There are some exceptions first of all, the picture quality isn't so good inside, but then again you have to experiment with it, in order to get yourself associated so you can learn how to set the settings, so the quality does turn average/better. I love the way nighttime/sports, fireworks, portrait works. Yes I'm not a professional photographer, but i love cameras. This one is awesome, its definitely a nice beginner camera for those interested into being a future photographer. The battery life was reasonable than I'm used to in past cameras, I have owned. I've used a camera from 10am-8pm without changing batteries, being operated on Ni-Mh rechargables mind you. There is options on this camera, where you can set it on standby after a while. If your not using it and it goes on standby in a min..the battery life will last at least 10hrs. This camera also does videos in awesome quality... comes NTFS or Pal and the difference is NTFS is European and PAL is U.S. You could record your favorite clips from Tv's shows and Movies, or at a simple event of your choice. I have a 2Gb memory card and it lets me record for 20mins... Normally cameras this reasonable don't record videos very well and have crappy quality, but the quality has over exceeded my expectations . So it has it's bad points, to certain people, but it takes experimenting to learn to use it, and you'll find it's definitely way better of a camera than most people realize. Definitely worth the buy.

I can't believe the amount of folks who simply cannot read, or cannot understand the manual. It is a fairly easy read. I have had this camera for almost two months now and have used it indoors and out, bad light and good, sunsets and stars. IF you play with the settings and find out how it all works, and use the included software then this camera is absolutely great! I love the feel, the multitude of settings and the superior panoramic ability of this camera. Then again, if you can't read and understand directions, go get a Kodak, they don't even come with manuals anymore!

Bought one of these in July 2009 as a b'day gift for our granddaughter. By September the camera had quit working altogether. Sent it to Nikon, who replaced it with a new camera (same model). Replacement was received in October; by Thanksgiving the replacement camera quit working. Contacted Nikon, who refused to repair or replace newer camera. VERY poor quality control on these cameras. I spent over $100 for this camera; 4 months and two cameras later, I had *nothing*. Buy your camera from a reputable manufacturer—not Nikon.

Eventually you will get a lens error problem. Nikon won't fix it because they call it damage. This is the 2nd Coolpix that I have owned. The first one L18. Same problem . Lens gets stuck just turning on the camera and Nikon states it is impact damage and they won't cover it under warranty.

Poor indoor picture quality. Long lag time between pictures. Spend a few $$ more and get a better one. Would not recommend this.

Poor indoor picture quality. Long lag time between pictures. Spend a few $$ more and get a better one. Would not recommend this.

Poor indoor picture quality. Long lag time between pictures. Spend a few $$ more and get a better one. Would not recommend this.

The L20 has some impressive numbers but the automatic modes are horrible compared to the old L19. If there isn't excessive light the exposure time is huge and almost every picture comes out blurry. No night shots, few action shots, needs a good rest for many pictures and needs tons of flash. I'll probably sell it soon and look elsewhere.

... than the ones with all the negative reviews?

I'm quite pleased with mine!

I'm best described as an amateur photographer that wants a little more than point-and-shoot, I've owned several similar cameras (Canon, Samsung, etc.) over the last few years.

I've only owned this one for three days, but have actually READ the manual (a change for me), and experimented with most of the functions. I've taken a couple hundred pics in this short time ... of course many were awful ... but with a bit of playful try-out, I've figured out how to take some awesome shots!

* The camera is compact but feels solid and reliable. The battery and memory cards doors seem quite adequate.
* DO read the manual
* The 'Easy Auto Mode' gives me sharp point-and-shoot pics, inside and out, good lighting and poor... great for most situations.
* The buffet of special settings and functionality make this a great all-around camera.

And at this price, I'd be hard-pressed to ask for more.

I picked up this camera and thought that I was holding a film camera that I had when I was 7 or 8. It feels like it is cheap and made of plastic. I got this as a gift knowing I was getting a camera for Christmas.. I was expecting a nice camera, an "upgrade" from my first one that is 4 1/2 years old and I actually believe that it is a downgrade

turn of the motion detection, I had trouble at first getting a clear picture at first. so turned off motion feature and every picture is perfect. love to use it inside or outside. night or daylight. looking foward to the forth of July firework 's so I can use the firework's display feature on camera.

This camera takes fantastic photos in the point and shoot, auto modes. I like it because you can do creative things with it. For eighty-nine dollars it's a steal.

It's hard to take a bad picture with it. I can't believe people have problems with it, but then again, I at least read the quick manual before I turn it on.

my old 5 megapixel camera surpassed the blurry photos on this one. Only about 20 percent of pictures are clear, even when shot in the same light seconds apart.

I own a Canon SLR and wanted something small that could be used when I didn't want to carry my big SLR around. I love my Canon, but this Nikon is fine for taking pictures. The picture quality is clear and when I printed them on my photo printer at home, they looked great! The preview screen is grainy, but the pictures are clear. I would recommend this camera to anyone wanting a good point and shoot camera.

I have just benn sent this from my brother in US and at first every photo I took was blurry it was really frustrating. However, today I have had a breakthrough!!! I have turned the motion detector OFF, it's crap and makes every photo blurry. Also I have the flash on all the time and my photo's now are as sharp or even sharper than my last camera. I think the camera's got some amazing features but when you take it back to basics is when it works at its best.

There is no way I could have a better camera.

I have owned this camera for 4 months but only started using it last week when my grandson was born. The photos are excellent....incredible detail and clarity. HOWEVER!!! The camera is poorly made. The battery and card compartment is difficult to use and open. I am certain over time it would have broken. Sadly, I will never find out since after using for approx. 40 photos, the lens stuck and screen says "lens error." I, nor anyone else, has been able to fix it. I got no satisfaction from the place of purchase, nikon, etc. Very disappointing. My brother also had the identical thing happen to him, although, he did own the camera longer than I. Expensive for what amounted to a disposable camera!

It is a good camera for less than 130 dollars. It is a Nikon, and tried it for some 400 pics, and 95% of them are wonderfull. I haven't read the manual, this is my first digital camera, however it gives me great pics. I even use the easy auto-mode, and it is perfect, just give it the time to adjust, and don't shake your hands.... Remember, it is not a $1000 camera, and does not function like one, but I think it is the best cheap camera ... it's amazing... it is a good deal... it is fair enough for me... not the best, and not the most expensive too...

When I got this camera, I was excited really for the look. I really like the deep red. I tested it out a bit at the store, thought it was fairly standard. When I took it home and played around with it, I kind of panicked because the pictures did not turn out well at all. Some grainy and blurry, just awful pictures. So I decided to read the manual, read more about camera functions, and played with all the options and my pictures turn out so beautiful now. I agree with some comments, you have to play with the settings and get to know it. For an amateur wannabe photographer who wants a little more control than your average point and shoot, this is a great start. Really, really advice reading the manual and your photos will look brilliant.

I reccently bought a Nikon L20 camera after reading a lot of reviews and going through multiple sample pictures. But it did not live upto those good feedbacks residing online. This camera is good but it has not lived up to my expectations especially for indoor pictures. It catches unrealistic colors for indoor pictures, with mostly darker upper portions of the pics. It probably has issues dealing with prevelant light in the scenery it focuses on.

...NOT HAPPY at all....waste of time and money...poor construction quality....poor photo quality...

It's a Nikon, people. it's not a point and shoot toy. Read the actual owner's instructions. After doing so and using this camera the way it was intended you'll fine that this camera's light sensor is far superior than anything on the market in the same price range. This camera is not just your typical point and shoot tourist camera. It actually allows you to shoot in advanced and professional modes once you learn how to do so.

I did take my camera on vacation and took some great photos and received many compliments on the photo quality. Yes, the battery life is short, but do not leave the camera on. Just because it is on standby it still uses battery power. Also, most importantly, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. I am sure there are better point and shoot cameras, but it does not deserve all this negative feedback.

I purchased this camera on a trip to a museum because our camera was well past its prime. Upon using this camera though I have put the batteries back into my old camera. The picture quality is horrific, faces are washed out and that's when you can see the faces at all. I took 30 pictures and of that 4 were what I would consider good enough to keep and not even great. The majority of the pictures are so blurry it reminds me of when you leave the shutter open for a long time to get a night shot without a tripod. Luckily we live within 2 hours of the museum so we can go back with a different camera. I have had it for one day and I am returning it. It goes to show that name alone is not a good enough indicator for means of purchase. My old kodak 2.0mp, that my husband has dropped so many times the LCD screen no longer works, still takes better quality pictures than this camera and they are always in focus. I am going back to Kodak!

The very 1st thing I noticed was that the battery and media card closure is not very sturdy at all. I was wondering if it would break it is so flimsy after you install the batteries. The camera itself does not exhibit NIKON quality at all. That is the only reason I bought it. I thought it must be good if it is a NIKON. That's a joke. Now after reading all the negatives here I'm ready to return it. I bought it for my brother for his birthday. If he keeps it, I'm sure the door will break on it. I think it needs to be returned for sure.

The book is long and boring. The autoselect scene feature makes most pictures look pretty good. The panoramic assist is a great extra.

The worst quality ever.Returned to store after developing pictures.It ruined a great vacation 200 pictures and only 10 were in decent shape to use.So so dissappointing.

My beloved husband bought this as a "surprise" for mother's day. It is much more bulky than my Sony Cybershot was. My biggest complaint is the BATTERY LIFE! It seems every time I grab it to take candid shot, the batteries are dead! I am constantly changing the AA's. I have tried every brand and type and nothing seems to have any real effect. Very frustrating and I have missed some great moments with my grandbabies. Too slow when taking multiple pictures. Instructions lengthy and difficult to understand. Pictures ARE crisp when you can take some.

Used for a week it is very bad camera i have seen, picture quality is poor. its not worth buying

Bought my wife one 21/2 mths later lens error comes up. Take back to store and 3 mths later same thing. Talk to Nikon today and want to pay for it. Will never buy from them again

The worst digital camera I have ever owned by far. Very blurry pics and the LCD screen view is very grainy. Camera has trouble focusing on anything you point it at. Using the zoom assures even more distorted pictures. NEVER AGAIN!!!

HORRIBLY Blurry ALL the time! Doesn't matter what kind of lighting, what kind of movement.. I even put this on a tabletop and just pushed the button while taking a picture of a flower.. it's not like the flower was going to run off! STILL blurry! HATE IT! DO NOT BUY THIS POS!

i have taken quite a lot of pics some are avg. quality and some are really very good...
i think the camera requires good light condition to click good images...
but in less light the pics are a bit low quality...
before this camera i have a finepix from fujifilm..
it was a 5mp but in low light its images r way better in terms of sharpness...
the camera is bit on a bulky side ...
but conc. it runs on a aa cell it is not that bulky...
but it is no were near the looks of other cameras in the market...
its a value for money...
but if you have more money to spend then go for a cybershot...

This is a horrible camera—Pictures are blurry and screen is very grainy

it's the best buy camera in the market with high quality of Sharpnes and resoulation with 100% orignal and natural colour there are 2 Auto modes, but one should use Auto mode not the easy auto mode okkkkk, and keep the flash option on forced flash , and then see the qulatiy ,,if you need more info please contact me,,, on orkut just type my name kunal kant and you will find me
Kunal Kant
Dubai

I have had the camera about 2 weeks and have used it in many different settings. Many of the pictures appear blurry on the screen and when printed are blurry as well. My prior camera was a Nikon but it broke, I was very pleased with it so I thought I would get an upgrade Nikon but I am very disappointed. I will be returning it for something different. I have tried every setting, read the manual cover to cover and continue to get blurry pics from time to time.

I have owned this camera for about 5 days...I previously had a canon powershot A95 (5 megapix) ...I have to say I am very disappointed with the camera and will be returning it tomorrow. I went with a Nikon because I always hear great things about their cameras. MY canon was just 5 megapix and the images were a lot clearer. Every pic I have taken with the Nikon are all blurry. I did read the owners manual to make sure I was not missing something. Nope...the camera just sucks!!!

Bad pictures, really blurry pictures. This camera worth max 60-70 dollars.

From the minute the camera was out fo the box, the LCD screen is grainy and terrible looking. I have taken several pics with it which have turned out okay, but I am taking the camera back tonight to see if they have another one and see if it is just this one with the grainy screen. If not, I'll go back to Canon or Olympus. :\

this is very beautifula camera with an excellent result and quick snaps shooting. its bettery is quite durable. it overall a very nice piece for gifting someone.

This camera sucks...the 3 inch preview window is so VERY grainy...good light still subject = avg photo...the NIGHT shot is worse than my first shot over 25 years ago with film SLR..

The EASY mode is NOT EASY...you ahve to first hol dteh button down to frame the photo to focuse...the release and hold down again..by this time the subject has fell asleep with boredom..no good for party shots..takes to long to recover from last shot

I'm gonna get my money back...

10 mp !!!

For the price it is a great camera, I took photos in different countries and all have come out very well.

I've had the L 20 for about 5 days. I think it's an excellent buy. If you have problems read the instruction book, that's all it will take.

This camera has nice features, but the pictures are so bad and blurry. This camera is terrible.

I have been repeatedly disappointed with the inconsistent quality of pictures. Very often, pictures appear clear on the viewing screen and I have a green light to indicate the picture is in focus. However, when I take the picture, it comes out blurry. Some pictures come out beautiful, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason for these inconsistencies.
The battery life is also a disapoint,ent. I have had this camera for just three months and already I have had to replace the batteries three times. I have probably taken 500 pictures thus far (I would probably have taken far fewer if the pictures were clear) and feel that the batteries should last much longer than they do.
I will say that this camera is super easy to use and comes in several cute colors. However, overall, I am not happy with my purchase.

This is my first time owning a Nikon, after owning various cameras by another brand for the past 20 years. I bought the L20 two weeks ago because I wanted a slight upgrade from what I was using. We gave the camera it's first test today - a family day trip to Washington, DC. I must say that I am absolutely thrilled with the depth, color and clarity of the photos that I just reviewed upon downloading. The images are stunning crisp and clear, and I am absolutely amazed that they came from a camera that was less than $125. Based upon other reviews I read, I took the minimal amount of time needed to read the handbook prior to using and did some test shots at home - definitely worth the short time it took. The book is pretty much "this camera for dummies," and it was useful in figuring out the special features. I especially was grateful for reading about museum feature on the camera as this is the first time I have ever had pictures from a museum turn out this clear and bright, and the Smithsonian was a great test run for this feature. The clarity in taking close-up photos is amazing, too, and it worked well even through glass. The portrait feature was great, too, and I had fun taking B/W and blue tinted pictures of my son. If you are looking for a great little camera that takes a great picture for your investment, this is it. Needless to say, I am pleased that I took the time to handle a variety of makes and models before deciding on the Coolpix L20.

Just bought this camera to replace my hp r707, and i think its an awsome camera.Takes good quality pics and the camera feels sturdy..Nice 3 in display makes it eay to see what pic ya took.Only complaint i have is when ya setting the time zone it doesnt letcha choose the zone,,But doesnt matter cause i dont use the time stamped on the pics anyway. If you want a decent camera from the price, this is it..Dont expect a high quality camera for this price..Its a good entry level camera for everyday pic taking.

I wish I had looked more closely at this camera before I imnpulsivley bought it. I was drawn by the Nikon name, which I completely trust, and by the price/resolution which were really quite good. Two things I do not like: you have to open the battery door to take out the memory card, and over time I'm sure that hinge is gonna fail. My other fault with this camera is that there is no locking mechanism to prevent it turning on accidentally. Great pictures, though, and many more features to explore than I was expecting. I've had one glitch. Last night after I snapped a picture, the camera went zombie. No display on the LCD, and the green power light stayed lit. No buttons were working, and the lens was out. I finally removed the batteries for a few seconds. When I put them back, the lens retracted and all seems normal again. I *hope* this won't re-occur, but I'm seriously thinking of returning it.

This camera captures excellent color and definition. If you read the entire manual, and "play" around with different lighting and shots you will be able to take amazing pictures for a "point and shoot". It even tells you if someone in the shot blinks! I would definitely recommend this camera.

I bought this camera expecting it to be a good value and OK photo quality. I didn't buy additional memory for it the day I bought it because I own several SD memory cards. I agree with other reviews that the response time was slower than I expected. A friend said that he uses SDHD memory with his camera (Different brand camera) and noticed a hugh improvement in the response time for his photos. I bought a 4GB SDHD card and the difference is night and day on the response time. Use SDHD memory for this camera, you'll really like the camera!!!

I just got this camera and I have been taking pictures to see if I want to keep it. I have been disappointed with the quality of the pictures because they are blurry. I have an old Nikon Coolpix 995 that has about 4 MP and takes nice pictures. I thought I would upgrade to a Nikon that had 10 MP. So far I am very disappointed in the quality of the pictures.

You will be hard pressed to find a camera of this quality for a better price. Pictures were clear and bright. Auto mode makes it easy for beginners. I would buy again without a doubt.

So far happy with my camera. Its been real easy to use. The price was excellent for a 10m and 3" lcd. I have tested all the setting and the only blur pics were the ones without a tripod at night. The camera took some great night sky pic with a tripod. So far so good.

horrible pictures, slow flash, blurry pictures!

The cameras response time for snapping a picture is toooo slow. The picture quality was blurred or not defined enough. I was truly disappointed. I bought this camera to replace my Sony because I kept getting a white screen. Had it repaired and it is white again. I am returning this camera today 2/26/09