| Likes |
-Quick startup time
-Good white balance accuracy
-Low noise and high dynamic range at ISO 64 and 100
-Intuitive rotary dial for playback
-Easy menus |
| Dislikes |
-Extremely high noise levels and noise smoothing above 400 ISO
-Poor low light performance
-Disappointing resolution
-Poor dynamic range above ISO 200
-Tiny buttons hinder navigation
-Limited built-in picture editing tools
-Cumbersome editing software |
Conclusion
The Nikon Coolpix S510 makes a rather unexciting entrance into an already dense market of similar cameras with 3x optical zoom lenses and small portable bodies. The Coolpix S510 has some noteworthy qualities, including optical image stabilization and an innovative rotary dial for easy menu navigation and playback. In general, though, the camera has a bland feature set.
The S510's image performance isn’t terrible, but it isn’t great, either. While the Coolpix point-and-shoot has accurate white balance, a quick startup time, and low noise levels at low ISO speeds, it suffers from extremely high noise levels and poor dynamic range at higher ISO speeds, poor low light performance, and disappointing resolution. Simply put, the Nikon Coolpix S510 does not have much to set it apart from the slew of similar point-and-shoots available on the market. If you’ll settle for a mediocre camera, consider the S510. Otherwise, you may want to look elsewhere.
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