Even though you can't manually adjust the aperture and shutter settings on the Coolpix S9100, you do have direct control over the camera's ISO settings, which range up to ISO 3200. Visual noise creeps in starting at about ISO 800, but the camera performs well at high ISO levels for a model of its price and sensor size.

Despite the lack of a true manual focus mode, the Coolpix S9100 provides a nice bank of autofocus controls. The camera's 'Manual' autofocus setting lets you move the focus point to off-center areas of the image for more-dramatic shots. The Subject Tracking autofocus mode is handy for sports, as it lets you select a moving target as a focus point; in this mode the camera retains focus on the subject, even if it leaves the field of view for a second or so before reentering the scene.

In addition to a 1080p full high-definition movie-recording mode at 30 frames per second, the Coolpix S9100 adds a number of high-speed shooting modes to its video arsenal: a 240-fps mode that records at a resolution of 320 by 240 (good for YouTube), a 120-fps high-speed mode at 640 by 480, and 60-fps recording at 720p. You can also flip between continuous autofocus and single autofocus modes for video capture, and the camera's audio settings allow you to turn on a wind-noise-cancellation feature for its twin stereo microphones.

This camera also has one of the better LCD screens we've seen recently. The 3-inch display on the Nikon Coolpix S9100 is tack-sharp, and it maintains good visibility in anything but the most direct sunlight.

The Coolpix S9100 is lighter and slimmer than most pocket megazooms on the market, weighing 7.6 ounces with its battery and card inserted. It's 1.4 inches deep--thin enough to fit into a front shirt pocket or most pants pockets. It's a good-looking camera, too, with a matte-black faceplate and minimal buttons; one thing to test before buying is the camera's ever-so-slightly raised handgrip, which adds to its sleek looks but may not be raised enough to feel secure in your hand.