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The Nikon Coolpix S5 has a Nikkor 3x optical zoom lens that stays within the innovatively-designed wavy camera body, a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the back, and a one-touch portrait button on the top that accesses all of Nikon’s portraiture technology: face priority auto focus and red-eye fix in recording and lighting compensation in playback.
The flash casts harsh shadows but only in its tiny range, the S5’s controls are cramped and tiny, and the battery doesn’t last very long.
In terms of focusing the Nikon Coolpix S5 starts off well enough but in many of the photos the sharpness drifts away as you move towards the edge of the photo. This is evident in the first outdoor landscape shot. In the centre of the photo the brickwork and the tiles on the building are in sharp focus. As you move away towards the edge the focus gets progressively softer. This happens to a greater degree than I am used to seeing with other similar digital cameras. This is also noticeable in both the second and third landscape shots as well.
The conclusions: Although I have found little to actually put me off this camera I am finding it difficult to come up with reasons why you should buy it in preference to other digital cameras with similar features.
Though it might not lead the pack based on image quality alone, the Nikon Coolpix S5 has a lot going for it in a camera this small.
For starters, the Nikon S5’s svelte metallic chassis is one of the thinnest I’ve used, making it the perfect camera to slip into your pocket and forget about until you’re ready to take pictures.
Along with being thin, the camera boasts a distinctive wave-like design that’s less than a inch thick on the right side, providing a convenient handgrip. The left half of the camera has a slight ripple to house the impressive 3x optical Nikkor ED glass lens which does not protrude from the body even at full zoom. The majority of the rear of the Nikon S5 is taken up by the camera’s nice 2.5-inch LCD which produces great playback and live preview thanks to the screen’s 230,000 pixels.