Nikon Coolpix S700

The Nikon Coolpix S700 is the latest in a string of mega-megapixel digital cameras. It has a whopping 12.1 million pixels on its image sensor. The S700 packages updated face detection, a stabilized 3x optical zoom lens, and a 2.7-inch LCD screen into a slim metal body. The Coolpix S700 had an introductory price of $379.95 that has since dropped $50.



Physical Tour

Front (7.5)
The front of the S700 is plain but sophisticated with its horizontally brushed metal face plate. In the middle of the left side is an embossed Coolpix logo. The only other branding on the front is in the upper right corner where a printed Nikon logo resides alongside an autofocus assist/self-timer lamp. In the upper left corner is a small grill for the microphone with the built-in flash to its right. There is no right hand grip or finger grip or anything; handling takes a backseat to convenience on this model. The right half of the front is dominated by the lens. It is labeled around its rim: "Nikkor 3x Optical Zoom VR 7.9-23.7mm 1:2.8-5.4." The lens telescopes outward in three segments when the camera is powered on and in a Recording mode.


Back (6.75)
The back of the S700 is largely occupied by the 2.7-inch LCD screen. Like the front of the camera, the back is fairly flat. The buttons protrude slightly from the body and the thumb divot is so shallow that it’s hardly noticeable.

The LCD screen is positioned to the left. The buttons fill up the remaining space on the right. At the top is the zoom control, a single skinny rectangle that rocks left and right to zoom in and out. There isn’t much tactile differentiation between the sides, so users have to feel for the edges of the rectangle.

Below this are four plastic bumps aligned vertically that alert the thumb of the camera’s edge, although this is a pathetic attempt at even that. Below the bumps are two horizontally aligned buttons: the mode button is on the left and the playback button on the right. Just below these is a rotary dial that surrounds the OK button. The rotary dial feels like cheap plastic but makes a world of difference in navigation. It has raised bumps on it so it is easier to grip and rotate. At the bottom are two more buttons: menu on the left and delete on the right.

Left Side (7.0)
A thin chrome column extends down the left side simply for visual interest, and that is perhaps the most interesting feature from this angle. Near the bottom is a speaker grill.


Right Side (4.0)
The only feature on the right side is the wrist strap eyelet, which is chrome and protrudes slightly from the camera body.


Top (7.0)
"Coolpix S700" is branded in the chrome band on the left side of the top. Near the right edge, the chrome band widens and gracefully surrounds an LED, power button, and shutter release button. These three features grow from small to large, respectively, and from left to right.


Bottom (4.75)
The left side of the bottom has a plastic door that can be pushed in and slid toward the front to open and reveal the battery and memory card slots. To its right is the only jack on the camera; it’s for the included AV/USB cable. The placement of this jack on the bottom of the camera is unfortunate because users will have to rest the S700 on its front or back in order to plug it into a television, printer, or computer. This could scratch the LCD screen or the beautifully brushed front face plate. In the center of the bottom is a plastic tripod socket.