Introduced only months after the S1, the Nikon Coolpix S2 is the continuation of a line of digital cameras that Nikon has deemed its “Style” line. The sleek aesthetic and slim profile is something we haven’t seen from Nikon until now. This 5 megapixel model includes flashy features such as a 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, 15 scene modes, and Nikon’s in-camera palette of technology: red-eye fix, face priority AF, and D-lighting compensation. The flashy features come with automatically oriented modes and controls. All of this comes in a splash-proof camera body that fits squarely in the palm of your hand. The sleek S2 comes with a COOLSTATION camera dock that has port connections for easy printing, uploading, and battery recharging.
The Nikon Coolpix S2 is built with style in mind, as well as ease of use for the fashion-conscious point-and-shooter. The 5 megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD comes packed in a splash-proof metal body with a 3x optical zoom lens that remains flush with the camera body at all times. The stylish design includes a sliding lens door that protects the lens and flash while providing a nice mirror for your own fashion purposes.
The Nikon S2 has 15 scene modes as well as its generic automatic mode. There is no manual mode and there are hardly any manual controls, although there is a manual white balance setting. The S2 isn’t supposed to have manual controls though; this camera is built for people who don’t want to bother adjusting the aperture – they just want to take great pictures. Unfortunately, even that may be hard with the Nikon Coolpix S2. Many of the photographs I took turned out blurry, even in bright daylight. The image quality obviously isn’t emphasized on this model, as it boasts a lot of features that digital camera manufacturers are flaunting this year. The camera has a large 2.5-inch LCD screen, but its resolution is substandard. It has 12MB of internal memory, but that’s only enough for about ten pictures. It has fancy Nikon technology that claims to recognize faces, fix red-eye, and compensate for poor lighting; however, I found these features a little lacking. The Coolpix S2 does come with a unique time lapse mode for still and video, as well as a nice help guide to aid those point-and-shooters. Retailing for a pricey $449.95, Nikon hopes consumers will be enamored with the S2’s design, because internally, it is just another expensive digital camera with a shortage of manual options and substandard picture quality.