A model that can be taken with you wherever you go
With brilliant features in a slimline design, the S3300 is perfect for
keeping it simple
Nikon’s latest addition to its Coolpix range is a budget
model with ease of use being tis best attribute. It may not come with all the
manual bells and whistles of higher-end compacts but I’s not skimping on
features.
Nikon Coolpix
S3300
The S3300 comes with 720p video, a 16MP image sensor for
large prints and 18 scene modes, where the camera will choose the settings. The
vibration reduction helps deal with camera shake and there are various drive
modes to make sure you don’t miss a moment, such as Best Shot Selector (BSS)
which chooses the sharpest photo out of a series of shots it takes.
Another way it ensures your shots will always be sharp is
the choice of focusing methods. You can set it to Auto, Centre Focus, or
Subject Tracking for fast-moving subjects, or you can manually select your
focus point.
There are great settings to help you take better portrait
shots, such as Smart Portrait mode, which includes a smile timer and blink
alert. There are also post-shot edits, such as Quick Retouch for improving
colours and Glamour Retouch for improving skin tones.
All of these features are easy to find, with a menu system
that’s straightforward. They are packed into a super-slim 19.5mm-deep body,
which come in a range of colours, and the built is decent enough for the price.
The image quality is good in bright conditions, but it struggled a little more
in low light, with ISOs above 800 after taking a shot to let you take another
and the LCD is a bit too low-res to truly see the quality of your images when
out on a shoot.
This is a camera aimed at those who want ease of use above
all else. It’s a model that can be taken with you wherever you go and for the
extremely reasonable price it could be the perfect fit for those wanting to
test the photography water.
Hands-on
You can attach a wrist strap to this slim camera, but there
are no real protrusions for you to grip onto for one-handed use. There is a
tumb grip on the back though, and all buttons and dials are easy to reach.
The S3300 is
available in a wide range of bright colours, along with a black or silver
option
Pros
The slim size means you can take it out with you in your
pocket
A variety of scene modes help in most shooting scenarios
Cons
The video is only 720p rather than full 1080p HD
Images become unusable at 1600 and 3200 ISO
The info
Megapixels:
16MP
Great for
16.40 x 10.88’ prints
Zoom:
6x optical, 4x digital
A focal
ranger of 26-156mm with the optical zoom
Shutter
speeds: 1sec-1/2000 (4sec in Fireworks mode)
The higher
value will freeze the action in sports shots
ISO
sensitivity: 80-3200
This range
will capture images in low light conditions
Exp.
Modes: 18 scenes, plus Scene auto selector, Auto, Smart Portrait and filters
A wide
range of options for beginners that will suit most situations well
Aperture:
f3.5-6.5
Flash
modes: Auto, FOn, FOff, RE, SS
Weight:
128g with battery
Dimensions:
94.8 x 57.8 x 19.5mm
Batteries:
lithium-ion
Storage:
SD/SDHC/SDXC/Eye-Fi
Screen:
2.7 inches
Verdict
Features:
3/5
Design and
handling: 4/5
Build
quality: 3/5
Image
quality: 3/5
Value for
money: 5/5
Final
score: 3/5
A simple,
easy-to-use camera but one that’s adaptable to most scenes. It’s packing a
variety of useful features too, all for an extremely cheap price tag
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