying case - for example, a felt bag - for the camera, but Nikon does not include any kind of case in the package. The camera is indeed small enough to slip in a pocket or purse, but it seems like a slipcase of some kind would have been a nice addition to the kit. Especially since there are a number of accessories you might need to take with you.
The camera itself is quite elegant, and packed with nice features. I love the camera but I am irritated about the cumbersome two-piece charger.
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Great pocket Nikon, but requires patience
- Reviewd on:
2008-06-23
By: C. Ashley
I needed a VIP gift for a person so important that other people carry their camera and shoot their pictures for them. And so I began testing little cameras.
I ended up keeping this one for myself.
Why? Well, after shooting 1500 pictures with this camera, I can tell you.
First, small and sleek, beautifully designed, the optics are internal with no lens to protrude. It carries in a pocket like a hundred dollar bill.
Second, a 3 inch LCD that makes it so easy to check focus, or review pictures. A huge and useful viewing screen. There is no optical viewfinder or any need for one.
Image quality is very good, and Nikon handles noise and high ISO speeds so very well.
The shake reduction really works: and I can shoot from a fast moving car at high ISO speeds with no noticeable blur. The higher speed is predictably grainy, but the grain is pleasingly mild.
Battery life is good, 150 shots or so. When I feel serious, I carry a second charged battery.
If you like, turn off the flash and turn off the the synthetic camera sounds from "settings", and you have a very discreet camera that would please James Bond.
The auto focus works well, even without the focus assist lamp.
At first I had a few shots where the focus would not lock.
Then I found that the secret to focusing seems to be holding the camera still. After I discovered that, I had no more focus problems.
I also found that the macro mode continuously focuses. It draws a little more from the battery, but can be useful for faster shooting.
The color saturation is very good, even the auto white balance works, and the image you see is what you capture.
Nikon means good images. I am Happy. Well, almost...
....
The time to focus an image can run to 2 seconds or so.
The time to write an image to the SD card can be 3 seconds or more, even with high speed cards. In fact, there does not seem to be any difference in write speed between high speed and regular cards.
Expect to have to concentrate while shooting, which may not be a bad thing after all. Not quite "point and shoot", but "hold down the shutter release half way to focus, then frame and shoot".
It suits me, but I am from the old school of the manual camera.
Another annoyance is that the lens stays open while reviewing pictures, and can easily get smudged by a wandering fingertip.
The power switch is not well defined by touch, and is easily turned on accidentally. I learned to set the display timeout to go to standby mode in 30 seconds to save battery life in case of accidental turn on.
So, if you are patient and can live with a few annoyances, you will have a sleek little camera that goes anywhere and gets the most use.
I really like it after all.
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One Of The More Amazing Cameras
- Reviewd on:
2008-06-07
By: S. Hawn
This camera is more than what the average person could ever want in a camera, the 9MP is enough to sell it but the zoom qualities, and picture qualities!...I would recomend this to anyone who is on a tighter buget than most, from what I have discoverd this camera will Prevail!
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