Nikon Coolpix S510

Viewfinder (0.0)
Like many point-and-shoots on the market, the S510 lacks an optical viewfinder.

LCD (7.5)
The Nikon Coolpix S510 has the same LCD as the S500. At 2.5-inches, the TFT screen has a resolution of 230,000 pixels, which is the current industry average. The 2.5-inch screen performs well. With an anti-reflection coating and wide view screen, users can view photos at extreme vertical and horizontal angles without solarizing effects.

Users can change a variety of LCD options, including a five-step monitor brightness adjustment. Users can also change what information is displayed on the LCD or gridlines via the Setup menu, listed under "Photo Info."

Shooting through the LCD is nearly accurate in proportions. With 98 percent coverage horizontally and vertically, users will essentially capture what they see through the monitor.

There is no live histogram, however, which is unusual. Most point-and-shoots show histogram information so users can see if the pre-captured image is properly exposed. This is especially important for shooters when relying on the LCD monitor instead of an optical viewfinder. Novice shooters most likely won’t miss the histogram, though.

The Coolpix S510 has sufficient resolution with a wide field of view, nearly-accurate LCD coverage, but more advanced point-and-shooters would miss the live histogram.

Flash (5.75)
The Nikon Coolpix S510 has a thin sliver of a built-in flash located almost on the axis of the lens. Located toward the center of the camera, left-handed users won’t have to worry about the placement of their fingers blocking the flash unit. The flash illuminates 1.6 to 21.3 feet when zoomed out all the way and 1.6 to 11.5 feet when zoomed in and set to Auto ISO.

Users can’t change manually change flash output, like some point-and-shoots. The following flash options are available: Auto, Off, Fill flash, Slow Sync, and Auto with Red-Eye Reduction. In the Red-Eye mode, the flash fires several pre-flashes, then applies Nikon’s In-Camera Red-Eye Fix technology for built-in editing.

Users can change the flash settings using the rotary multi-selector by pressing the north directional, which draws up the flash options. When flash is applied and the shutter button is pressed down halfway, the flash lamp turns red to indicate it is currently in operation. The flash takes about three seconds to recharge, indicated by the blinking flash lamp light.

Coverage is effective, with sufficient illumination across the reported distances, but like many point-and-shoots, the flash tends to overexpose close-range subjects.

Zoom Lens (7.0)
The Nikon Coolpix S510 is fitted with a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens, constructed of five elements in five groups. Almost every major manufacturer has a basic model with a 3x optical zoom lens. In the case of the Coolpix S510, the lens has a focal length of 5.7 to 17.1 mm, which is equivalent to 35 to 105 mm in 35 mm format. While some of Nikon’s earlier models only had electronic vibration reduction, the S510 has Nikon’s Vibration Reduction, a form of optical image stabilization that compensates for camera shake.

Users can zoom via the tiny sliver of a zoom toggle located at the right thumb rest. The lens has a wide maximum aperture of f/2.8 when zoomed out in "W" (wide) shooting, and shrinks to f/4.7 when zoomed in to "T" (telephoto) shooting. The lens extends from the body in three tiers when zooming. The lens makes a humming sound while moving through the range. 

Zooming in close to a subject can be a problem. In Macro mode, the lens autofocuses at about 6 inches away from the subject, while some comparable cameras can get in as close as 3 inches, allowing very close-up shots of objects, such as a wedding ring.

For greater zoom, users can engage the 4x digital zoom for up to 420 mm telephoto shooting. Digital zoom, however, degrades image quality. The S510's digital zoom is activated by holding down the right side of the zoom toggle once the optical zoom maximum is reached.

The camera’s zoom has effective vibration reduction to compensate for picture blur and a wide aperture that allows for plenty of light for bright pictures. Overall, the lens is decent with the exception of the limited Macro mode.