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Value (5.5)
For $320, it would have been tough not to like the S4 last year. A long zoom, simple to use, a few cool features... it's appealing. The problem is, $320 this year is suddenly a crowded price point for long-zoom compact cameras. Unfortunately for Nikon, several other cameras in the crowd have distinguishing advantages. The Fuji S5200 has good performance at high ISOs, the Konica Minolta Z5 has Anti Shake technology, and Kodak's EasyShare Z740 is easier to use. The S4 has none of these things; all it has over its competition is its shape and styling. They'll be important to some users, but in a discussion of value for money, function wins, and the S4 loses.
Comparisons
 Fujifilm FinePix S5200 - The FinePix S5200 is a near match for the S4. Both sell online for about $325, both have 10x zoom lenses, and both lack image stabilization. The S4 is a 6 megapixel camera, while the S5200 is a 5.1 megapixel – though at this level of performance, that's not a terribly significant difference. The S5200 has ISO speeds up to 1600, while the S4 only goes up to 400 – and Nikon warns the user that it's noisy anywhere above its minimum ISO of 50. The Fuji's performance is good up to ISO 800, and at 1600, it's usable in a pinch. The S5200's high ISOs allow faster shutter speeds at telephoto settings, which should limit blurring due to camera shake. And while the S4 has a larger LCD (2.5 inches instead of 1.8 on the Fuji), the Fuji model's display has marginally higher resolution. We will say though that the S4 is much more portable and attractive than the S5200, but that’s about it.
 Kodak EasyShare Z740 - The EasyShare Z740 is another 5 megapixel 10x zoom, and again, sells for less than $350. Its shape is clunky and SLR-like, so it's not as attractive and portable as the S4. The Z740 has an ISO range of 80 to 400, not fundamentally different from the S4's 50 to 400. And since it lacks image stabilization, Z740 users are going to need tripods in all the same situations that S4 shooters do. The Z740 has much better color than the S4, and better noise scores as well. However, the real contest between the Z740 and the S4 is in ease of use. The Z740 is an extremely simple camera. Its menus combine descriptive, friendly language with equally helpful icons. When docked in one of Kodak's printers, the Z740 offers one-touch printing – it just doesn't get simpler than this. By contrast, the S4's onscreen silhouettes for lining up shots seem more gimmicky than pragmatic and beside the point.
 Konica Minolta Z5 - The Konica Minolta Z5 sells in the neighborhood of $350, and is a 12x zoom, 5 megapixel SLR-shaped camera. Unlike the S4 and the other comparisons, it has a mechanical image stabilization system – the CCD imager itself moves in response to camera shake, to cancel out movement and make for crisp, steady shots. The system works, and it's a big advantage. However, the Z5 is, like the S4, plagued with image noise. Konica Minolta tops out its ISO range at 320, lower than the S4's 400, but with this much noise it’s no great loss.
The picture pretty much says it all, but to be clear, the Z5 is a funny-looking camera. If it were a tuxedo, it would be plaid, with velvet lapels.
 Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 - The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 costs almost $100 less than the S4 and has a much shorter zoom. The LZ2's lens approximates a 37 to 222mm lens, instead of the 38 to 380mm equivalent of the S4, and it's a 5 megapixel camera, while the S4 is a 6 megapixel device. Still, the LZ2 is smaller and more portable than the S4. Most importantly, the LZ2 has image stabilization – Panasonic's “Mega Optical Image Stabilization,” which is very effective and useful to have, even at moderate focal lengths. If a $230 camera can have image stabilization, why not a $320 one?
The LZ2 performed better on our color test than the S4, though both over-saturate colors significantly. Neither did well on our noise tests. Notably, the LZ2 has a worse LCD than the S4 – which is saying something. It's a 2-inch, 85,000 pixel model, and our reviewer didn't like it one bit. Of course, the S4 doesn't outdo its resolution by much, at 110,000 pixels.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters - The Coolpix S4 is easy to use. Many features, particularly the assist features in the scene modes, are expressly for point-and-shooting. Just don't forget to set the white balance to automatic for the truly carefree experience.
Budget Consumers - We've seen better performance for the same money. Without image stabilization or high ISOs, the S4's long lens is a pretty limited feature, so we don't think the S4 is a truly economical way to get telephoto performance.
Gadget Freaks - The S4 is very shiny and sleek, but its flashiest new feature is an idiot-proof method of shooting portraits with the subject off-center. “Idiot-proof” is not the mating call of the Gadget Freak. They want image stabilization, or a GPS, or a web-compatible phone. Maybe a noise-canceling, image stabilized, GPS videophone, with a Porsche logo?
Manual Control Freaks - The Coolpix S4 has nothing for manual control enthusiasts, let alone freaks.
Pros / Serious Hobbyists - The Coolpix S4 lacks image quality and manual controls. It's not a good fit for this group, either.
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