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

Anonymous Pulitzer Prize Winner Revealed

This chilling photograph, taken in Iran in 1979, won the Pulitzer Prize that year.  This was the first and only time a Pulitzer Prize was given to an anonymous recipient: the photographer remained anonymous for 27-years, until now.

 

The photo was taken by Jahangir Razmi, a staff photographer for Ettela'at, one of the leading Iranian newspaper at the time.  The photo spread through the world's media like wildfire.   

 

Mr. Ramzi in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal revealed that he had taken 26- frames during this mass execution of the Kurds.  Mr. Heydari, Ettela'at's photo editor, chose to run the one above - a moment when some of the squadrons had fired and some hadn't.  Some bodies had fallen.  And some stood upright, dignified, ready to take the bullet.

 

Twenty-seven years later, the photo is still overwhelming.  Still difficult to look at.  As are the other frames taken on that day, which can now be seen, for the first time ever, at The Wall Street Journal.  It's a long article, but worth the read as it takes you through the events on August 11, 1979, how Mr. Ramzi got the film to his editors, how he kept his secret for 27-years. 

 

- Monika

Did You See That?

For some reason, this was a potpourri week in sports photos - a lot of random sports outside the big three (basketball, football, baseball) with events happening all over the world, but nothing of a major, grand scale for an American audience.

There are some people around the office who grumble when "Did You See That?" goes on tangents like this - there's too much silly stuff, with people we've never heard of doing things we don't do - so why would anyone look at the gallery? More NFL, more NBA, et cetera.

Hey, one of the best picture editing mentors I ever had, had the simple philosophy of "surprise and delight, enlighten" when it came to photographs. Show people something they don't normally get to see.

I'm pretty sure this athlete is just another guy at a the world-class level, a German who skis, shoots, and pops a photo of his girlfriend on his rifle. But hey, I don't see that every day.... :-)

To see the rest of the images from this week in sports, go to AOL Sports: Did You See That?, and for more NFL photos, go to NFL - Week In Photos - AOL Sports.

- Mike Heffner

 

 

Pictures of the Week: Nov. 25 - Dec. 1

In this week's Pictures of the Week gallery, the photo of the young girls peeking from backstage during the dance phase of the traditional Miss Chiquitita pageant has an element that I just love in photography: the ability to capture and freeze the various emotions of different people reacting to the exact same event. It allows us to witness the variety of human emotions, and makes us curious about the thoughts of the people in the photo.

 

 

In this case, I wonder if the girls are looking on as competitors, or if they are they still innocent enough not to be concerned with who is "best," or if they are merely watching from backstage and marveling entertainment of it all.

 

Check out all of this week's pictures, and cast your vote for the best photo: Pictures of the Week.

 

-Lee

The Bridge

I know this may seem to be more about music, but I love all things creative with emphasis on photography. A photograph can capture a moment that might ordinarily pass us by -- whether a particular moment, or in this case a special event. 

 

 

Lionel Richie, former singer for the Commodores and very successful solo artist, paired with a new up-and-coming artist, Lyfe Jennings. The two were recently brought together for a new feature on AOL Black Voices called "The Bridge." Yep, you got it, a bridge between music generations. Each artist performs a couple of songs solo, then they get together for a nice duet at the end. 

 

I'm not as familiar with Lyfe Jennings' work, but the two of them did a nice duet on one of my favorite Commodore hits, "Easy."  Lionel seemed to really enjoy listening to Jennings sing ... although Jennings seemed a little apprehensive. While the video is playing you can take a look at the photo gallery for those moments that you may have missed or were not privy to during their performance (click on the "Come on in" link and then look for the "Photos" link below the text).

 

Enjoy The Bridge!

 

~ Mo

Warning Labels

 

Warning: While you're out and about doing your holiday shopping, beware of the dangerous aspects of the products you're thinking about buying. For example, that benign-looking shirt you're about to purchase -- did you know that you are not supposed to iron it while wearing it?!? And did you know you're never supposed to use a hair dryer while sleeping? Oh, and watch that Slurpee -- it could cause brain freeze! Just a few important tips you may overlook if not for the warning labels pointing out that sort of thing.

 

AOL's Money & Finance suggested a fun story idea for us to illustrate about wacky warning labels found on everyday products. Monica and I took up the challenge of creating photos and photo illustrations for the story. To increase the visual interest, Monica & I decided to illustrate the warnings instead of just photograph the actual labels. You see some of those ideas above.

 

Check out our Warning Labels Photo Gallery and let us know what you think about warning labels.  What's the oddest warning label you've ever encountered?

 

- Dave

Photographing Baby

There are a few new moms on the photo staff here. Noreen's daughter, Isabella, was born in August 2006, and Jenna's son, Caden, was born in March 2006. We thought we would offer a few suggestions for getting good photos of your infant:

 

Time your photo sessions well.

Every baby has a window of time each day when they're most alert. Though Isabella tends to be a very smiley baby, she's most alert and affable somewhere between 8AM and 11AM daily. Be sure to have your camera ready during your baby's alert times to capture her smiley moments.

 

Capture the details.

Think about showing your baby's development by photographing details: her hand in your hand, the size of his little feet, or even the size of his first shoes.

 

Turn your flash off. Your baby will also thank you.

Get your baby in some natural light. Make sure your light source is behind you when you're taking the picture. Or experiment with having your light source come in from a side angle. You want to avoid the "deer in the headlights" look.

 

A little person with a big personality. In the moment.

Little personalities come out surprisingly quickly. Think about those details that make your baby unique. Then take a little bit of time (that virtual 5 minutes you can "spare") and think about how you want to capture them visually. Then wait for the moment. Remember that these things can't be rushed, and trying to pose a baby is an exercise in futility. It's always just a matter of time before the next mood manifests itself.  

 

Get Close. Then get closer.

Don't be afraid to try a few really close shots. Fill the entire frame with nothing but baby, and you instantly get rid of background distractions and clutter, resulting in a really nice portrait.

 

Don't forget to take a few snapshots of reality.

Some of my favorite photos show the happy chaos that reigns in a house with an infant. Although these  won't be the ones that make it onto the holiday card, they'll be priceless reminders of these short months when your child is very young. Does baby do a lot of crying? Snap a photo of that too. It won't be long before he grows out of it (I promise!) and you'll be able to look back and laugh.

 

Do you have any tricks or tips when it comes to photographing your baby? Have a favorite photo? Please share!

 

- Noreen & Jenna