Nikon Coolpix S50c Review

Nikon recently released the Nikon Coolpix S50c which boasts ultra-compact size, wireless capabilities and an array of power-packed features. The digital camera is among the smallest in its class. Nikon feels very confident that it will deliver the same kind of excellent performance plus style which the company has always been known for. There are a number of advantages exclusive only to the Nikon Coolpix S50c and creators believe that it will stand out in the market.

The Nikon Coolpix S50c has one big difference from its classmate, the Nikon Coolpix S50. It has the same slim design but has WiFi capabilities. It has a wireless radio at a transmission of 802.11 b/g and also is able to do a variety of wireless activities onscreen such as emailing and data storing. It also features powerful specifications such as 3X optical zoom lens with optical Vibration Reduction function, a wide 3-inch LCD as well as 7.2-megapixel resolution.

The 3X optical zoom lens of the Nikon Coolpix S50c has an equivalent 35 mm range of 38 to 114 mm. The optical zoom range is advantageous and has a total of nine close-up adjustments. Just like other digital cameras in the Coolpix S series, the lens does not protrude outward when the user switches the power on. A protective cover slides to protect the camera lens when it is off. Normal focus mode allows users to focus between one foot up to no limit while Macro mode allows focusing as near as 4 cm. The S50c also zooms in well in poor light conditions since it has a focus assist lamp.

The Vibration Reduction or VR feature of the Nikon Coolpix S50c is similar to image optical stabilizers of other digital cameras. Shutter speed, no flash, fast-moving subjects and shaky hands are instantly controlled to prevent image noise and blur. Results are very smooth, detailed and vivid pictures.

The Coolpix S50c digital camera showcases 3 full inches of LCD displaying 230,000 pixels of resolution. Images presented are very sharp and well-detailed with good color saturation. The LCD display also has anti-reflective coating which makes it convenient to view pictures even under extreme light or the sun. The refresh rate is also fast and the appearance of the LCD is nice, clean and polished.

As for the flash, the Nikon Coolpix S50c digital camera has a flash range between 1 to almost 20 feet (wide angle). Telephoto range is between 1 to 13 feet. The ISO settings are also automatically adjusted by the camera to provide sufficient light and great quality smoothness to subjects. At maximum flash range, pictures do tend to expose too much.
The D-Lighting feature of the S50c also helps a lot when taking pictures in dark environments. The flash also features red-eye fix.

One of the main highlights of the Nikon Coolpix S50c is its wireless radio transmitting at 802.11 b/g WiFi. The camera can instantly be used to do a variety of wireless activities as well as do wireless configuration without the need of a computer. Available networks are presented onscreen as well as setup options for users’ convenience. The S50c is compatible with a 2.0 USB cable and has built-in memory of about 13 megabytes. Other memory card support includes SD and SDHC.

The S50c digital camera saves images in JPEG format. It is also capable of recording videos which are automatically saved in WAV format. Time-lapse mode is also available during movie mode at 640 x 480 resolution at 30 frames per second playback.

The camera is powered by a rechargeable Li-Ion battery EN-EL8 which is included in the entire package including the battery charger, AC adapter EH-64, camera pouch and wrist strap and user’s CD and manual. The whole body of the digital camera measures 88 x 51 x 22 mm and weighs 4.4 oz.

Pros: The wireless capabilities of the Nikon Coolpix S50c make it stand out among others in its class. The Vibration Reduction feature plus modern slim design are also great advantages.

Cons: WiFi accessing tends to be a problem since the digital camera does not have a self-browser. Using the maximum flash range also results to blurry images.

Overall: The Nikon Coolpix S50c is a decent digital camera with great looks and is capable of producing good quality images. Although photos and videos are what most might consider optimal, it does deliver sufficiently and is still very functional.

Attached Images

Nikon_Coolpix_S50c.jpg (20.6 KB, 0 views)