Camera Review: Nikon Coolpix S7c

A few months ago the AOL Photo Talk blog featured a brief introduction to Nikon’s new Wi-Fi enabled Point and Shoot camera, the Coolpix S7c. After purchasing Nikon’s new digital goody and experimenting with the possible features, I reached a satisfying conclusion—this camera is definitely worth the investment, despite some trivial issues with connectivity and ergonomics.

 

WIFI FEATURE: The initial setup of the wireless functionality was messy, resulting in some confusion concerning what networks I could access. The software that comes with the camera allows you to designate home networks, printing networks (yes, you can print from your camera with the proper setup) and "familiar" networks. All of this designation belies the reason why you initially considered the wireless: ease of transfer —  the ability to shoot images at a friends house and send them instantaneously to your buddies. According to the manual, that’s a no-no — you can only transmit from a T-Mobile hotspot or a previously defined network. I was miffed. But as it turns out, you can send photos on an open, unlocked network, as long as the camera is picking up the signal. Using a handy scroll wheel, you can type in email addresses on the camera and ship off the images in various sizes. Despite the confusing setup and fairly weak Wi-Fi locator, the concept and innovation is a plus. 7.5/10

QUALITY: With a 3-inch LCD showing off 7 megapixel images, photos look good both on and off the camera. Cool settings such as macro mode (close focus), sport time-lapse mode (a rapid flip book of 16 mini images placed into one photo frame), night mode (rear camera flash for swirling nighttime colors) and high ISO (non-blurry images in dark situations without flash) add to the diversity of effects to choose from. The video also has a surprisingly high quality level, and recording time depends on your memory card and not the camera's time capacity. The only quality issue I faced was an occasional issue with focus — while in the "Portrait" modes, my subjects faces were often soft. In low light situations, the auto-focus occasionally couldn't find a focal point immediately, making the spontaneity of shooting a lengthier process. 9/10

ERGONOMICS: The camera has dozens of modes and options, making it adaptable to circumstance although sometimes hard to navigate. It helps to be familiar with Nikon to dexterously use this camera, but the ability to navigate through scroll menus is required. With two different main menus and modes to accompany every menu option, it may take a while to choose your ideal setting for an image. And if you happen to misstep and click on "Wi-Fi," be prepared to wait a bit while your camera attempts to pick up a signal. In this case, I would say more is more in an era where digital cameras can practically do laundry, but the organization of this fabulous functionality could use some rearranging. 6.5/10

 

Here are some examples of images taken with Coolpix S7c:

 

This image was taken in the sport time-lapse mode (a rapid flip book of 16 thumbnail images.)

 

 

Use of night mode (rearcamera flash for swirling nighttime colors.)

 

Check out these sites for more information on the Nikon Coolpix S7c: Nikon and DPReview.

 

Enjoy.  And don't forget to send us images you shoot with the Coolpix S7c.

 

- Rachel