Nikon Coolpix S3300 Digital Camera Review

Conclusion

The Coolpix S3300 isn't a great camera, even for only $140. The cheap lens produces some of the most distracting chromatic aberration we've seen, and overall resolution is poor as a result. Shot to shot speed is also quite slow, ruling out action or sports photography, and noise reduction is highly destructive above the minimum ISO.

We will admit this camera does have a few advantages. The slim, flat design fits very easily into the pocket, even more so than most compacts. Color accuracy is also above average, handling isn't terrible either, we appreciate the well placed thumb rest on the rear panel, though the front plate is too slippery. White balance accuracy is literally the best we've seen from any camera ever, a surprising revelation, though this is largely undone by the camera's other drawbacks.

There are certain situations for which the S3300 may be useful, or certain situations you should try to find if, say, you received the camera as a gift. You'll want to stick with bright daylight, and restrict your shooting to ISO 100 and maybe 200. It would also be wise to ignore the rule of thirds and keep your subjects directly centered, to avoid problems with fringing. If necessary, you can always crop the shots later. There's no reason to manually white balance, since you will see slight benefits only under incandescent lighting, which you shouldn't be using anyway.

For $200 you can step up to better options like the Canon A4000 IS. So although we could certainly recommend better cameras for the money, our real recommendation is to save up just a tiny bit more.