Nikon Coolpix S6300 Digital Camera Review

Recording Options

The S6300 provides a total of five video compression and resolution options. Two of these are at the highest 1080P, 30fps setting, with two different bitrates (compression levels). The third is a 720P, 30fps option. The last two are iFrame 540, which records at a resolution of 960x540px and should be easier to edit in Mac video programs, and VGA, which is a low resolution option suitable for playback on standard-definition TV sets. Find out how the performed in our video image quality test./r:link_to_content

Video Controls

The only controls available to you when shooting video are exposure compensation, white balance, and color mode. You can also apply Nikon's special effects to videos, and macro mode can be enabled for shooting close-up movies. Finally, the self-timer can also be employed. None of these settings can be altered once recording has begun, so make sure you set everything up ahead of time.

Zoom

You can zoom while recording video, including both optical and digital zoom. Do note, however, that the noise of the lens zooming, focusing, and employing vibration reduction will be picked up by the on-board microphone as distracting clicks, clacks, and whirs.

Focus

Full-time autofocus is available during video recording, though it's slow and not very reliable (particularly in dim lighting). Alternatively, you can set the autofocus mode to AF-S (single AF) and pre-focus before beginning recording. Given the camera's deep depth of field, you may not require active autofocus in many cases.