Date: October 25, 2006 - Author: Rob Williams - Editor: Matt Harris
Nikon recently announced 6 new digital cameras, including the S10. This camera is similar in design to their S4 released earlier this year, but has a few notable upgrades. Overall it's a good camera, but has a few downsides.
Nikon has had an active release schedule this year, with well over 10 new releases. They covered all of their bases, including low end, mid-range, pro-sumer and also a new ultra-high end, the D2xs. Needless to say, since they have cut off their film camera supply, they have been working overtime on all things digital.
They released a few models earlier this year, but a few months ago "refreshed" their entire line-up. It's a refresh, because some models look incredibly similar to what we have seen already. The S10 is no different, as it looks near identical to the S4 at first glace. In fact, these cameras use the same lens, CCD, shooting modes and body styles. It does of course have some notable upgrades, but none are -that- spectacular should you already own an S4 or similar. However, if you are in the market for a new digicam, the S10 may very well suit your needs.
During the review I will be referring to the S4 a lot, simply because there is no denying that the S10 is it's replacement. The first thing that will catch your eye (probably) is its swivel design. Regardless of which angle you are holding the camera, the lens swivels up to 270°. This seems like a gimmick but after using the camera for a while, it's actually something I've come to use more often than not. It's more of a comfort feature than anything.
In the normal position, as you see below, it's an odd looking device. You are sure to get looks, that's for sure!
The camera is feature packed, even though it appears to only have a few buttons. There are four primary modes, but once you choose one, the menu button will open up an array of various options related to that mode. So, if you choose the "Scene" mode and push the "Menu" button, you will have the option to choose what type of scene you are dealing with. Regardless of mode, the "Menu" button will also allow you to setup the camera, or format your card.
In addition to a 6.0 megapixel capable CCD, the S10 also implements Vibration Reduction, a feature that speaks for itself. Using VR uses up your battery faster, but proves useful whenever you are using anything but the base focal range. Given the 10x zoom the lens can provide, the VR feature will become your friend. Very quickly.
As you'd expect, the lens is a Zoom-Nikkor that supports 6.3-63mm focal lengths. Thanks to the zoom, the actual max focal range hangs around 253mm, but that's digital, not optical which the image quality will prove. After you hit 52mm, the image quality is degraded. Up to that point though, is quite good. The lens aperture is f/3.5.
The camera supports images of 2816*2112 resolutions, in large intervals all the way down to 640*480. Do people still use that resolution? I guess if you do, the option is there. 2816 offers two modes though, a standard one and then High. Presumably, High offers sharper images, but I have been unable to see true differences that warrant the extra MB's the images will take up. Here are the results in KB/s after taking the same scene with the different modes:
I'd not recommend anything below the third setting though... the images come out near as sharp. Taking a 2048*1536 image and resizing it to a smaller resolution would retain more of the overall quality. All of the recent Nikon Digital Cameras I have used retain the same video quality, with the preferred method being VGA 640*480. The quality is actually quite good, and is certainly better than what most other cameras allow. You can grab a sample of the quality from our P3 review here.
The camera includes quite a few useful features, such as the Panoramic Assist mode, which allows you to capture perfect panaromas with the help of the on screen display.
There are many other modes that the S10 offers, but that basically covers up what you should know.
When I first received the S10, I had expected it to be identical to the S4 in every single way, because they look so similar. However, the S10 proved to be more enjoyable to use overall, and the additional features would make this a better choice.
Though the S10 looks identical to the S4 at first glance, it's actually far curvier. Cameras are meant to be sexy, after all. This is one thing I didn't like about it though, as it simply made the camera feel awkward to hold. It takes some getting used to, especially if you are used to a standard model camera. Because of the swivel design though, your hands tend to be further apart from each other than if you were using a standard model. In this sense, its almost like the camera has a handle, and is easier to grip and steady, I have found.
One thing I love this camera for, are the sheer amount of options available. They cover many scenes, and reaching these options is easy thanks to it's intuitive design. I do wish the "Ok" button was larger though and easier to use. During use, I sometimes shifted the button the wrong way to select an unwanted option. I did not find this was the case with the S4 however.
Back to intuitive. In the picture below, you can see that the VR and Portrait buttons are directly above the lens, as opposed to near where your index finger will be. This proves to be a perfect spot, because it gives you ultra quick access to the features should you need them. Since VR eats up your battery fast, you will push the button, take the shot, and push it again. The same goes for the Portrait button also. It simply saves time for you having to jump into the menu and fiddle around there.
The camera by default uses PTP connectivity, which I hate. Bad. Luckily enough, there is an option in the menu to switch to the classic method, meaning that when you hook the camera up to your PC it will act as a normal storage device. PTP may prove a better choice for inexperienced computer users.
I am a fan of real-time results, so I was impressed to see that the S10 shows you the result of W/B changes before you even take a picture. Recent Nikon cameras may also have this feature, but this is the first time I had actually noticed it. The same goes for the color modes, which I will touch on later in the review.
One thing I came to dislike quick was the fact that the image quality indoors without use of a flash, is horrible. It doesn't matter what focal length you are at, or what the room lighting is like. Outdoor shots on sunnier days is really the only time you'd want to disable the flash.
As a whole, I enjoyed using the S10, but will touch up even more in the conclusion. For now, let's check out some image quality to see what the camera is capable of.
While I had this camera, I didn't get to take as many photos as I hoped I would, so this review may seem a little "empty" in that regard. All of the pictures can be clicked to view their original, unedited version. Each image weighs in between 700KB - 1.0MB.
Focal Length
One aspect I like to play around with while playing with a new digital camera is the focal length, and the quality of. Most cameras offer huge zooms, but seriously fail to deliver any decent quality at any thing 4x and over. So, with a quick look out the window, I took a few shots are various zooms.
Here is no zoom at all. 6.3mm, 1/450s, f/4.0 and ISO 50. Quality is good, but at full resolution it's nothing spectacular. Resizing to 1500* or lower would be the best setting for absolute sharpness and clarity.
Here we have a slight zoom, 13mm, 1/300s, f/4.0 and ISO 50. No true loss of quality yet.
52mm is what I found to be the ideal zoom, as everything is still rather crisp and clean. 52mm, 1/368s, f/4.0 and ISO 50.
The absolute maxed zoom allows for 253mm focal length, and actually turned out better than I expected. Considering the length and lack of a tripod, the VR seemed to help out quite a bit here. In other various tests, I used the camera at the same focal length to view car license plates, and they were easily readable. So, not a setting you'd ever use for a serious picture, but if you really want to zoom in to something 200ft away, it's possible with the S10.
Here is another example, but from an indoor / macro perspective. Again, up to 52mm the picture quality is good, and even at 253mm, text is readable. Bleeding really starts to occur at that focal length though.
Image Quality
The following is a picture that's a good example of image quality at the max range of 63mm. Granted, it's a rain scene, but the camera captured it well.
Grass after the rain... pure green. Bright colors and crisp shot overall.
I have found the camera so far, to do a good job of capturing blacks. Seeing that my cat was sleeping in the middle of the floor, I snapped a photo. Her fur is black with brown tinges in places, and the camera did a good job of representing it.
Since I review a lot of hardware, I am quite used to taking closeup shots, so the S10 would go through the usual paces in that regard. As with most digital cameras, getting up close and personal to the object, is going to result in vignetting. This shot is no different, but overall the image quality is good.
Here is the same image, but without the flash.
You may not have noticed, but that picture has some incredible noise! Sadly, I did not realize until -after- I gave the camera back, that the ISO was at 800. Apparently whenever you turn off the flash, it will automatically override your ISO with the flash, and bump it up to 800. You -can- change it once you turn the flash off, but I realized this fact too late. Even still, this is a LOT of noise for the settings used. Here is another good example:
Not only is this image noisy, but it also has traces of purple fringing, especially on the keyboard. So... if you intend to use the S10 without the flash, you will definitely want to configure it properly, because the default settings result in horrible images.
Even with the flash though, fringing and chromatic aberration can occur. Take the following picture for instance.
Though not that easy to spot with a small thumbnail, the full view image makes it clear. The worst area is around the Nikon logo. Very noticeable.
Here is a mode that has been in Nikon cameras before, but one I've never touched until now. Simply put, it takes one picture each second for 16 seconds... or around there. The result is like:
Onto the color modes and conclusion.
The S10 offers five different color modes at your disposal.
All color modes work well, the black and white especially. Sepia is a little more rich than I'd like, though.
The S10 is an average camera overall, that's it. It has it's highs, and equal amount of lows. I will take the time now to explain exactly what these main points are. First off, the camera is part of the style series, so it's no surprise that it has a unique shape. The Lifestyle and Professional series focus far more on actual performance and ease of use than to have a sexy body. If you are coming from regular digital camera use, using the S10 will be far different than what you are used to... but it should quickly become natural to hold after some time.
That aside, the picture quality from the camera is subpar. Outdoor photos came through sharp, with some great color, but indoor and macro shots were chancy. 6MP images in general are not going to be ones you will really use for anything other than to resize, because they are very grainy and noisy. At resolutions of 2048*1536 and lower though, you will be able to enjoy relatively clean images.
With the S10 , I have found more image problems than previous models... even the slimline S4. Throughout a single night of testing, I found very noticeable chromatic aberration, purple fringing and noise. Vignetting was also a problem but is not unusual. If you are taking macro or indoor shots, vignetting seems to fade away at around 15mm. Anything lower and you will very likely notice it quite easily.
The camera takes good pictures up to the full focal range, and the 10x zoom is welcomed. Though the image quality at that point is absolutely horrible, it's nice to capture certain details 200ft away, such as signs or license plates.
As for the shooting capability, I found the camera to be rather slow. Sometimes it would take up to 3 seconds to prepare for the next shot, which doesn't seem like much, but it is when you are trying to snap photos of something quickly. With the flash off, its a completely different story. In a quick test, while focusing on the same object, the camera took 23 pictures in 30 seconds, at which point it was -really- slowing down. So, that's not so bad coming from a camera that's focused on style more than performance.
One of the main problems I found with this camera is the SRP of $479USD. That price is ridiculous for what the camera can do, but luckily enough it has gone way down in price since release. Now, the maximum you will pay is $400, although some e-tailers have it for $320 and under.
For the $300 price range, this makes a good camera for all around use. However, I am not quick to recommend it, unless you particularly enjoy the unique styling. Depending on where you shoot, the image quality can vary between average and good. The color that the camera provides is very good though, so that's a plus. If you want good image quality for a small form camera, you may want to look at the P3 that we reviewed this past summer. If you want to get a good camera on a budget, you should shop around. I am not particularly impressed by the Coolpix L series, so you should do your research on the best bang for buck.
If you have a comment you wish to make on this review, feel free to head on into our forums! There is no need to register in order to reply to such threads.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Techgage Networks Inc. - All Rights Reserved.