Manual Control Options
As expected in a camera that chooses style over image control, there are few manual options on the S5/S6 aside from basic adjustments for image size, ISO, flash and exposure.
Focus
Auto Focus
Auto focus is pretty quick on the S5/S6, but the real gem in the system is its Face-Priority AF. Face Priority is a technology that Nikon has pioneered in its compact cameras where a yellow smiley face appears on the screen and then locks into a yellow box when it detects a face. The only apparent blip in the software is that since it detects the presence of two eyes, it cannot lock in a profile, only a face that is looking straight at the camera. The new One-Touch Portrait button on the top of the S5/S6 combines two Nikon technologies, Face Priority AF and In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, to help users improve their portraits.
A blur warning setting on the camera will alert the user if the image they are about to take might be blurred because of poor lighting or a slow shutter speed.
Manual Focus
There is no manual focus on the S5/S6, but there is a feature called AF Area Mode that allows the user to select either a center yellow focusing box or slide the box around the middle section of the image to select a focusing point that is slightly off center.
Metering
There did not appear to be any adjustments for metering on the S5/S6, which is not unusual for a camera in its class. It utilizes Nikon’s 256-segment multi-pattern metering as its default.
Exposure
Exposure compensation can be adjusted from -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 intervals, which is the standard range for compacts and point-and-shoots alike.
White Balance
White balance is either automatic or selected by the user from a list of five presets: Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy or Flash. Interestingly, there are more White Balance settings on the S5/S6 than on its more Performance-oriented big brothers – the Coolpix P3 and P4.
ISO
ISO on the S5/S6 is between 50 and 400, which is fairly typical for point-and-shoot models. We’re looking forward to the day when all point-and-shoots will offer at least 800 ISO, since consumers would really benefit from this feature. It’s a trend with several manufacturers this year, so that day may come soon.
Aperture
Aperture on the S5/S6 ranges from f/3.0 to f/5.4 but is not adjustable, which is again fairly typical for a camera in its class.
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed in the auto mode on the S5/S6 ranges from 8 seconds to 1/2000th of a second but is not manually controllable.
