The ultimate Mom cam is here! Check out our full Nikon Coolpix S630 review complete with image samples.
Review summary of the Nikon Coolpix S630:
 |
|
Scoreboard » Features » Side-by-side » Gallery » |
 Nikon's flagship style cam is a bit of a divergence from last year's Coolpix S710, one in which advanced shooters will not dig. The Nikon Coolpix S630 received a significant sensor and features downgrade, with only a 7x optical zoom in return. For 2009, the Coolpix S630 focuses more on ease of use and sexiness than image quality and useful tools. We liked the suave design and simple menus of the Coolpix S630, but felt shafted when it came to low light shooting and intricate field depths due to the minimal shutter speed and tight aperture range. The Nikon Coolpix S630 will fly off shelves based on its beckoning looks, but shooters looking for more out of a typical style cam will not be impressed. Furthermore, the Nikon Coolpix S710 is only a $20 hike and will offer mountains more in the realm of image quality and adjustment. We recommend sticking with last years sure shot or checking out Canons new PowerShots. Release: March 2009. Price: $280.
Pros: Digital imaging eye candy. Convenient spinning Control dial. Easy to use.
Cons: Hit or miss image performance. Light on advanced features. Downgraded imaging hardware.
| Poor |
Mediocre |
63%
GOOD |
Very good |
Excellent |
|
|
|
Full Nikon Coolpix S630 Review:
|
Design Good
"Ooh, I love it," swooned the mother of our digital imaging editor after she was presented with the Nikon Coolpix S630. "The color alone is reason enough to buy it. I can accessorize with it!" You heard it here first, folks. The Coolpix S630 is the quintessential "Mom Cam", thanks to its attractive glossy paint schemes and swooping, asymmetrical architecture. Of course, the Coolpix S630 also ships in Silver and Black for Dads who want to uphold a decent slice of masculinity at the neighborhood smoke outs. However, our Ruby Red model was more of an Electric Fuchsia than anything, leading us to believe that Nikon created the Coolpix S630 in the fashion design room than in the garage.
Regardless, the Nikon Coolpix S630 is a solid little point-and-shoot that features a spinning Control dial and burly shutter button zoom toggle. There's no viewfinder to speak of, which knocks the Coolpix S630 back a few rungs, but the curved right side grip with textured thumb groove was the pinnacle of comfort. Few compacts have treated our hands this nicely, and it's obvious that Nikon had poured a significant amount of thought into the Coolpix S630's design. Buttons are minimal, as to be expected, and the Coolpix S630 is saddled with a standard 2.7-inch LCD, but the vast majority of its users will not be hindered. Props to Nikon for such a sleek, juicy design.
Interface Good
The Nikon Coolpix S630's interface is rather run-of-the-mill, until we get to the highly convenient spinning Control dial, which allowed us to rifle through menu options with the greatest of ease. The 2.7-inch LCD provided a decent picture, but it was noisy in low light and did not offer the sharpest resolution. Canon offers the best LCD picture in this class with the PowerShot SD970 IS. The Coolpix S630's lack of advanced external controls did not faze us because we knew what we were getting into from the get go. This is a point-and-shoot machine, so the fact that our only quick functions were limited to Flash, Macro and Exposure Compensation settings was par for the course. Ease of use is the primary theme, and the Coolpix S630 excels in that department.
Therefore, the Nikon Coolpix S630's menu systems were its sole navigational force. There was no Function menu, as all options were located in the Main menu, clumped in with administrative options via an alternating tab. The Coolpix S630's Mode selection was steered by a single Camera button that displayed four separate shooting modes onscreen at once. Playback allowed us to zoom in to view multiple icons at a time, but image information was seriously lacking. The zoom feature was also sluggish in Playback mode, but the Control dial let us cycle through images rapidly. The Coolpix S630's menu system also seemed fairly antiquated when pinned against Canon's revamped menus, so don't expect any supersonic fireworks while behind the wheel.
Features - Good
Scene modes are the Nikon's heart and soul, but we found most of them to simply shift White Balance, boost ISO or utilize the flash when needed. And that makes sense, considering the fact that most beginners will not even want to breach the borders of full Auto mode. When handed to a New York model, the Nikon Coolpix S630 was met with ultimate fear and consternation when she realized that the camera was not set to Auto mode, and wanted nothing to do with the thing until it was returned to its warm, fuzzy, autopilot state. In that case, Auto Scene Selection was the best option for true technophobes, as the Coolpix S630 was able to accurately assess the shooting environment and apply the most appropriate Scene mode. The Coolpix S630's Auto mode functioned more like a Program AE mode, enabling full White Balance, ISO, Metering and Color control.
Advanced shooters will not be happy with the Nikon Coolpix S630 because of its tiny f/3.5 f/5.3 Aperture range and Shutter Speed that is only capable of dipping down to one second. The flash was our savior in most low light environments, but even that produced mediocre results. Nearly all of Canon's PowerShot compacts have up to 15-second Shutter Speed capabilities, thanks to Long Shutter mode, and that's unmatched by any other manufacturer. The Coolpix S630 does have a decent Color Filter selection, ranging from Vivid to Pastel, though we couldn't preview them until they were selected, forcing us to travel back into the menu to swap out a different filter. Playback offered a few consumer-friendly features such as Quick Retouch and D-Lighting. Quick Retouch enabled us to adjust the Exposure a few notches up (High) or a few notches down (Low) while Dynamic Lighting (D-Lighting) adjusted the overall exposure to boost shadows. Of course, boosted exposures meant heightened noise, so these were emergency features more than anything.
Hardware - Good
A standard 12-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD with EXPEED processing is the Nikon Coolpix S630's imaging engine, which is odd considering last year's top of the line compact, the Nikon Coolpix S710, featured a prominent 14.5-megapixel 1/1.72-inch sensor, also backed by EXPEED processing. We did see a drop in image quality this year, and the Coolpix S630's sensor downgrade had to have played a part.
The Coolpix S630 trumps the Coolpix S710 in the zoom department, rocking an impressive 7x optical range, compared to the Coolpix S710's 3.6x optical spread. However, the Coolpix S710 had a wide-angle lens while the Coolpix S630 does not, which is a direct indication that Nikon went completely consumer this time around with their flagship style Coolpix.
Time from power on to first shot was a bumbling 4.3 seconds, which was one of the slowest performances we've seen from a compact. The Coolpix S630 records JPEGs to SD/SDHC cards and is powered by a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.
Image Quality Good
2009 is the year of sacrifice for Nikon's Coolpix fashion cams, and image quality was one of the items tossed into the scrap pile. Luckily, the Nikon Coolpix S630 was not slammed as badly as the Coolpix S230, which gave us one of the most unimpressive showings we've seen in quite some time. However, the Coolpix S630's image performance was not as ghastly, though we were left with an empty feeling at the end of our photographic safari, especially when we compared the images to the Coolpix S710's. The tiny aperture range limited our focal plain and the 1-second shutter speed max put a damper our low light shooting. Contrasts were difficult to deal with and colors were less than impressive. We also noticed a lot of in-camera sharpening. For a point-and-shoot, the Coolpix S630 exhibited an acceptable image performance, but we know Nikon is capable of far better image quality based on our experience with the Coolpix S710.
Outdoor Lighting Test Bowery Street
Detail Test A Deranged Santa
Color Test Nice Rack
In outdoor light, colors seemed fine, but the overall softness of the first image is a direct indication that the wide aperture just couldn't handle enhanced depth of field. We really only see the Coolpix S630's true colors in the center of the image, but the blue and orange truck still looks slightly pixilated and soft. The broad aperture does come in handy with the second image, capturing the inherent evil in devious old St. Nick's piercing eyes and stringy beard. Close range in optimal lighting was one of the few environments the Coolpix S630 could handle. The third image exhibits a great amount of sharpening, but colors are slightly flat and we lose focus along the edges of the image. Vivid created a noticeable difference as far as hues were concerned, but the overall detail in the third image is not bad at all.
Contrast Test What a Beautiful View
Contrast Test (Backlight Mode) The Same Beautiful View
Here's an example of consumer-grade dynamic range. The first image was the best balance we could achieve without having to resort to the flash, which we inevitably did in the second image. We used the Backlight Scene mode, which simply used a weak fill flash to highlight the foreground. The result was not terrible, but the background sky was still blown out. Depending on the shooting environment, the Coolpix S630 will not play well with overly highlighted backgrounds.
Macro Test Royce Union
Sharpness Test Hyperactive Mural
We were impressed with the Nikon Coolpix S630's ability at the Macro range, though we could have used a little more detail. We could get the lens up close and personal with our subject matter, though the Image Stabilization was ineffective at times. Lines and edges were a crapshoot, as we can see in the second image. Certain colors bleed slightly while a majority of the black lines are sharp and well rendered. We were impressed with the Coolpix S630's overall detail and sharpness in the second image, especially the vibrant color palette.
Indoor Test with Flash Gaudy Illumination
Indoor Test Emerald Tears
Low Light Test Hallway
We had trouble at night, particularly in certain types of dim lighting. Steadying the Nikon Coolpix S630 for a one-second shutter speed was a challenge, so we had to resort to the flash in certain situations, like in the first image. Colors are decent, but noise is heightened and the image looks fake. We snapped a series of images without the flash in different lighting and achieved the best results. The second image is sharp and flaunts beautiful greens and a stellar overall White Balance. Of course it took about eight or nine attempts to steady the Coolpix S630, but it was worth it. The third image was taken braced against a wall, but the small sensor and wide aperture lead to a party of noise and tight depth of field. Unfortunately, most night shooting will require a flash and close-range subject matter.
Price and availability
The Nikon Coolpix S630 is currently available for $280.
|
|
| |
|
| |
| |
| NEW DIGITAL CAMERA RELEASES | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
_it00.jpg)
|
Archive