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Nikon Coolpix S5

Manufacturer: Nikon Inc. Part number: 25541

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$398.00 at 1 online store

CNET Editor rating:
3.5 stars Very good
Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 9 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Accessories; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: The Nikon Coolpix S5 is a stylish camera that offers great images, albeit with a somewhat basic feature set.
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Amazon.com Marketplace	See store profile	In stock	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$398.00 Shop now as of 07/08/2009

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*Total price for the Nikon Coolpix S5 are estimated and may vary slightly based on exact tax, shipping, manufacturer rebate or any sale/promotion on the merchant site.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 9 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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8 stars

great camera

by d1jg on May 7, 2006

Pros: easy navigation, great pics

Cons: small power button

Summary: I compared the S5 with a lot of 6 mgpix cameras. This one impressed me the most. This is going to be a great vac camera and with a 1 ...

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Summary: I compared the S5 with a lot of 6 mgpix cameras. This one impressed me the most. This is going to be a great vac camera and with a 1 gig sd card I get 600+ pics at the highest setting.

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3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
5 stars

Easy interface but poor in low light and VERY fragile

by artflyer on September 14, 2006

Pros: A large LCD and the easiest interface I've ever encountered make this a very user friendly camera. The round scroll dial makes reviewing pictures and selecting menu options a pleasure

Cons: Like most "point-and-shoot" small cameras, this does amazingly poor in low light. JPG artifacting is quite present in all lighting condtions and especially in anything less than bright sunlight.

Summary: I researched this class of camera exhaustively before making this choice, selecting it over Canon's Elph SD450. I selected the Nikon largely because of it's interface, but in ...

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Summary: I researched this class of camera exhaustively before making this choice, selecting it over Canon's Elph SD450. I selected the Nikon largely because of it's interface, but in I have my doubts now, because of it's poor performance in medium to low light. Another important quality about it's construction: the lens is all self contained. It operates vertically and uses a mirror to turn the corner. I suspect this makes it a very fragile camera, even more fragile than most. I had one small drop, in a padded case, from a 2 foot height and that was enough to cause a "lens error" that required warranty repair. My previous Nikon 2500 sustained multiple drops and shocks and never produced such an error. Many have reported to me that the Canon Elphs survived many drops. If I were buying again, I'd go with the Canon.

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2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 stars

It's been good to me for two years

by jnorton123 on December 14, 2008

Pros: Slim design, easy to use, sturdy and stylish.

Cons: Picture quality in normal lighting even with flash and length of time between pictures.

Summary: I have had this camera for two years. I am getting ready to upgrade but the Coolpix S5 is still going strong. I am a major picture taker so in ...

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Summary: I have had this camera for two years. I am getting ready to upgrade but the Coolpix S5 is still going strong. I am a major picture taker so in the two years I 've had it I gave it 4 years of wear and tear.It has been dropped several times, gotten wet and has beed bumped around in my purse or pocket almost daily for the last two years. It goes everwhere with me. It's so light weight and easy to carry. It is very stylish and just an overall cool camera. It is easy to use and great for just a "point and shoot" type person. I rarely use the settings because it's too much hassle to try and figure it all out and seems to suck all the battery life if you use it on anything other than the regular setting. Night mode is really a pain. It uses tons of battery life and takes FOREVER in between photos. That is one of the main cons of this camera for me. There is a lag time between pictures. It takes a while to actually take the picture which normally results in us having to hold our smiles and stand like statues way to long before it snaps the pic. It is not good for trying to catch something in the moment. It also takes a while between pics so if someone blinked and you want to take another picture, you have to again stand there and wait for it to "reload" and get ready for the next picture. The other major con is that almost all the pictures come out slightly dark unles they are taken in bright sunshine. i have to edit 95% of my pictures to brighten them up. I am not talking about tthe night or low lighting; even regular or bright lighting with the flash results in a dark/lower quality picture. With that said, it takes great close ups and overall the picture quality is good once you brighten them a little. To sum it up...it's not a bad camera and has worked well for me. I just had higher expectations. When I bought it in 2006 it was quite pricey about $299.00 back then compared to other models and I expected a little more for my money. Now cameras have many more features at a lower price. I am getting another Nikon but this time the S550 which is similar to this camera but seems to have improved the few things I have an issue with. Good luck and if you find this for a good price...go for it!

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4 stars

Disappointed

by leeinman on October 17, 2008

Pros: small, slim design

Cons: Won't connect to my Mac (and can't find software online), poor in low light conditions, no image stability (blurry images)
8 stars

Super Camera

by M-Wehner on November 23, 2007

Pros: Light weight, clear pictures, and good flash

Cons: Slow write speed.

Summary: This camera was bought for me last year and I love useing it. But it is no good for the type of photos I want to take. All in all ...

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Summary: This camera was bought for me last year and I love useing it. But it is no good for the type of photos I want to take. All in all it is a good party cam but not really good for anything eles.

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8 stars

Love It - besy Xmas present I got this year

by TheDancer on February 3, 2007

Pros: Gets great pictures - indoors or out

Cons: difficult to hold steady -

Summary: I'm so used to my Nikormat 35mm and the weight and size that this small cam sometimes gives me problems holding it still - but being able to view ...

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Summary: I'm so used to my Nikormat 35mm and the weight and size that this small cam sometimes gives me problems holding it still - but being able to view and delete pics on the spot and retake is 100% better than waiting for your film to some back from the developer and find that you didn't get the shot

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2 stars

Expensive piece of cheap junk!

by lost guitar on December 27, 2006

Pros: Compact, nice LCD display

Cons: Dies real quick....

Summary: Made in China, perhaps?

A camera this EXPENSIVE should live longer than the warranty period. $300 for the camera, then another $160 at the Nikon Service Center.

Older Nikon FILM

...

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Summary: Made in China, perhaps?

A camera this EXPENSIVE should live longer than the warranty period. $300 for the camera, then another $160 at the Nikon Service Center.

Older Nikon FILM cameras were virtually indestructible. This Nikon DIGITAL is junk.

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4 stars

Great camera if you like white dots on your photos!

by rvwalters on December 13, 2006

Pros: Nice compact size

Cons: Poor in low light / white dots on photos with flash

Summary: I have found that the end quality degrades significantly in low light conditions. More importantly, I had no idea that when the flash catches dust particles in front of the ...

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Summary: I have found that the end quality degrades significantly in low light conditions. More importantly, I had no idea that when the flash catches dust particles in front of the lense (because of the proximity of the flash to the lense), opaque white dots, sometimes in multiples, are produced on the photos. I found information about these dots on the internet. I called Nikon. They have known about them for some time, but the customer service agent's answer to me was..."move to where there are no dust particles(anyone out there have a dust detector)or try selling the camera on E-Bay. Have a nice day."

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8 stars

good for a new user

by snorkhead53 on October 4, 2006

Pros: my first camera, does what i expected

Cons: not their best product

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Nikon Inc.
Part number: 25541
Description: The stylish wave-surface design of the COOLPIX S5 means it is as easy in the hand as it is on the eye. Conveniently located buttons merge with exterior elegance to place powerful functions at your fingertips. With a generous 6 megapixel resolution, this camera ensures that pictures stay sharp, even when significantly enlarged. Its precision 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor lens puts everything from group portraits to expansive landscapes within easy reach, and Pictmotion lets you capture moments in superb color and detail, then play them back as a slide show in combination with music and special effects. To add to your enjoyment, the high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD monitor simplifies composition and playback. With these cameras you're ready to capture and relive your special moments with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

General
Product Type Digital camera
Point-and-shoot highlights With a slim profile of 0.8 in., this camera fits easily into a pocket or purse. A panoramic assist function is provided in this camera, making it ideal for vacation pictures. Video capture ability makes this camera ideal for social functions or vacation s
Width 3.7 in
Depth 0.8 in
Height 2.3 in
Weight 0.2 lbs
Main Features
Resolution 6 megapixels
Color Support Color
Optical Sensor Type CCD
Total Pixels 6,180,000 pixels
Effective Sensor Resolution 6,000,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/2.5 in
Digital Zoom 4 x
Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs Copy, Museum, Sunset, Close-up, Dawn/dusk, Fireworks, Landscape, Back light, Beach/snow, Sports mode, Party/indoor, Portrait mode, Night portrait, Night landscape, Panorama assist
Special Effects Sepia, Vivid, Cyanotype, Black & White
Exposure Modes Program, Automatic
Exposure Metering Zones 256
Face Detection Yes
White Balance Presets, Automatic
White Balance Presets Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash
Digital Video Format QuickTime
Still Image Format JPEG
Continuous Shooting Speed 2.2 frames per second
Remote Control None
TV Tuner None
Video Capture QuickTime - 640 x 480, QuickTime - 320 x 240, QuickTime - 320 x 240, QuickTime - 160 x 120
Memory / Storage
Flash Memory 21 MB
Supported Flash Memory SD Memory Card
Integrated Memory 21 MB
Floppy Drive None
Image Storage Fine JPEG 2816 x 2112, Normal JPEG 2816 x 2112, JPEG 2048 x 1536, JPEG 1024 x 768, JPEG 640 x 480
Camera Flash
Camera Flash Built-in flash
Flash Modes Auto mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Flash OFF mode, Red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction Yes
Effective Flash Range 1 ft - 8.5 ft
Lens System
Type Zoom lens - 5.8 mm - 17.4 mm - F/3.0-5.4
Special Functions Zoom
Focal Length 5.8 mm - 17.4 mm
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 35 - 105 mm
Focus Adjustment Automatic
Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
Min Focus Range 11.8 in
Macro Focus Range 4cm
Lens Aperture F/3.0-5.4
Optical Zoom 3 x
Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Lens Construction 10 group(s) / 12 element(s)
Features ED glass
Additional Features
Self Timer Yes
Self Timer Delay 3 sec, 10 sec
Additional Features Blur warning, Direct print, Audio recording, Auto power save, Date/time stamp, Built-in speaker, Cropping an image, PictBridge support, In-camera red-eye fix, Digital image rotation, Interval shooting mode, Face-priority AF function, Display brightness control, Camera orientation detection, Digital image stabilization (video mode)
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type None
Display
Type LCD display - TFT active matrix - 2.5 in - Color
Display Form Factor Built-in
Display Format 230,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type None

Microphone
Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB, 1 x Docking station
Expansion Slot(s) 1 x SD Memory Card
Software
Software Drivers & Utilities, Nikon PictureProject
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating System Support MS Windows ME, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, MS Windows 98 SE, Apple Mac OS X 10.1.5 or later
Peripheral Devices USB port, CD-ROM drive, SVGA monitor
System Requirements Details MacOS X 10.1.5 or later - 64 MB - 60 MB, Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP - 64 MB - 60 MB
Miscellaneous
Included Accessories Wrist strap, Docking station, Docking station insert
Cables Included 1 x USB cable, 1 x A/V cable
Power
Power Device Battery charger - External
Battery
Supported Battery Nikon EN-EL8
Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery ( Included )
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
Labs information All values are expressed in seconds. Please visit our labs information page for information on how digital cameras are tested.
CNET Labs Flash shot to shot time 2.1
CNET Labs Shot to shot time typical 1.8
CNET Labs Shutter lag bright 0.5
CNET Labs Shutter lag dim 1.7
CNET Labs Typical burst speed 1.3
CNET Labs Wake up time 2.0

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Nikon Coolpix S5

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Specifications

General

Main Features

Memory / Storage

Camera Flash

Lens System

Additional Features

Viewfinder

Display

Digital Player (Recorder)

Microphone

Connections

Software

System Requirements for PC Connection

Miscellaneous

Power

Battery

CNET Labs' Benchmarks

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