Nikon Coolpix S1

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Tiny size, image quality that's acceptable but not outstanding, and a lack of manual controls make the ultracompact Nikon Coolpix S1 a good choice for snapshot photographers who want a good selection of fun features but don't want to make many decisions on their own.

This Nikon's strong points are abundant scene modes, a 3x zoom lens that doesn't protrude during use, a post-shot fix that automatically brightens dark backgrounds, and a clever Face-Priority autofocus mode that ensures the closest human to the camera will be sharp and clear. But with its limited shutter speed range of 2 seconds to 1/350 second, you won't be using it for long exposures or very fast action.

Editors' note:

Ratings have been changed to reflect CNET.com's current review.

Design
Most digital cameras sized like a deck of playing cards become lumpy when you turn them on and the lens extends--not the Nikon Coolpix S1. Its recessed optics peep out but don't emerge from the camera when their built-in cover opens; they then focus and zoom internally over a 35mm to 105mm range (35mm camera equivalent). The lens is even tucked far enough into the body that it largely avoids the bane of fingerprints.

Only a power button and the shutter release are on top of the S1.

Unfortunately, though, the most comfortable two-handed grip makes it easy for stray left-hand fingers to curl over the top and wander into the field of view; more than half of our initial shots with this camera included one or more fingers in the frame. The LCD viewfinder--there is no optical viewfinder window--shows just 87 percent of the image (100 percent on review), so the stray digits escaped our notice until it was too late.

The little zoom toggle and the menu-access button are in the upper-right corner of the camera back.

The camera is otherwise well-laid-out for an ultracompact. Its 89.9 x 57.5 x 19.7mm aluminum-alloy body has nary a protrusion--even the hand-strap lug is recessed--and features the minimal number of buttons and controls needed to get the job done. We did find the labeling a bit busy and confusing. For example, the slender top surface incorporates the shutter release; the power button; a speaker; a strip engraved with the lens's full name, focal lengths, and maximum apertures; and a microphone placed under an on/off label--presumably referring to the power switch.

The simple mode switch in the lower-right corner gives you access to automatic photo capture, a large selection of scene modes, and a movie mode, while the few other physical controls on the camera are found above it.

The right side houses a plastic door that covers the Secure Digital (SD) card slot, while the bottom hosts an I/O connector for the Cool-Station dock, the battery compartment, and a plastic tripod socket. All the other controls are squeezed onto a back panel dominated by a 2.5-inch LCD. These include a sliding recording/scene/movie mode switch; a four-way cursor pad with embedded OK button; a zoom rocker; and separate buttons for menu, picture review, and trash. Most of these controls pull double duty. For example, the telephoto side of the zoom rocker functions as a help key when you're navigating menus. Similarly, pressing up on the cursor pad changes flash options, down activates macro mode, left enables the self-timer, and right marks pictures for transfer.

This camera's well-designed menu system is laid out in three levels: Setup, recording, and playback; the last two are accessible only when you're taking photos or reviewing images, respectively. Menus can be displayed in the customary text/icon mode, with a helpful scroll bar showing how far down the menu list you've ventured or in an icon-based mode that we actually found more confusing to use until we'd memorized what all the icons represented.

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