Nikon Coolpix S210 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Brushed Bronze)

I love this camera, great price and the quality is awesome! The user face is super easy and not complex, figured it out in just a few minutes. I purchased one for my parents for Christmas, makes a great gift!

This camera does a great job if you let it. Meaning just put it in automatic and select the stabalization to auto and let it go. The first pictures we took were using different settings and they did not turn out too good.
Once we put everything in auto it worked out great! We even blew up a shot on the beach to an 8 by 10 and the detail was perfect!

I got this camera 6 months ago and have had mixed results with it. Electronic VR stabilization or not, the pictures I take turn out blurry about half the time I take them. That's pretty annoying when you're trying to capture the moment. I usually have to stand very, very still, prop the camera on a solid surface, or use the flash. My other complaint is that the photos tend to turn out really washed out if I take outdoor photos. Even on "vivid" mode the colors in the photos are dull. I usually have to lower the exposure compensation manually before I take a photo.

One good thing, I have to say, is the "night landscape" mode works really well if you use a tripod or set the camera up on a flat surface and use the timer. I've taken some amazing night scenes with it.

What more can I say. It was a birthday present for my thirteenth birthday, hence I am over 13.
I love my camera. It is beautiful, functional, and colorful, just like Kate Moss.

Michelle

I bought this camera 5 days ago (Nov. 3rd). I bought this particular camera becuase I've heard so many great things about Nikon, and have been thinking of purchasing a Nikon DSLR. I really wanted a DSLR, but cannot afford it at this time, and needed to upgrade my ancient digital Olympus for family pics. I also thought it would be a good idea to purchase a cheaper digital camera to get used to the settings before deciding for sure which DSLR I would eventually purchase. After looking at several other cameras in the store that were not in stock, I went ahead and purchased the S210 because of the 8MP and the 2000ISO that it boasts. I should have waited.

I didn't like it shortly after taking it out of the box. In order for me to figure out the camera functions I had to read the very detailed, technically written manual. I am an extremely intelligent person, and very computer/technologically literate. I got very frustrated while playing with it the first night. I put it on HighISO and could not figure out how to take it off. When you go to that section of the manual, it just tells you what its for. It took me until the next day to figure out that it was an independant setting like the scene mode and the camera mode. You cannot just pick up the camera and start using it, you have to read the manual.

I took 25 pictures the next day that I actually kept, I probably took at least twice that. I wasn't particularly happy with any of them, every single one turned out blurry after I downloaded them onto my laptop. So, that night I looked up reviews on this camera (I should've done that before I bought the camera, but I got excited). Most of the reviews echoed what I had already experienced, however, one review on Amazon said that you needed to play with it. So, I broke down and read the manual and have played with the camera for several days. I have probably taken a couple of hundred pictures with it by now. It seems to do pretty well in good light. The functions in the camera mode are fun to play with and I was able to get some interesting effects with the different color/lighting/ISO functions. However, the camera seems to have problems with the focus, especially if you are using it in indoor lighting (particularly at night when all the house lights are on). BTW, I discovered that if you have the high energy light bulbs (you know, the spiral ones) you have to set the light on flourescent, not incandescent, it makes a huge difference in the coloring of your pictures. I have not been able to figure out what settings will fix the focus, I have used every ISO, light, and color setting, and I am getting sick of the maddening red box. If you go ahead and take the picture it is not noticeable, however, if you zoom into the pictures either on the camera, or on the computer, there is some slight blurring, especially farther out in the corners. Even if you do manage to get it in focus, the only thing in focus is what the camera focused on. Again, not noticeable until you zoom in.

If you are looking for a camera that just takes pictures, and don't plan on editing them or blowing them up, this camera is great. It takes good standard pictures. However, don't bother with the 1600 or 2000 ISO, the room has to be very dark (we're talking single light source here) to get a decent picture without any noise (believe me, I tried it in several lighting scenarios). Actually, come to think of it, the High ISO (which automatically bumps the ISO up to 1600) is great for birthday parties where the only light is the candles on the birthday cake. Might take great pics of the Chrismas tree, too. I love the fact that it is small and fits into your pocket, and the color is pretty (mine was the plum color). It seems to have decent timing, though I really have no comparison, since my old camera took 5 seconds or more to take a picture.

All in all, it is a decent camera, but I wish I had done more research before purchasing it. It is a great camera, just not for what I want to use it for. The settings are fun to play with, once you figure them out. I would highly recommend it for someone who just plans on printing out 4X6 or 8X10 pics without a whole lot of editing, or a young person who is interested in photography. Its a great starter camera. BTW, battery life is great. I charged it fully the first night and didn't have to charge it again till two days later (Nov 5th), and I am still going off that charge.

I have not yet decided whether I will return the camera.