Nikon COOLPIX S1100pj digital camera

Nikon COOLPIX S1100pj: Show off with this 14.1-megapixel Nikon compact camera, which has a built-in projector

PC World Australia (online)

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Pros

  • Reasonably clear picture quality, good high ISO performance, built-in projector will wow your friends

Cons

  • Built-in projector will drain the battery quickly, touchscreen is awkward to use, noticeable chromatic aberration, lens position is awkward

Bottom Line

It may not be the most practical digital camera, but if you're a gadget nut then Nikon's COOLPIX S1100pj is almost a must-have item. It's not without its drawbacks, but it'll definitely make your friends 'ooh' and 'ahh' when you use the integrated projector to display the photos you took of them, and its overall picture quality is quite good.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 549.00 (AUD)

Picture quality

While the COOLPIX S1100pj has a small sensor, its picture quality is surprisingly crisp and detailed. You still shouldn't crop your photos too much, as images are a little muddy when you view them at their full size. It's just as good as Canon's 14.1-megapixel PowerShot SX210 IS, and better than Panasonic's 14.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-FX75 in this regard. The S1100pj captures accurate colours that may only need a hint of contrast adjustment in post-processing, but you can also use in-camera colour adjustments when you're in certain scene modes, such as landscape. There is noticeable chromatic aberration though, which will be visible in high-contrast areas, and especially in scenes with difficult lighting.

We shot this using landscape mode and the in-camera colour selector.

You can see chromatic aberration in the leaves above the entrance to the park.

The colours in this shot are as they appear straight from the camera, without any adjustment.

In this shot we boosted the contrast slightly.

High ISO performance is also surprisingly good on the COOLPIX S1100pj, and you can realistically use up to ISO 1600 if the situation calls for it. The camera goes up to ISO 6400, but it reduces the image size in this mode in order to minimise the amount of visible imperfections.

This was shot at ISO 1600. It's a very good result for a compact camera.

Conclusion

There are plenty of features to like about the COOLPIX S1100pj apart from its innovative built-in projector. As we've mentioned, its picture quality is actually very good and its lens is nice and wide. We also like its focus tracking and face detection, which is very sensitive and fun to use (try it in a crowd!). However, we hate the position of the lens: it is in the corner and is very easy to block with your finger. You have to shoot in a dainty way with your fingers up in the air so as not to impede the lens.

The other drawbacks are the slow performance; the touchscreen, which we feel is an unnecessary feature; and the low battery life, which is only a problem if you've been using the projector to show off to your friends. Overall though, it's a very interesting camera and well worth considering if you're a gadget junkie, or if you just want a good compact camera that will be far more interesting than your friends' cameras.

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