Auto Mode
The preset auto mode and its variants are pretty much all you get in an entry level camera like this. Use the mode switch to switch it to the icon of the green camera and the camera takes over, adjusting for everything from ISO to shutter speed to white balance. Other than picking scene modes such as Landscape, Beach/Snow or Fireworks, there’s not much choice on these cameras, which is probably fine for most of the user base. But by contrast, Canon’s A-series models offer much more manual override.
Movie Mode
Select the black icon of the movie camera on the Mode Selector Switch on the back of this camera and you’re ready to shoot movies. Pretty simple stuff. The L2/L3 can capture movies with sound in “TV movie” mode at 640 x 480 at 30 fps and 15 fps. They can also capture movies in “small size” at 320 x 240 at 30 fps and 15 fps. The L4, which has no microphone, can capture “TV” movies without sound at 640 x 480 at 15 fps. Small size movies on the L4 can be captured without sound at 320 x 240 at 15 fps and Small size at 160 x 120 at 15 fps. Without sound and with slow frame rates, the movie capabilities on the L4 are pretty useless. We understand it was a cost cutting measure, but why bother including a movie feature at all?
Drive / Burst Mode
The L2/L3 has a meager continuous mode that takes successive shots at approximately 1.7 frames per second and a Multi-shot 16 mode. The L4 has only a Multi-shot 16 mode. All three cameras offer a self-timer option, but it can only be set to 10 seconds.
Playback Mode
Unlike its sister models – the slim and stylish S4/S5 – there’s no Pictmotion mode on these L-series models, which allows images to be played back with music and various editing techniques to create a dynamic visual experience. These models though only offer basic slide shows and an In-Camera Cropping option for trimming your images. You can also brighten dark areas using Nikon’s D-Lighting. Using In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, another feature included in Nikon’s now standard “Exclusive Feature System,” the menu system will automatically fix red eye.
Custom Image Presets
As expected in an entry level camera, there are tons of preset modes that are easily accessible by switching the Mode Selector Switch to the Scene setting. The L2/L3 features 16 preset modes and the L4 has 15. There are four modes with Scene Assist – Portrait, Landscape, Sports and Night Portrait. Scene Assist helps the user compose better shots with the help of framing guides displayed on the monitor.
There are also 11 advanced scene modes on the cameras – Party/Indoor, Panorama assist, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist and, on the L2 and L3, Voice Recording. The cameras also come with BSS (Best Shot selector), Color Options, Blur Warning and Date Imprint.
