Nikon Coolpix S500

Entering a tough niche in the market is the Nikon Coolpix S500, which boasts 7.1 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. Almost every camera manufacturer has a camera with a similar flat metal body and extending 3x optical zoom lens. The S500 has a high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen and optical image stabilization. It also has a revamped menu interface with flashier icons and large fonts. It was announced in February 2007 alongside the Nikon S200. Can the S500 stand out? Read on to find out.

Physical Tour

Front (7.5)
This digital camera is completely flat on the front when turned off and then lens is retracted. When it is turned on, the labeled Nikkor 3x optical zoom lens sticks its nose out in three segments that make it look something like a tiered wedding cake. The lens, with its printed 5.7-17.1mm and 1:2.8-4.7 specs, is on the right side of the S500’s front and is surrounded by other tiny features. To the lower left of the lens are three holes that serve as the built-in microphone. To the upper left is the auto focus assist lamp. Above the lens and slightly to the right is the built-in flash. The rest of the camera’s front has a horizontally-brushed stainless steel surface. In the upper left corner of the front is an engraved Nikon logo. In the center of the left side is an engraved Coolpix logo. The engravings are nice because they won’t rub off and they have a classy look.

Back (6.75)
The back of the S500 looks similar to most other compact models. It is almost completely flat with beveled edges on the left and top, and a slight dip in the right side about the width of a thumb. These little surface variances won’t keep it from sliding nicely into a pocket though. On the left side of the back is the 2.5-inch LCD screen with a printed Nikon logo beneath it. In the upper right corner of the back is the horizontal zoom lever, which is unnecessarily thin. There is certainly room for a slightly thicker control that would have been more comfortable. Below the “W” of the zoom control is a small LED with a flash icon next to it that indicates when the flash is firing and recycling. On the right edge of the camera just under the “T” of the zoom control are five plastic bumps meant to prevent the thumb from slipping.

The bottom two-thirds of the right side is covered in controls and buttons. There is a central rotary dial that rotates nicely but can also be pushed like a multi-selector; it has a central OK button for making selections in menus. Above this control are two buttons: Mode and Playback. Below are two more buttons: Menu and Delete. Between the buttons and surrounding the rotary dial are icons to represent the multi-function of the dial when in shooting mode. The top of the dial accesses flash modes, the left side activates the self-timer, the OK button transfers files to printers and computers, the bottom turns on the macro focus, and the right side accesses the exposure compensation scale. The dial is riding the right edge of the camera, so the icon is actually on the right side of the camera. It almost looks like Nikon printed all the icons on the sheet of metal and then wrapped the metal around the guts of the camera, only to realize that the exposure compensation icon was out of place. Oops.

Left Side (7.0)
The left side of the camera is completely free of features. There is a seam down the center, two bolts on the top, and one bolt on the bottom.

Right Side (4.0)
A wrist strap eyelet protrudes from the camera body’s right side. It is has a chrome polish and slopes upward toward the back. Below it and close to the edge is the exposure compensation icon that is supposed to indicate a function on the back of the camera - hmm. Above the strap eyelet and on the back edge is a tiny rubber door that opens to reveal the single USB/AV port.

Top (7.0)
The top of the camera has a chrome highlight in its center that almost looks like a rowing paddle; the paddle’s thin handle is on the left and it thickens to its widest point on the right side. Within that wide chrome paddle is the shutter release button, the largest button on the camera. A relatively large green LED sits to its left and an On/Off button is to the left of that. Nearly in the center are three holes for the built-in speaker. In the upper left corner of the top is a printed Coolpix S500 logo. Below it and the thin highlight are two buttons for shake reduction and one-touch portrait features.

Bottom (5.5)
A plastic tripod socket sits near the right edge. The use of plastic for this component is unfortunate because it could get stripped easily and rendered useless. On the left side of the Nikon S500’s bottom is the battery/media compartment covered by a thin plastic door with a tiny lock in its center. The lock works well, but the door’s construction is questionable and feels fragile.

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