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Nikon Point and Shoot and Non-DSLR
Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Nikon Digital Cameras > Nikon Point and Shoot and Non-DSLR
Nikon Coolpix S700 Digital Camera Review
by Emily Raymond
Published on December 11, 2007
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Viewfinder (0.0)
There isn’t room for an optical viewfinder on the Nikon S700. This is just as well. Few compact digital cameras offer accurate views through their optical viewfinders. The 2.7-inch LCD screen is used as a viewfinder. It has good contrast and a good refresh rate so motion isn’t choppy. Unfortunately it isn’t completely accurate. It shows 97 percent of the view vertically and horizontally. This inaccuracy could frustrate photographers who are particular about framing. Users can show or hide information – though not easily because the option is in the Setup menu – and add a framing grid. The LCD makes a better post-recording viewing monitor than it does a live preview screen.
LCD Screen (7.5)
 The Nikon S700 has a 2.7-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels. The resolution looks nice and smooth and the picture on it is nicely contrasted. The screen has some of the widest views we’ve seen: it can be viewed from extreme angles at the sides, above, and below.
The S700’s LCD has an anti-reflection coating but still isn’t stellar when under harsh lights. It looks washed out and the anti-reflective surface casts a purple glare. This can be partially remedied with the five-step brightness adjustment, but even a backlight boost can’t compete with the sun.
There is no display button on the camera body like on most cameras. The S700 ‘s display information and brightness can only be changed in the Setup menu, so these adjustments take longer than the average model.
The glare and the difficult view in sunlight are common on digital cameras, but the 97 percent accurate live view isn’t typical. That is simply unfortunate. However, the view is 100 percent accurate in the Playback mode.
Overall, this is an above average screen when compared to other compact digital cameras. The 12-megapixel Olympus Stylus 1200 has a similar 2.7-inch LCD with the same resolution, but the 12-megapixel Panasonic FX100 has only 207,000 pixels on its 2.5-inch screen.
Flash (5.75)
 The Nikon S700 has a built-in flash, located on the left side of the front. Its placement to the side doesn’t make for evenly lit pictures. This translates to a very bright spot on the right side of the image that washes out details and makes for lopsided exposure.
The flash specs indicate that it is effective from 1 foot to 15 feet, 8.9 inches with the lens zoomed wide and as far as 7 feet, 10.5 inches when zoomed in. We took some pictures with subjects about two feet away and the cursed bright spot washed out the right half of the image, so Nikon’s specs are generous on the range. For portraits that aren’t that close-up, the flash’s light is more effective although it tends to make faces look pastier than they are.
The flash mode can be changed by pushing the top of the multi-selector/rotary dial. The following options appear: auto, auto with red-eye reduction, off, on, and on with slow sync. The red-eye reduction mode sends out two distinct preflashes before sending out the final flash. This seems to work well in keeping eyes naturally colored.
It takes the camera just under 4 seconds to reboot its flash for the next shot. This is typical and perhaps a bit above average. The overall performance of the flash is below average though: the uneven coverage and pasty glow don’t bode well for most pictures.
Zoom Lens (7.0)
 One of the features-of-the-moments is long zoom lenses. Point-and-shoots, such as the Olympus 830, Sony T100, and Casio V8, are surpassing the standard 3x optical zoom lens. The Nikon S700 remains at the old standard, though, with its 3x optical Nikkor lens. This provides an unimpressive 7.9-23.7mm range, equivalent to 37-111mm in the more widely known 35mm format. This is a narrow range compared to most cameras.
The lens is noisier than it should be. It doesn’t sound like a Harley Davidson, but it does make a squeaky electronic noise that would be annoying in otherwise quiet locations. The zoom control on the back allows the lens to stop at six focal lengths within its range. It moves smoothly when zooming in, but is much choppier when zooming out. It seems to breathe and backfire before stopping, which takes more time and makes more noise.
The S700’s 37-111mm zoom range isn’t impressive. When compared to other 12-megapixel models, the Nikon’s lens is subpar for the most part. The Canon SD950 has a wider and longer 3.7x, 35-133mm lens. The Olympus Stylus 1200 has a wider 3x, 35-105mm lens. The Panasonic FX100 has a much wider 3.6x, 28-100mm lens. The Kodak EasyShare V1253, however, has the same 3x zoom range as the S700.
The Nikon S700 has an advantage with its optical vibration reduction system. A few competitors have this: the Canon SD950 and Panasonic FX100 have optical image stabilization systems. Nikon’s system shifts the image sensor when the camera is bumped or jiggled, minimizing blur in images. Unfortunately the stabilization doesn’t work in videos: only an electronic system is available.
The S700’s lens is constructed of seven elements in five groups. It telescopes outward from the camera in three segments. It has a max aperture of f/2.8 at its widest 37mm focal length and f/5.4 at the 111mm focal length. The minimum aperture remains at f/8. Of note is the 4x digital zoom that can be turned on in the Setup menu, but should generally be avoided because it ruins the image quality.
Many compact digital cameras’ lenses produce significant barrel distortion but the S700’s doesn’t produce much at all. It keeps images nice and straight even when the Macro mode is activated and subjects are in close range. There is a distortion control option in the Recording menu, but even with it turned off the lens performs well. The 37-111mm range isn’t impressive, but the image stabilization system and the straight images are big plusses for the Nikon S700.
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