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Nikon Coolpix S52c

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By Leonard Goh
Aug 4, 2008

There are but a handful of point-and-shoots with onboard Wi-Fi on the market, and most of them are discontinued models. But Nikon seems to be very confident about its wireless-enabled unit, the Coolpix S51c, announcing the successor, the S52c, in April. Improvements include a resolution bump from 8 to 9 megapixels. But other than that, there are no visible modifications made to the new shooter. However, the image quality isn't fantastic and much can be done to improve it. Other than its funky Wi-Fi feature (for those who really need to stay connected), the shooter is pretty average. If you don't require the wireless feature, consider its twin, the S52.

Design

Featuring the Wave Surface design that made its debut in the single-digit S-series of shooters, the S52c has curvy accents that accentuate its profile. The area where the lens is housed is slightly thicker than the rest of the body, with the chassis rising smoothly to give the impression of a wave.

Although the point-and-shoot's body may look slippery, the grip is pretty decent for small hands. On the rear where the thumb rest is usually placed are three rolls of holes. Mind you, that is not an alternative to rest your digit. Rather, it is the speaker for video or sound clip playback.

Besides the Power and shutter button, the top also has dedicated hardware for activating face detection and calling up the email function to send your pictures. Flash is located a wee bit to the left of the optics, and we wonder if it is too close for comfort and will affect the image quality. We'll find out more later.

What we really like about the S52c is the scroll wheel that was seen on its predecessor. It has ample resistance so we know how much we're turning, and navigating the menu with it is quick and zippy.

Most point-and-shoot's battery/memory media cover has to be pushed outwards to the side, but for the Nikon, you have to push it backward (or forward, depending on the orientation) to open the slot. It is not an issue with us, and not exactly a design breakthrough as well.

 
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