Nikon Coolpix L28 has a slim design with a
20 megapixel sensor. It also has 5x optical zoom, runs on AA batteries and is
available in 4 colors: pink, red, black and silver, at a price of $122.
Nikon
Coolpix L28 camera
Features
Nikon Coolpix L28 is equipped with CCD
image sensor and 5x optical zoom lens.
It has an Easy Auto mode, which allows the
camera to automatically adjust the settings. Especially, the camera has a Smart
Portrait mode that will enable a Smile Timer, a Blink detection system and
glamorous retouch.
Video is recorded in HD 720p format.
The salient features
·
20 megapixel image sensor
·
5x optical zoom lens
·
Motion Blur Reduction
·
3.0 inch 230k dot LCD screen
·
720p HD video recording
·
ISO sensitivity range 80-1600
·
10cm minimum focusing distance
·
AA-size batteries
·
Smart Portrait Recognition System
·
Color variety: pink, red, silver and black
L28
is available in 4 colors: red, black, silver and pink
Design
L28 camera has a small plastic body, with a
side slightly thicker than the other to accommodate the 2 AA batteries which
makes it easier to grip the camera. It has a 3 inch elegant LCD screen, bright
and easy to view in varying light conditions. The buttons are quite typical for
a compact camera, with a dedicated camera button on the back of the camera. The
menu system on the L28 is easy to understand and navigate.
We have tested the camera performance at
focusing, shutter response, shot-to-shot time, continuous shooting, etc. and
the results are listed below. To test this, we have taken 6 pictures then
calculated their mean value, as to give consistent results.
·
Shutter Response: 0.175s
·
Wide – Focus / Shutter Response: 0.65s
·
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response: 0.75s
·
Conversion time when shooting: 2.2s
·
Shot-to-shot without Flash: 5.0s
·
Shot-to-shot with Flash: 5.9s
·
Continuous shooting: 1.1 frame/1s
Continuous
shooting mode records images at full 20 megapixel resolution. L28 machine boots
slowly and its shot-to-shot taking is slow.
Performance
Sample photos and product shots are
available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos
and product ratings.
Image
samples
Portrait
taken by L28
The L28 takes images which are well exposed
with good color reproduction. In portrait mode, skin tones are good, with just
the slightest touch of red-eye Landscape mode provide beautiful image with blue
and green tone.
Lens
test images
Lens performance
Detail is okay if you shoot at low ISO
settings, those images are appropriate for sharing on the web rather getting
large prints. The 20 megapixel sensor seems to be unnecessary, for example, the
Nikon S5200 has a 16 megapixel sensor and images have more detail. In
contrasting area, there is clearly visible purple fringing. The lens has a
minimum focusing distance about 10cm, which make it difficult to get really
close to your subject.
ISO noise
You cannot manually set the ISO speed on
the L28 camera. The lowest ISO speed available is ISO 80 where images are noise
free. Image noise occurs at ISO 200 (you can see samples at different ISO in
other photos of this article). Images are quite noisy at ISO 400, but retain
some sharpness. At higher ISO settings, images become very noisy; this is
probably the reason why it was hard to get the L28 to use higher ISO settings.
Photo
taken under the L28's optical zoom
White-balance
test images
Image
in AWB preset (left) and Incandescen preset (right)
White balance - Auto white balance (AWB) is
doing fine under the incandescent lights, with similar shots produced whether using
the AWB or incandescent presets Under the fluorescent light, the AWB setting
seems to be more effective, with a magenta cast appearing when using the
fluorescent preset.
Digital
Filters
Optional
colors: Vivid (left) and Black & White (right)
The L28 has a number of color options to
add creativity to your pictures You can also edit images in playback format,
with D-Lighting and Skin Softening options are available.
Video
720p HD Video recording, optical zoom is
not available during recording, but the digital zoom is still available.
Value for money
The L28's price is at $119.4. You can
hardly find another 20 megapixel compact camera at this price, but there are
some cameras that you can consider; they are Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS6 at a price
of $75, Fujifilm FinePi JZ200 at a price of $ 80, Pentax Optio LS465 at $87.6,
Canon Powershot A1300 at $90.9, Sony Cybershot DSC-W710 at $129 and Olympus
VG-180 costing $136.
You will also need to purchase a memory
card and camera holder to keep the camera safe - have a look at our complete
guide to camera bags.
Conclusion
If you are in a state of limited budgets,
or are buying a child their first camera, the L28 is an ideal choice. Despite
the 20-megapixel sensor, the captured images are not ideal for large prints,
but look great when sharing on Facebook thanks to its good color reproduction.
You do not need to worry about charging the camera because the camera uses AA
batteries, with replacement batteries are very easy to find.
Pros
·
Good color reproduction
·
Replacement batteries are easy to find
·
3inch LCD Screen
·
Low price
Cons
·
Unable to manage ISO speed
·
10cm minimum focusing distance
·
Camera is generally slow to use
Ratings
·
Features: 3/5
·
Design: 3/5
·
Performance: 3/5
·
Value for money: 3/5
·
Overall: 3/5
Specifications
Lens
·
Maximum Aperture f/3.2 – f/6.5
·
Optical Zoom: 5x
·
Image sensor:
·
CCD pixel: 20Mp
·
Pixel (W): 5152
·
Pixel (H): 3864
·
Type of sensor: CCD
·
Sensor size: 1/ 2.3 inches
LCD Screen
·
LCD screen - 3 inches
·
Screen resolution: 230k dot
Focusing
·
Minimum Focus Distance 10cm
·
Focus mode: Face Detection Center
Exposure Controls
·
Shutter speed shortest: 1/2000s
·
Shutter speed longest: 4s
·
ISO range: 80 – 1600
·
White balance modes: Auto, Manual,
Outdoors/Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Florescent, Flash
Shooting options
·
Continuous shooting: 1.2 frames/1s
Video
·
Video resolution: 1,280x720 720p
·
Video FPS: 30fps
Power supply
·
Battery: 2x AA
·
CIPA rating: 200
Package
·
Package: camera strap,
·
LR6/L40 battery (AA-size) (x2)
·
USB Cable UC-E16,
·
ViewNX 2 Installer CD
·
manual CD
Dimensions
·
Dimensions (H x D x W) 59.7x28.8x96 mm
Weight
·
Weight: 164g
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