Auto Mode (6.0)
There isn’t a real true auto mode. There is only a sort of all-purpose “shooting mode,” as Nikon calls it. It allows access to all the options on the camera and is more like a program mode. The camera remembers the settings too. For example, if you set the exposure compensation to -0.7 in the shooting mode and then switch to the movie mode and back again, the exposure compensation will still be set to -0.7. If you’re looking for a simplified auto mode that truly automates everything, this isn’t the camera for you.
Movie Mode (6.75)
The Nikon Coolpix S500’s movie mode is accessed by the mode dial. The menu includes resolution and auto focus options only. The resolution choices are 640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps, 320 x 240 at 30 or 15 fps, and 160 x 120 at 15 fps. There are single and full-time auto focus options, although neither one works that well. The single auto focus mode is only somewhat reliable as oftentimes the subject has moved from its original point by the time the movie begins. The full-time auto focus option works well in terms of focus, but the system makes a bunch of tiny clicking noises that are picked up on the audio. Not flattering. The audio is decent and is recorded as WAV files, while the movie files are AVI. Up to 2GB of video can be recorded.
The optical zoom is disabled while recording video, but 2x digital zoom is available. It makes subjects a little furry but doesn’t completely obliterate them like it does at 4x. The digital zoom should be used with caution.
Moving subjects look like a flip book when set to 15 fps and are smoother at 30 fps, although they are still a bit jittery. The optical vibration reduction system, turned on in the setup menu, works well in keeping the image straight and steady but doesn’t help the subject too much. The jittery motion is common on digital cameras’ movie modes. That’s why there’s still a market for camcorders!
The Nikon S500 should give consumers one more reason to buy a separate camcorder. The camera often overexposed video and there was purple fringing that appeared in a few videos too – even when not pointing anywhere near the sun. The auto focus was either unreliable or noisy and optical zoom isn’t available.
Drive / Burst Mode (6.5)
The burst mode is found in the shooting mode’s menu under the Continuous heading. The options are Single, Continuous, Multi-shot 16, and Interval Timer Shooting. The Single drive snaps a picture about every three seconds.
In the Continuous mode, it varies. The user manual claims the camera can snap away at 2.5 fps, but we couldn’t get it to go this fast. In the shooting mode, it took one picture every second for six shots and then stuttered a few more every few seconds. The burst got some help from increased shutter speeds, clocking slightly faster times in the high sensitivity mode, even though full resolution is maintained. It still wasn’t as quick as 2.5 fps, but was decent nonetheless.
The Multi-Shot mode snaps 16 tiny pictures at a relatively pedestrian 1.8 fps and stitches them together into a single 7-megapixel image. This isn’t for everyday shooting but is for those photographers who like to analyze their tennis serve and the like.
The Interval Timer Shooting is fairly unique and allows users to take a picture every 30 seconds or every 1, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes. The camera goes into a power saving mode where the LCD screen is black in between shots and automatically snaps them at the selected interval. This mode is useful for watching slow moving subjects like construction sites, hatching birds, spiders spinning webs, etc. It’s a niche feature but one that has the potential to produce really interesting results. Once you are finished snapping pictures with that mode though, the only way to stop the camera is to turn it off and on again.
There is a self-timer mode activated by pushing the left side of the multi-selector. It can be set to take a picture after 3 or 10 seconds. There isn’t anything unique here: a few orange flashes from the light on the front of the camera and then the picture is automatically taken.
The S500’s drive and burst mode has some hits and misses. The burst mode is unpredictable and often slow, but the interval timer is interesting.
Playback Mode (7.25)
The playback mode is entered through the designated playback button on the back of the camera. This is helpful: I’m glad it’s not grouped with the recording modes under the generically labeled “Mode” button. The playback mode is generally pleasant. The big LCD screen with its great resolution makes for easy viewing. Images appear one at a time or in screens of multiple images: 4, 9, or 16 at a time. Viewing multiple images can be done by pushing the “W” end of the zoom control. Pushing the “T” end magnifies individual images up to 10x. Scrolling through lots of images can be done by viewing multiple images at once or moving through individual pictures. Either way is simple. The rotary dial can scroll through up to 10 images per second, although it takes a second for images to look totally clear. Another viewing option is found when the Mode button is pushed. A virtual dial appears with a calendar view among the options. Other positions on the dial include setup, audio playback, and list by date.
The playback menu isn’t very elaborate.
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Print set
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Print Selected, Delete Print Set
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Slide show
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Start, Frame Interval (2, 3, 5, 10 sec), Loop (On, Off)
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Delete
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Erase selected images, Erase all images
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Protect
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On, Off
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Transfer marking
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All on, All off, Select images
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Small pic.
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640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120
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Copy
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Internal memory to card, Card to internal memory
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The editing options are scant, although there is a nice D-lighting compensation feature available by pushing the one-touch portrait button atop the camera. This works remarkably well and saves pictures as separate files so you can always go back to the original file if needed. If you’re looking for the highly publicized in-camera red-eye fix feature, don’t bother. It isn’t a selectable feature, but is something that is activated automatically immediately after the image is taken. I looked all over in the playback mode for it and only found that out after consulting the user manual.
Pictures can be deleted from the menu or with the designated Delete button on the camera body, which is handy. The Nikon S500’s slide shows are plain - there are no fancy transitions or effects or music. This is different from other Coolpix S-series digital cameras that come equipped with Pictmotion slide shows.
Overall, the playback mode doesn’t have really sparkly features, but its basics are among the best: high-resolution nicely sized LCD, fabulous rotary dial to ease navigation, and intuitive menu.
Custom Image Presets (7.75)
The S500 doesn’t have a physical mode dial to easily access the scene modes, but there is a “SCN” spot on the virtual dial that appears when the Mode button is pushed. To access the list of presets, users need to push the Menu button. The following scene modes appear: Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close-up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Backlight, and Panorama Assist. The only other option available in the menu is to change the image size. Options on the multi-selector can also be accessed most of the time: exposure compensation, macro, self-timer, and flash. In general, the modes worked pretty well in their specific situations. Many of them automatically employ the flash though, which makes almost all subjects look awful.
There are two presets that aren’t listed with the others, but have their own real estate elsewhere. The High ISO mode is located on the graphic mode dial and uses ISO settings up to 1600, but does not automatically disable the flash, so users have to be mindful of this when snapping pictures of sleeping babies or other sensitive subjects. There is also a shake reduction mode, accessed by pushing the designed button atop the camera. This mode would be more intuitively placed in the menu and the button can be confused for the camera’s optical image stabilization system. Overall, the Nikon Coolpix S500 has a healthy selection of scene modes.
