Product Description

Nikon Coolpix S52 has some unique features you simply may not find at this price range. New EXPEED Image Processor ensures high-quality pictures with stunning color and sharpness Optical Vibration Reduction Image Stabilization compensates for camera shake to prevent blur and produce clearer, sharper results in lower light or unsteady conditions 9 Megapixels for up to 3456 x 2592 still image resolution 3-Inch Bright LCD screen with 170-degree wide view angle Scene Modes - Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Museum, Fireworks Show Built-in electronic flash with maximum distance up to 18 feet USB Video out

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23988 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: 26104
• Dimensions: .80" h x 2.30" w x 3.70" l, .65 pounds
• Display size: 3

Features

• 9-megapixel resolution for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
• 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor glass lens; Optical VR image stabilization
• 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD display; 170-degree viewing angle
• Wireless capability; e-mail and store pictures directly from the camera in Wi-Fi open access hotspots
• Capture images to SD memory card (not included)

Manufacturer Description

The Coolpix S52c combines Nikon's stunning wave-surface camera body with advanced features designed to produce incredible pictures with ease. With 9.0 effective megapixels, a 3x, 38-114mm Zoom-Nikkor lens, and Wi-fi cabability, the Coolpix S52c is for anyone looking for a stunning camera that takes equally stunning photos.

The Coolpix S52c also features Optical VR Image Stabilization technology, which compensates for camera shake, as well as ISO capabilities up to 3200, which provide more opportunities to capture fast moving subjects and greater flexibility and clarity when shooting in low-light settings. These cameras also boast an Auto ISO control, which automatically selects the optimal sensitivity across a range between ISO 100 and ISO 800, and up to ISO 2000 in High-Sensitivity mode.

Providing even more control and freedom in photo taking, the S52c comes with a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens designed to capture brilliant detail and vivid colors in every photo and a huge 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen allowing easy sharing and viewing of images. Also, these new cameras are built on Nikon's innovative EXPEED digital image processing system designed to enhance noise reduction and improve the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio.

The Wi-Fi enabled S52c can send images directly via email through its Wi-Fi connection, as well as support my Picturetown, Nikon's photo sharing and storage service. Through my Picturetown, users can email pictures directly to friends and family, publish pictures to the photo community sharing Website Flickr, and link their photos to blogs and social networking sites. Pictures can also be sent to the email addresses of a Blackberry device for viewing.

Like all cameras in the Coolpix line, the S52c includes Nikon's unique image innovations including enhanced Face-priority AF, which automatically finds and focuses on up to five faces within the frame; In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, which can automatically detect and correct red eye in a photo; and D-Lighting, which compensates for excessive backlight or insufficient flash in images.

Coolpix S52c Highlights

9.0-megapixel resolution for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches Plenty of sharp resolution to capture the finest details, crop creatively and produce incredible enlargements.

3x optical Zoom-Nikkor (38-114mm) lens This lens is built on Nikon's proud heritage of producting precision camera optics that deliver superb color and razor-sharp results.

New EXPEED image processor ensures high-quality pictures Nikon's comprehensive digital imaging processing concept incorporates the know-how and the technologies acquired throughout our long history of photographic and digital imaging development. EXPEED is customer-tuned for Coolpix and renders natural-looking pictures of incredible quality and quick response so you won't miss that special moment.

Optical Vibration Reduction image stabilization Compensates for camera shake to prevent blur and produce clearer, sharper results in lower light or unsteady conditions. In addition, the benefit of Nikon's VR system extends to faster framing on the moniter and smoother action in the S52's movie mode

Huge, bright 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD Offers 170-degree wide-angle of view making it easy to compose shots and play them back anywhere. The ultra-wide 170° viewing angle makes it easy for you to share your pictures with everyone at once. In addition, the high-contrast and anti-reflection coating on the screen assist in clear viewing, even in direct sunlight.

Slim, stylish all-metal design Slips right into your shirt pocket or purse! Not only is the camera easy to carry around, it is great to be seen with. Nikon's beautiful wave-surface design and sweeping lines make it the camera that takes great pictures, and looks great doing it!

Auto adjusts up to ISO 3200 Take sharper, more natural-looking pictures in lower light conditions.

Wi-Fi enabled The S52c supports both wireless b and the faster wireless g standard. You can now upload and store your pictures on Nikon’s my Picturetown by simply connecting the included AC adapter. The camera will detect your wireless network and begin the upload. You don’t have to sit at your computer anymore and wait! Your pictures will be uploaded safely and securely to your account on my Picturetown.

Wireless my Picturetown allows you to view your pictures anytime, anywhere View pictures on your Blackberry. Email and store pictures directly from the camera in Wi-Fi open-access hotspots with the new Picture Mail Button. Plus, receive six months of free T-mobile Hotspot service.

One-Touch Portrait Button Automatically activates In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and Face Priority AF to create stunning portraits. There is no more fumbling through menus or worriyng about pressing the wrong button. With the One-Touch Portrait Button on the top of the camera, it's as easy as a single press of one button to get a great portrait -- without red-eye.

Nikon Image Innovations Include: In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, which will automatically look for and fix most instances of red-eye; Face Priority AF is Nikon's face-finding technology that can quickly find and focus on up to five faces in a group portrait; and D-Lighting will rescue those pictures that are too dark for printing by enhancing the underexposed areas of the picture while not touching the properly exposed areas.

All-new Pictmotion Select your favorite pictures and movies and combine them with music. There are five pieces of music pre-installed, and you can upload up to ten pieces of your own music to the camera! Add a choice of visual styles that match the mood of your photos and you can creative amazing slideshows with music right in the camera. In addition, Pictmotion is now offering VGA quality so displaying your slideshow on a flat-screen TV will be more enjoyable then ever.

High-quality TV movies with sound Now just a press of a button away with your Coolpix. Record TV-quality movies with sound whose duration is only limited by the available space on your SD/SDHC card. Connect your camera to your TV and you have instant home movies.

Customer Reviews

The Nikon Coolpix S52c - A Great Point And Shoot Camera With Wireless Features

The Nikon Coolpix S52c 9MP Digital Camera Zoom with Wi-Fi (Vibrant Black), has all the good stuff that's included with the S52 plus the added wireless antenna and related features. Certainly it's brother, the Nikon Coolpix S52 9MP Digital Camera (Midnight Black) is a great all-around point and shoot camera. Both offer great performance and value that is best in class. While I originally got the basic model, for only $30 to $50 more this guy gives you a great wireless feature. Even if, like me, you don't use the wireless upload much now, at the discounted Amazon price it's worth having for the future.

Canon's newer models have been steadily adopting some of the features that Nikon has had in it's Coolpix S series for years, such as the 3 inch screen and scroll controls. I still prefer the Coolpix overall out of point and shoot models in this price range, but the Canon's have some advantages and wider popularity. When it comes to the wireless in this version Nikon leads the market with this feature.

The screen on this camera is an AWESOME 3 inches of clear and durable optical lens quality glass. This has the nicest screen out of any point and shoot camera out there, though the opaque controls on the Canon's screen are slicker. You may want to get a screen protector. But careful handling of my S50 has proven to me that the glass is very durable and not easily scratched.

Functions And Features

There are some interesting functions, included red-eye correction and image cropping. Once again, most people will be loading their pics on their computers and then dealing with those edits. Still, it's nice to be able to do them. These types of functions have become almost like minimum requirements for top point and shoot subcompact cameras.

The control wheel lets you scroll through your photos when displaying them on the screen for review. It only takes one button to delete a picture. It's also easy to access all the menu functions. Switching between camera mode and video recorder mode is just as easy, and reviewing your pictures via play mode is accomplished with one button as well.

The zoom on this camera is internal as with all S50 and S51 models. That means no waiting for the lens to zoom in and out, and no worries about the mechanical issues with those external lens extension cameras. That makes it easier to accept the 3x optical zoom. Digital zoom should be ignored when making your purchasing decision. Always compare cameras to each other with the optical zoom in mind.

This is a huge plus for this camera, and helps to maintain the slim profile. Some of those super-slim cameras aren't nearly as thin when they are turned on and the lenses are sticking out. There are thinner cameras, but none of them are as affordable and as packed with features as this one.

This is an update to the S50 and S51 versions and adds more megapixels (9M!) so that you can produce prints up to 16X20. More megapixels never hurt anybody. :)

Picture taking is good, and if you get a faster memory card it will be better. There is definitely a lag though, and using the light-hold then click technique worked best for me. The Auto settings are good enough for most basic uses. But low light and nighttime situations just don't perform as well with auto. So the short answer is, if you have to shoot in low light, set the ISO manually! There's also a "High ISO" option that seems to work ok, but setting it to 1600 seemed to work best overall.

Testing the wireless upload feature has convinced me it can perform well for some people. But there is a lot that goes into connecting to a wireless access point. Getting the pictures up on the website is the easy part. Configuring access to a secured wireless access point took some time. Clearly, unsecured Wi-Fi is a piece of cake. After taking a little over 1 hour to set it up once, I can say it was well worth it. I don't think I'll use this often, but it will do in a pinch. Uploads are too slow to be used for video, but can be used for a few pictures easily. Once again, uploading is slower than I would like but will do in a pinch.

The video recording features are pretty similar to prior models. The video quality is great, but sound quality could be improved. Video quality depends on your memory card quality and speed even more than pictures. And rest assured, this card is SDHC compatible so choose a nice class 6 card till the faster class hits the consumer market later this year. And also keep in mind that your computer probably isn't SDHC compliant (unless it's very new) so get a set with and SDHC reader included or transfer pics from your camera and not from the card.

Comparing The S52 To The Competition

Canon obviously has a few models that rule this space, best among them being the SD1100 IS and the SD790 IS. I actually still prefer the 770 over the 790, but whatever. There are good reasons for choosing any of those, but none of them have the internal lens. If you want that feature, the Nikon stands alone. For regular shooting conditions, Canon's image processing system is faster and more reliable. But the low light performance of the Nikon is better than the lot of them.

The body of the camera is nice and thin. When you consider that the lens is internal and does not protrude, this guy is thinner than almost everything out there, including the Casio Exilim.

When choosing between this camera and other options, you need to be aware of a few points. The Sony Cybershot T300 10.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Black) is a nice camera that also performs well and perhaps has a better responding auto-detection mode for low light situations. But I tested the S52 by setting the ISO manually to 1600. The results were somewhat surprising and produced better quality pictures in low light than Sony's auto setting. Obviously you can also manually set the T300's ISO, but the differences are negligible at that point.

Other things to consider is that you must use Sony's proprietary Memory Pro / Duo, which is more expensive with fewer speed options available. The T300 has a thin body, but the sliding lens cover adds considerable thickness and I personally find it annoying. In addition, the T300 is much more expensive and not even close to the S52 in terms of value. In fact, the Canon's are also more expensive relative to features, and Nikon really is the best bang for the buck here.

The Nikon Coolpix S600 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom (Slate Black) has a widescreen capability that may appeal to some and 1 megapixel more for a total of 10. When you add in the greater zoom magnification, that camera is a great option for many people. Just keep in mind that the S600 does have an externally articulating lens, so it's much less compact than the S52 when actually in use. I am just too hooked on this internal lens to use the S600 full time.

The first real con you should be aware of is that your battery will need to be recharged after a few full days of use. That is pretty normal, but it did annoy me at first that I didn't have a spare battery. So get yourself a spare battery and keep it charged, which is good advice for any camera. Because this uses one of those proprietary batteries, it doesn't offer the ease of use that comes with models that use AAs like the P60. The other con is that you have to buy a little case for this camera, which seems like something that should be included.

Review your options with a mind towards the kind of shooting you need to do. Bottom line, get yourself this camera if you want to have a nice camera for everyday general use. This camera is durable, easy to use and loaded with features. And if you don't mind a few more bucks, the added wireless feature is a nice extra that will no doubt become more common with other entries in this group planned for later this year.

Enjoy.

Beware - Features Missing
For some reason Nikon has removed two features from the Coolpix s52c that existed in the Coolpix s7c thereby crippling the Nikon s52c.

First, you should be aware that unlike the Coolpix s7c, the Coolpix s52c is missing the Panorama Assist feature found under the Scenes option. Why Nikon would remove this feature is a mystery to me.

The Coolpix s52c is sold and advertised as a WiFi camera. Unlike the Coolpix s7c, which can wirelessly transmit pictures directly to your own computer hard drive, the Coolpix s52c can only wirelessly transmit pictures to Nikon's MyPictureTown web service or email. Not a great option if you don't have a very fast connection to the Internet. And what happens if Nikon discontinues their MyPictureTown web service? The WiFi feature of the Coolpix s52c becomes useless.

It really is a shame that Nikon has crippled the Coolpix s52c in these two areas. I hope Nikon will restore these two features in a future firmware upgrade.

Until then - buyer beware.

Excellent Photos, Abysmal Audio
I was so excited to receive my brand new CoolPix S52 (Eco-Green), and the photos were really quite excellent. I was also pleased that it was very easy to learn how to use the various camera features. HOWEVER, when I used the movie or voice recording modes there was a very high level of awful static sound recorded EVERY TIME. I upgraded to the best memory card I could find, and that did not make a bit of difference.

Naturally, I returned the camera under Warranty (with sample video/audio) to Nikon TWICE for repair or replacement. To my dismay, they returned it to me both times stating "Your unit was thoroughly checked and was found completely within the factory standards". They also said not to expect the sound quality to be excellent because it didn't have a "sophisticated microphone". Maybe so, but it shouldn't be so poor that you cringe when you listen to the playback.

I was so disappointed that I sold the camera used and replaced it with a Canon PowerShot SD850 IS (Digital Elph) Canon PowerShot SD850 IS 8.0 MP Digital Elph Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom that I am extremely happy with (both photos and sound are fantastic).

Bottom line - if recording movies is important to you, don't buy this camera. It will be a big disappointment and a waste of money. If you decide to buy it, be sure to test the movie and sound recording modes soon after you receive it to be sure you are satisfied.