Pixiq

Continuing with our look at svelte compact cameras for a bit over £100 is the Nikon Coolpix S3100. Sorry Nikon, but I was expecting a great deal more from you than this. The number of bad reviews it has received is enough to convince me that I don’t even want to touch it with a barge pole. However, I was reminded that the guys and gals who test these things are paid to be picky and at the camera’s price, it offers a lot. Still, I’d counter that with two arguments.

First of all: the guys and gals who test these cameras see a lot of cameras. They also know what else is on the market at that price point and if they’re saying it’s not good enough, I’m inclined to believe them. Second: if this is someone’s first foray into photography, or even if she or he is just a casual snapper, you want to give her or him a good experience, not a fuzzy, noisy nightmare. We want to tempt people into photography, not deter them. And just because someone is only a casual snapper, it doesn’t justify shafting her or him with poor image quality. Anyway, I’ll leave you to judge.

Cameras Co UK says ‘Based on these tests the Coolpix S3100 struggles as soon as you try to take a picture where the subject is any distance from the camera. Could this camera be too bad to be true? Well it is always possible I had a faulty model, but having reviewed its predecessor that too suffered from quality problems.’ – Read the full review at Cameras Co UK

CNET UK says ‘But we have to say that, while the S3100 is by no means the worst performer we’ve seen, we’ve definitely found it easier to get good results with other models in its class. It’s also not the cheapest camera of its type, so we’d recommend weighing up its small size and portability against its cost and image quality.’ - Read the full review at CNET UK

Digital Camera Zone says ‘Rather more problematic however was that we struggled to get a sharp image when shooting handheld in daylight at extreme telephoto setting. The S3100 is so slim that camera shake is a real issue at maximum zoom, leading us to take three shots in order to get one keeper – and even on occasion to deploy the self timer to avoid jogging the shutter release button.’ – Read the full review at Digital Camera Zone

ePHOTOzine says ‘The Nikon Coolpix S3000 scored eight out of ten when we tested it back in July 2010 and the Coolpix S3100 builds on this by offering a longer zoom lens, more megapixels and HD video recording. Noise performance isn’t as good as the Coolpix S3000 but this is likely to be due to the higher resolution and macro mode is also pretty poor. Overall, the Coolpix S3100 is capable of taking good pictures for an extremely reasonable price and with its slim body and fantastic auto modes the Nikon Coolpix S3100 will please many a compact user.’ – Read the full review at ePHOTOzine

Expert Reviews says ‘Excessive noise was compounded by a lack of optical image stabilisation, which would have allowed longer shutter speeds and slower ISO speeds to reduce noise without resulting in blurry photos. The S3100 seems to be oblivious to the dangers of camera shake, though. In low light without the flash, it used shutter speeds as slow as 1/3 seconds before raising the ISO speed beyond 400, resulting in photos that were both noisy and blurred.’ – Read the full review at Expert Reviews

PhotoRadar says ‘Predictably with 14 million effective pixels on a 1/2.3 in CCD sensor, the loss of the detail at the highest setting means ISO 3200 is best avoided, but the camera does not disgrace itself at all. In fact, even though the impact of the noise reduction algorithm is clearly visible in ISO 400 images when they are viewed at 100% on the computer screen, at more sensible printing sizes, the results look very good.’ – Read the full review at PhotoRadar

PhotographyBLOG says ‘… this Coolpix had us again wondering about how slim is too slim for practical use. Especially on a model that doesn’t have the benefits of optical nor sensor shift anti shake alongside the less effective electronic variety. If you’re not shooting toward the telephoto end of the zoom nor in low light without some supplementary means of support regularly it’s not a problem. However, in using it on a daily basis over the course of a week it does appear that a certain amount of usability has been sacrificed on the altar of style. – Read the full review at PhotographyBLOG

Trusted Reviews says ‘So while there are a few desirable features missing, some useful point-and-shoot additions are available. Smile Timer, Blink Proof, in-camera red eye fix and Skin Softening all help you to more easily take group photos and keep portraits looking their best. Again, though, it’s worth noting that if none of these automatic settings can get the job done there are no manual options to fall back on – a typical situation for budget compacts but annoying nonetheless.’ – Read the full review at Trusted Reviews

What Digital Camera says ‘For a camera with the aesthetics, feature list and technical specs of the Nikon Coolpix S3100 is priced impressively low. The RRP of £129 will undoubtedly be undercut by both the internet and high street, making it something of a bargain all round. Although the image quality may not be ground breaking and the screen a touch smaller than it could be, but the price still keeps it firmly with the ‘bargain’ realm.’ – Read the full review at What Digital Camera