computerwoche.de

Archiv

Nikon Coolpix S9100 Pocket-Megazoom Camera

13.04.2011
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 is a camera that seemingly achieves the impossible on several fronts. First on that list of surprises is its 18X zoom lens, which matches the optical reach of the at the top end of the market. It also serves up stunning image quality for its reasonable $330 (as of April 13, 2011) price: In our subjective tests, the S9100's photos were on a par with those of much higher-priced cameras such as its sibling, the ($450), and the ($500). And despite that sophisticated firepower, it's also one of the easiest cameras to use right out of the box, thanks to its simple button layout, straightforward menus, and array of automated modes.

But here's the most mind-boggling thing about the Coolpix S9100: Despite having no and no mode, it's the rare camera that's bound to please both novices and experienced shooters alike. It has a great blend of creative automated controls and overall versatility that will make you forget about manual controls very quickly--you probably won't even miss them. If you're looking for a long-zoom camera that can fit in your pocket, is very easy to use, rarely ever takes a bad photo, and never gets boring, the Coolpix S9100 is among the best options we've ever tested.

Accompanying the Nikon Coolpix S9100's 18X-optical-zoom lens (25mm to 450mm, F3.5 to F5.9) is a 12-megapixel, backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that's optimized for low-light shooting environments. And the camera does perform fairly well in low-light situations--just as long as it has a bit of light to work with in your scene and you can tolerate a little visible graininess in near-dark environments. However, the image quality becomes really impressive when you use the camera's D-Lighting and Quick Retouch editing functions after you take a shot. The editing features create a retouched copy of your photo, brightening up the scene and sharpening contrast.

Although you can't dial in specific shutter speeds and f-stops, the S9100 has scene modes that leave the shutter open for a few seconds (Fireworks) or fire it quickly enough to freeze fast-moving objects (Sports mode, as well as the camera's 9.5-fps burst mode at full resolution). It also offers a very good macro mode that lets you get within an inch of your subject and capture images with a very shallow depth of field for a pocketable camera.

Way on the other side of that 18X zoom lens, the Coolpix S9100 effortlessly locks in on objects three city blocks away, and the camera's sensor-shift image stabilization does its job in keeping shots as steady as possible. This is a camera that excels at both ends of its long-zoom lens. While shooting video, you can zoom with the full extent of that 18X lens, and autofocus stays sharp throughout the zoom range, too. I did experience a bit of searching at the midrange of the zoom lens when I was composing photos; but while I was shooting video, focus remained locked in throughout the zoom.