Nikon Coolpix S630
Digital Camera Review
Jul 10, 2009
- By Tim Barribeau
3.9
The Nikon Coolpix S630 is a small 12-megapixel point-and-shoot that offers a 7x zoom. It is an easy-to-use camera with a good control scheme, and very strong overall still image quality. However, it struggled in our video testing.
| Top Point & Shoot Cameras |
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The Nikon Coolpix S630 and Canon PowerShot SD780 are cameras that are very similar in purpose, but different in execution. They have an all but identical price, and are both straightforward point-and-shoots, that don't have much in the way of manual controls, but rather are designed for simple, pick-up-and-use mentality. The Canon does this in a much smaller frame, as the SD780 is a petite sliver of a camera. On the other hand, the Nikon S630 is substantially bigger, but also has a rather impressive 7x zoom lens versus 3x for the Canon.
In terms of performance, the Nikon scored higher in most still image tests, but the Canon has the edge in video mode. The Canon scored slightly better for resolution due to higher image sharpness, but it had worse distortion. The image stabilization system was slightly more effective on the Canon, as was the shot to shot speed. Its real advantage was in video mode, where the high definition capabilities blew the Nikon out of the water, and the S630's lack of manual white balance controls led to very poor video color. However for pure still image quality, we lean toward the Nikon.
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Comparison Scores |
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Nikon Coolpix S630 |
Canon PowerShot SD780 IS |
| Price |
$279.95 |
$279.99 |
| Color |
14.23 |
9.43 |
| Noise |
14.87 |
11.28 |
| Resolution |
12.35 |
15.18 |
| Image Stabilization |
0.00 |
0.55 |
| Shot to Shot |
0.39 |
0.78 |
| Video Color |
2.86 |
11.27 |
| Video Sharpness |
0.71 |
3.21 |
| Design & Handling |
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