Nikon Coolpix S630

Resolution (12.35)

Nikon S630 scored well in our resolution testing, which is divided into three sections: sharpness, chromatic aberration and distortion. The S630 performed exceedingly well in distortion, and decently in chromatic aberration and sharpness. We run these tests by shooting a resolution chart at three focal lengths, and analyzing the distortion, sharpness and chromatic aberration using Imatest software. More on how we test resolution.

Distortion (16.01)

Distortion was exceptionally low at every focal length. At 46.2mm and 15mm, it was less than 0.1% of pincushioning. At 6.6mm there was slightly below 0.2% of barrel distortion. These are much lower than most other cameras, and means that you will suffer almost no warped lines around the edges of your images.

Sharpness (12.08)

Image sharpness is a bit below average. It was highest at the center of the lens, which then dropped off around the middle area, before picking up again at the edges. The 6.6m focal length produced both the sharpest results, at the very center of the lens, and the worst sharpness, at that dead zone half-way between the center and outer corners.

Chromatic Aberration (7.52)

Overall, chromatic aberration wasn’t a major problem. At 15mm, the chromatic aberration showed a similar trend to the sharpness, where it was best at the center, got worse going outwards, and then improved a bit at the extremities. At 6.2mm and 46.2mm, the color fringing was its best at the center, then worsened the farther out from the center we measured.

Quality & Size Options (7.75)

While the Coolpix S630 has a good range of size options, only at the largest resolution (12-megapixels) are you given any choice for compression (high or normal). There is no option to shoot RAW files.

Image Stabilization (0.00)

Our stabilization test is performed using a computer-controlled rig to consistently shake at the same rate. We shoot under 100 lux illumination and shutter speeds close to 1/30th of a second, the sort of conditions where image stabilization would really help. However, the vibration reduction system in the Nikon Coolpix S630 produced no improvement in image resolution under these settings. More on how we test image stabilization.

Stabilization Comparisons
Nikon S630	Canon SD780 IS	Panasonic DMC-FX580	Sony DSC-T900
Stabilization Off
Stabilization On