Nikon Coolpix S2700 Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification


The Nikon Coolpix S2700 was announced in January 2013 and is a slim compact camera with a 6x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video recording. It is available black, red, blue, purple and pink for around £90.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Features

The Nikon Coolpix S2700 has a 16 megapixel CCD sensor and 6x optical zoom lens, a 35mm equivalent of 26-156mm. To help reduce the effect of camera shake there is motion blur reduction.

To make picture taking easy there is Scene Auto Selector which adjusts the camera settings automatically for your situation, you can also manually choose from 18 scene modes. There is also the smart portrait system which has smile timer, blink proof alert, skin softening, in-camera red-eye fix and glamour retouch.

When shooting moving subjects there is Subject Tracking AF to ensure they stay in focus. When you've finished shooting you can edit your pictures via the retouch menu which includes filters such as selective colour and cross screen.

Videos are recorded in 720p HD.

Key Features

• 16 megapixel CCD image sensor
• 6x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 26-156mm)
• Motion blur reduction
• 2.7 inch 230k dot LCD screen
• 720p HD movie recording
• ISO 100-3200
• 5cm minimum focusing distance
• Smart portrait system
• 18 scene modes
• Subject Tracking AF
• Available black, red, blue, purple and pink

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Handling

The S2700 has an extremely compact, metal body, easily small and light enough for you to carry in your pocket when out with friends. It doesn't offer much in the way of a grip, although there is a dotted area for your right thumb. Although small, the 2.7 inch screen is bright and clear to see in varying lighting conditions. The buttons are typical for a compact camera, with a dedicated video record button featuring on the rear of the camera. The menu system on the S2700 is easy to understand and navigate.

Battery life is rated at 210 shots according to CIPA test results, although we were able to take around 500 shots before the battery went flat. We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter Response		0.175 secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response		0.4 secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response		0.6 secs
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo		2.1 secs
Shot to Shot without Flash		1.6 secs
Shot to Shot with Flash		4.9 secs
Continuous Shooting		1.3 fps

Continuous shooting records at full 16 megapixel resolution.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - The S2700 produces colourful, well exposed images. Portraits have decent skin tones and are free of red-eye. The camera also performs well in low-light.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Detail is OK at both ends of the lens, but the images are more suited for sharing on social networks rather than large prints. The lens has minimum focusing distance of 5cm, but due to the lack of detail in pictures, close-ups aren't particularly impressive.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Images are noise free at ISO 100 but there is enough to cause the images to become soft at ISO 200. This gets worse at ISO 400 with some detail lost at ISO 800. At ISO 1600, images are extremely noisy, lots of detail is lost. Again, a very noisy image is produced at ISO 3200, but the size is restricted to just 4 megapixels. The two highest settings are best used for images which are to be resized for use in the web.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Under the incandescent lights the AWB preset has an orange cast, with the incandescent preset taking the better picture. When using the fluorescent lights, the AWB preset performs well, with a magenta cast appearing when using the fluorescent preset.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Digital filters

Digital Filters - The S2700 has a number of colour options to add creativity to your images, with examples of each above.

Video - The Nikon Coolpix S2700 records videos at 720p, although you can't use the optical zoom.

Value For Money

The Nikon Coolpix S2700 is a budget compact camera. Other options to consider are the Pentax Optio LS465 at £49.99, Sony Cybershot W710 at £84.99, Olympus VG-180 at £89.99, Canon Powershot A3200 IS at £64.79 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS50 at £102.91.

You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Verdict

The Nikon Coolpix S2700 is a budget compact that would make an ideal first camera for a child or someone who likes to share their images on the web. It can be purchased in a range of colours and has a solid metal body.

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Pros

Good value for money
Available in a range of colours
Compact, metal body
Images have good colour reproduction

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Cons

Images are noisy from ISO 400 upwards
Images lack enough detail for large printing
Battery life expectancy not great

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Nikon Coolpix S2700 Specifications

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