Nikon Coolpix S210 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Plum)

I paid $179.00 for this at a local retail store and bought one on Amazon for $155.00 for my daughter, based on one reviewer who 'assured' me that all kids today take pictures every day and should just conveniently have their own. My daughter has the camera with her all the time, in her pocket, her purse, at school, on the bus, at a restaurant. It does seem to be the newest, coolest little camera to take random shots and then download them onto her facebook.I, a non-techy, am impressed with the large screen, the ability to zoom, crop and review quickly, and the thin, lightweight frame. Mine came with a case, which I think is an essential if you are particular as I am about scratches and dropping accidents. The handle also proved important to me so as not to let it slip when taking a shot.The battery lasted throughout over 200 pictures on my last trip to Texas and the photos are detailed and rich in color, even ones taken in a cave! I recommend this little Nikon gem.

I was going on a cross-country trip and was looking for a digital camera to bring with me when my mom recommended this one. I'd never owned a digital camera before, so I was looking for one with a reasonable price and not too many complicated features. This camera fits all my needs and more. Physically, it's a cute color (plum) and small enough to slip into your pocket if you're in a rush (as I was when I took it to the Celtics parade). The interface is pretty intuitive, and I personally prefer using a menu to switch modes over the standard wheel as I'm often worried about bumping said wheel by accident!As for the pictures it takes? They're not perfect, but they suit my purpose. Some people may want something with more megapixels, but 8 is enough for me. It sometimes has trouble focusing on the correct subject. It doesn't seem to have much of a problem with pet eye, though! Also, the video feature is a wonderful bonus, it picks up audio surprisingly well. Make sure to buy an SD card, though!A small worry I have is that the battery compartment door seems a little.. "loose." It's not going to pop open on its own, but it does wiggle a little bit and sand could probably get in if you took it to the beach. Buying a case for it would probably decrease that risk significantly, though.Overall, I feel this is a great digital camera for the price and makes a good starter digital camera for someone like me who isn't usually very good with them.

Nikon Coolpix S210 8.0MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Graphite Black)I have only gotten a few pages into the manual and can only operate a few settings. Yet virtually every shot has come out good. 8"x10" prints from a color ink jet paper printer look great unless you really look close; just faint lines from the printer. Now THAT is a good camera and it would fit in a cigarette pack if you wished.I've used large, medium and 35mm formats and did my own developing and printing for a few decades. Grain? Very simple: film speed. 100 was ideal, 200 a touch of grain, 400 noticeable and so on. The higher the film speed, the more grain you get. Nothing is free, there is always a trade off. The more difficult you make it for a digital camera, the more problems with the photo.The best thing I ever did was take a photography class. Minimal cost, 4 or 5 evening classes, and I understood the trade offs between film speed, aperture and lens speed. I imagine digital has similar factors; if I was 100 miles closer to a city I would already be signed up.Don't expect miracles, but if you understand the basic principles you'll be able to handle tough conditions and get good pictures.

This is the first time that I bought something new on the market. Typically, I buy something after it has been reviewed for at least 6 months, but I had to replace the "family point and shoot" before Easter. I was replacing my old Nikon Coolpix 5900 (which was a little bulky, but took FANTASTIC photos). I also loved the video quality. I stayed with the Nikon family because it is what I know, and I just am not ready to pay so much for the Canon lines (and I don't like the photo quality - can't explain, but I like my Nikon better).I got the camera 2 weeks ago, and so far I have found:1) That it is incredibly small - which is good and bad. It can go anywhere, but holding it makes you kind of nervous, like you could drop it easily.2)The large viewscreen is large, and I am very worried that I may drop it and shatter it easily. The camera itself is very smooth, and feels "slippery" in your hands.3) The one complaint that I know I even had with my old Nikon - shutter/recovery time is slow with this camera - you can't just "click" away. This is not so nice when you have fidgety children, and you want to capture a moment.4) The scene/mode setup has slightly changed for me, and to get to a different "mode", you can't just turn the dial, like I did on the old 5900, you have to push a few more buttons. This will be tedious when you are moving from different environments, and want to alter the settings.5) The biggest complaint I have is that this camera is has a very sensitive at autofocusing, and based on what I have seen so far, it will not take pictures closeup unless you actually set it at the macro mode.I don't think I will return it because I have found that unfortunately, these new digital cameras don't seem to last, and I won't invest over $200 for a point and shoot. This is good for quick shots when you are out on the go, and can fit in your back pocket. For the better photos, I use my D80 (it is a dream).4/4/08 UPDATE - I have used the camera a little more. I have noted that:1) to get the shots to come out, you really have to become quite knowledgeable with how to adjust your settings (exposure compensation, mode, light source, white balance, etc.) READ THE MANUAL, and PRACTICE. Once you figure that out, your pictures are fine. This does get a little tedius when you are trying to capture that moment with fidgeting subjects (i.e. children & animals).2) Also, the movies are not MPG's anymore they are now in the AVI format. They still turn out fine, and the mic is SUPERSENSITIVE3) The latch for the battery compartment is still the same - this worries me because this is what failed on my 5900, (and my mom's Canon). Once that went out, (and we went on vacation), the camera was never the same (i.e. beach air, sand, AC - you do the math). You would think they would fix this problem, but I am seeing it with not just one line, but others as well.4) I am not a real fan of the way you switch from regular camera, to a specific scene (i.e. indoors, niteshots, etc), to movie mode. You have to push a MODE button, scroll, and then push OK. The buttons on the back are the same as my old 5900, just a little smaller (men with big fingers could get annoyed easily).5) The on/off button is TINY and is right in next to the button that you use to take the photos/and take videos (at the top of the camera). Honestly, I confuse them at times, and will turn the camera off when I want to begin a video.All in all,If I could do all over again, I wouldn't go ultracompact and would go more compact. It serves it's purpose, but remember - you are getting what you paid for.UPDATE 1/9/09: By September 08, I had to get another camera because this one decided to break down on my family vacation - I am TRULY not a fan of this camera (the Lens just decided to not open and close). I will just give it to my 4 yr old, and let her play with it. I gambled and got the waterproof Pentax, and so far, I am pleased (not elated, but will be satisfied for now).