Nikon Coolpix S51
- 4.0 out of 5
- 4.0 out of 5
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Research the Nikon Coolpix S51
Editors' Comments
The Nikon Coolpix S51 is a simple, sleek ultracompact looking to make a splash with a large LCD screen and some handy image stabilization. It's a nice looking camera, with a solid array of specifications that should please any casual photographer. It's close relative, the S51c is essentially the same camera, but with added Wi-Fi capability. We're not too keen on the Wi-Fi, especially for the price bump, so we say stick with the S51 and your plain old USB cable.
Specifications
- 8 megapixels
- 3x optical zoom / 4x digital zoom
- Lens-shift optical image stabilization
- Movie mode with sound
- Auto and manual focus
- Auto exposure
- ISO 100-1600
- JPEG file format
- 3.0-inch LCD display
- Secure Digital memory storage (13MB internal)
- Lithium-ion battery
Comments on the Nikon S51
Store Ratings and Offer Details for the Nikon Coolpix S51
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Nikon Coolpix S51 Reviews
- 3.62774566473988 out of 5
Nikon Coolpix S51 Reviews by Digital Camera-HQ Users
- 3.0 out of 5
The camera is great, it takes great pictures with very good zoom. I have had it for about a year now and the lense has gotten stuck closed multiple times. It is starting to hurt my wallet with the amount of times I had to send in it to get it fixed.
- 5.0 out of 5
I've NEVER had any problems with this camera... not once. I've got probably about ten camera... digital and manual... this is my favorite digital by far. one recommendation - buy a case or pouch to put this camera in... the lcd is huge and (of course) scratches easily.
- 4.0 out of 5
Like the title, overall, this is a pretty good camera. My only complaint is that unless you're COMPLETELY still, you'll get some blurry pictures. Great size screen, great colors, quick processor..... overall a pretty good camera.
- 2.0 out of 5
This camera was too expensive for all the problems I have had. First of all, when you try to take a picture, it takes a good 3 seconds before it focuses and takes it, but by then, the moment has passed! Especially if you have little kids like I do and want a candid shot. Second, if you check the internet, hundreds of people have had the same problem I am now experiencing with the memory card being write protected. It is not the memory card's fault, though. Inside the camera, there are sensors that go bad quickly and when you insert your memory card, it own't take pictures. the only option is to tape the memory card into the unlock position so that the camera will sense it is there. It is a short-term fix and not one that an owner of the camera should have to do since it is obviously an error in the manufacturing since so many people have experienced the same issue. So, even though this camera looks good and is compact, I wouls NEVER buy it or any of the Coolpix cameras again.
- 3.0 out of 5
I got this camera for my birthday because my previous camera was just so bulky. I wanted something I could carry around in my purse. So, I love the slim styling of it for sure. I think it takes great outdoor shots but after more than a year of ownership, I still have not been able to get great indoor shots. Also, the delay is quite pronounced. I have two small children and a dog - my primary subjects - and I miss at least half of all photo opportunities because it takes a full two seconds from the time I click to when it takes the picture. Though I think it's a pretty good camera, I will be shopping for a new one for this reason alone. Also, it seems that every time I zoom in more than halfway, the picture always looks grainy. I think I know why Nikon discontinued this model.
- 4.0 out of 5
I really like this camera and i recommend it but i had to send it in 3 times. They always sent in back but it was never correctly repaired. So the final time i sent it in i called and made sure they would send me a whole new camera. And they did and it arrived at my house 2 days later and it has worked ever since
- 1.0 out of 5
After two months the battery was low so I cccharged it up and reinstalled it and now the camera turns on and has menu,the last picture taken shows when powering up but has no screen after that, and pictures taken are just a black screen. Sent it back but they said it got wet but I know it didn't. If it got wet it didn't happen on my end so I wasted time and money on this camera. My new Fugi works great.
- 4.0 out of 5
I've had my Nikon Coolpix S51 for a little over a year now. I take it everywhere with me and I have been quite satisfied with the quality of the pictures that it takes. The only problem that I have found with the camera is that it takes a long time to actually snap a photo. I push the button and have to wait several seconds before it actually captures the image. This is usually okay and I have learned to be patient but it's a bit frustrating when trying to take pictures of small children who don't like to sit still, or when trying to catch an image before it changes. The battery is long-lasting and re-chargable which is great. It also has several different visual modes that play with the color/sepia/black and white, etc. of the photo. Overall, I have been very satisfied with this product. :)
- 5.0 out of 5
I have a blue Nikon coolpix s51. It offers great Picture quality. There are so many options available to take any type of images. With sleek and small size, it is easy to carry anywhere anytime like a mobile phone. I would like to thank Nikon to offer such a great camera
- 4.0 out of 5
It has a great LCD screen, it tooks great pics, the buttons are too small especially the zoom button. When you shake it you can hear a noise like something is inside but no complains. A good camera and a good investment.
- 5.0 out of 5
I keep bragging about this camera, I used to have a kodak and it took horrible pictures.. I like the quality of these photos and the options it has with it. VERY WELL PLEASED!
- 3.0 out of 5
I'm not happy with the time it takes to snap a photo. In low light, it takes almost 2 seconds from the time you push the button to when the photo actually snaps. It has to first focus, then flash about 3 times. By the time the photo snaps, the picture changes. I also wish it had a normal USB cable - I don't like special cables & software.
- 5.0 out of 5
I dont find any difference between S51 and S51c in Nikon except the Wifi capabilites.
Also I compared the Canon SD700 with Nikon S51. I found Nikon is the superior in few aspects.
I love this camera 3" screen and non elevated lense. Its worth to own for $200. I would like to go for this (S51)
Nikon Coolpix S51 Comments & Questions (write your own!)
I was going to buy one but if your information is correct I won't bother. I will wait for the S510 that is 0.005 seconds This slow speed could be because it is an integral telephoto lens?
I'll contact Nikon as well to verify the information I received. I don't remember which site I got it at, but it was a professional reviewer's website.
I have E-mailed Canon but I have had no response so far. I just think 0.1 seconds is very bad as this is one of their latest camera's. My son's old Fuiji Z5 is only 0.01 seconds. Nikon won't sell a lot of these if that is the best they can do with their latest technology.
Simon.
Simon.
Meanwhile, there are a few tips to speed up your performance:
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Shoot in "sports" modes when you're in situations that require action. Night or available light modes when in night time settings. These presets can help in speeding up your shots, rather than the camera taking a split second to evaluate the conditions of the lighting.
5. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
6. Use a flash - even in day time. This will "freeze" the image and cause your subject to "pop" in the shot. However, flash is only designed for limited range and can dissipate outside of about 20-25 feet unless you're using a zoomable flash.
7. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
Hope that helps.
uhm i know this question is answered but i was about to ask the same question.
i wanted to clarify on something. if that's alright.
so the shutter lag for the nikon s51 is 0.1 seconds if it's in auto and 0.4 seconds if it's in program or manual?
i have a pretty old camera.. it's a canon powershot A400 nd i don't know what the shutter lag is but i can get pretty clear shots nd i just want to know if the nikon s51's shutter lag longer or shorter than the powershot A400 because i don't know how fast/slow the 0.1-0.4 seconds is.
thanks for your time :)
And since Moore's Law ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore... ) is in play here, I'd be VERY surprised if the A400 lag time is faster than the s51. What's really cool is that according to recent news articles, many camera companies will be incorporating the CCD chips they use in their SLR lines (which give no shutter lag) into their point and shoot cameras. So look for it within the next few years.
You really shouldn't have a problem with sunlight.
Is there a limit to the length of the movie you can record on this camera and also the size of the sd card?
I don't know about the S51, but the S52 limits your video to maximum 10 minutes in length, no matter what your SD card size is.
The good news is that according to recent news articles, many camera companies will be incorporating the CCD chips they use in their SLR lines (which give no shutter lag) into their point and shoot cameras. So look for it within the next few years.
Meantime, there are also other tips to speed up your performance:
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Shoot in "sports" modes when you're in situations that require action. Night or available light modes when in night time settings. These presets can help in speeding up your shots, rather than the camera taking a split second to evaluate the conditions of the lighting.
5. Go manual. If you are manually focusing, particularly in darker settings, you can constantly refocus the image as things happen. Also, the infrared does have a range and if your image is out of that range you can end up with the camera's "best guess" or infinity setting which may not help. You can also go manual on fstops and shutter speeds as well, getting more light faster when you choose.
6. Go with a shallow depth of field.
7. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
8. Use a flash - even in day time. This will "freeze" the image and cause your subject to "pop" in the shot. However, flash is only designed for limited range and can dissipate outside of about 20-25 feet unless you're using a zoomable flash.
9. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
Make these a habitual part of your technique and you'll cut your shutter lag by as much as 80% no matter what camera you use (except for DSLRs, of course, since they don't have the lag).
Now, if you want greater zoom range. Then we can talk the H7. Course, I'd rather talk the SP560UZ ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ).
Dave
Nikon has several models ( nikonusa.com/announcement_c... ) which incorporate optical image stabilization. The G9 equivalent is the P5100 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ). But there's also the S510, S700, S51 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ), and the L15 ( digitalcamera-hq.com/digita... ) to name a few.
Andrew
if yes how ?
Andrew
Andrew
Andrew
Some cameras will be better than others at particular things. We can help you narrow you selection with this kind of information.
Larry
I cannot find information on exactly *what* the shot-to-shot speed is. I found information on cnet.com that the Sony was 1.6 seconds. cnet.com *loves* the Sony DCS-T100 but that is not available anymore.
I know the Nikon is slower but how much slower? Is it going to be so much annoyingly slower to make it worth spending twice the price for the Sony?
The argument is essentially this: CCD chips on point and shoot cameras a smaller and as such, fitting in more pixels causes them to lose light sensivity. Sure, there’s more data on the chip, but the chip can’t absorb the light data and what it ends up with is a picture that has more noise than image quality. In addition, the more megapixels a camera has, the larger the lens it needs to provide the clarity it deserves and prevent diffraction due to a loss of detail with smaller apertures. But since we’re talking portable point and shoots here, those large lenses simply aren’t being made.
Finally, with larger mega pixels comes longer saving time due to their requires huge storage capacity, or more compression if not storing images in RAW format. The result is a noisier image and a dissatisfied camera user who thirsts for high quality and speed but fell into the trap of "more must mean better."
So, relying on a smaller MP that can balance all these needs may indeed be a better answer.
However, that doesn't mean that setting your camera to a lower setting will help either. Essentially, the image is reduced to the set quality after it has been processed by the CCD. As such, the light still goes through those pixels, only that after some basic processing steps pixels "thrown out" to make the image to the desired setting and size. This process is called "Choking" and that will cause Artifacting and noise. Additionally, you'll also loose details of the recorded image.
Some cameras have written into their firmware a process called "binning," which merges the signals of multiple pixels to make larger pixels. Usually at a 4-1 ration. This will essentially turn a 12-megapixel camera into a 3-megapixel camera. And that gives you the opposite problem of too many pixels on the chip ... you now have too few and as such, will run into artifacting instead of noise.
So, if noise/grain is your issue, the best you can do is try and shoot with a flash, don't let the camera choose an ISO above 400 and shoot in good lighting conditions.
Andrew
The image during playback is fine. Nice color. I was inquiring about the display before I shoot the pic. I follow the suggested exposure setting to no more than 400 iso.
Andrew
The white balance is set at auto. what should i set this to??
Andrew
I'm not sure what you're asking for or what you're asking. I did not receive an email from you.
If you are getting email that is unwanted, you can turn the notification off by checking the box at the bottom of this page that corresponds to the statement: "Email me with replies to this question"
Andrew
want something really fast?
try casio's Ex-F1
moviemiguel.blogspot.com/20...
However, Tres, if you think about how a point and shoot works ... it has to find the subject, focus, determine the best shot settings, charge the flash and fire it if needed and then write the picture to disc.
Depending on your chip, you will have shutter lag ranging from .2-.8 seconds or longer. It's just a fact of life in point and shoot cameras (DSLRs have no restriction).
But there are ways to combat it.
1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.
2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.
3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.
4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.
5. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.
6. Go completely manual if available.
Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.
There is a very good example of a photo full of white spots and the contributor made some suggestions to minimize them. see <a href="h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc... site</a>
<a href="webpages.charter.net/bbigge... site</a>tells more about the experience with ' white spots '.
So you have not missed out anything, just that the your camera puts out a very intense flash light, causing the reflections from the dust particles to bounce back to the camera.
If you follow the suggestions from the two authors, you might get less spots on your picture.
Has worked for one full year and then all of a sudden began this annoying error message.
Chocolate Brown
Purchased from Wolf Camera
Works when no memory card is inserted.
Another tip is to go to Nikon's website and look for firmware updates. Download and install them. Then, I'd try reformatting the card anyway.
Slide this switch to the unlock pistion will solve your problem.
They may be bent, corroded or simply dirty.
There is no way out except to open it up, do a thorough cleaning, and re-adjust any bent pins.
If you search the nets, there are all sorts of home-brew tricks to solve the problem. Some work, some don't.
Among them is a safe way to go about it and that is to tape the small switch in the unlock position with a black tape, just like you do on the floppy disc during the old days.
Quite a few people tried and found it working beautifully. You may wish to do the same.
I do like your last suggestion though.
Cannot write to memory card usually indicates poor contacts with the 'fingers' of the card, particularly in this case where all cards tested gave the same result.
The camera's ability to write to the internal memory shows that it is in perfect working condition. Anything else you do to the camera will probably make it worse.
it's good to know the tape works for you, even if it's a temporary solution.
I sometimes feel that the card locking mechanism is too delicate and perhaps for that reason, professional cameras opt for the larger compact flash cards.
I can certainly undertand the frustration. But it may also be the card has an inferior locking design which can work it's way lose easier than an upper level card. What brand are you using?
I wedged a small piece of thick paper between the battery and the SD card to gently force the fingers to make contact and it now works for me. Saved me having to open up the camera.