Authored by Kumara Velu in Gadgets, Photography
Published on 03-01-2009

Are you trying to get your feet wet in digital photography and looking for a reliable camera to get going? Are camera shakes ruining your best shots? Are you looking for a camera with a design that will make heads turn?

You would want to consider Nikon S210 which comes in stylish metallic colors and fits your palm comfortably. This latest offering from one of the leaders of camera technology, meets almost all the expectations of a point-and-shoot beginner. You can rest assured you’re in good hands with Nikon’s EXPEED image processing technology which blends perfectly with the camera’s outstanding NIKKOR lens.

For a beginner, 8.0 megapixels of effective resolution should do the trick in most common photography situations. With Nikon S210, you will get to capture fine details and tonal beauty of your subject without much tinkering of camera control buttons. With light sensitivity settings as high as ISO 2000, you are sure to end up with clear and crisp images. Don’t expect to find a viewfinder though. Just point and frame your subject within the 2. 5 inch LCD screen at the back of the camera.

Although the camera would feel comfortable in your palm, you may find your forefinger straying towards the On/Off button and accidentally pressing it when you try to hold the camera securely. The last thing you would want to happen is turning off your camera in the middle of an exciting shoot. This is actually a minor inconvenience compared to the easy-to-identify layout of important buttons.

You can easily spot the zoom button close to the shutter button. Buttons to activate camera menu, photo viewing and deletion can also be easily located and remembered. Other functions like the video mode may take you a little while to get familiar with. Anyway, there’s always the manual to come to your aid in case you’re not sure how to execute a particular function.

Shooting in a variety of situations is a breeze with the help of the Portrait, Landscape, Party, Sports or Fireworks exposure settings.

The Best Shot Selector is another feature that would excite you. It allows you to snap a series of ten shots with the single press of the shutter button. The Selector only saves the sharpest of the ten images captured. S210 also has the ability to create a time lapse movie if you’re willing to tinker with its timing options.

Video Quality

You can’t expect the quality offered by a dedicated video camera. However, the video quality would be satisfactory enough to be uploaded to YouTube.

Issues

Although, Nikon’s VR Image Stabilization feature reduces shakes and blurs, they don’t seem to be effective in handling major shakes. The Image Stabilization feature is, after all, of the electronic and not the optical type. You would want to use a tripod if you need better image stabilization. Shutter response time may not be to your liking, as a delay of a few extra seconds may lead to missing an important moment or two.

Overall, ease of use, a stylish design and lots of cool features would make up for the minor shortfalls and endear you to Nikon S210.