| | |  |
2.0 Inches | Home » » » Nikon Coolpix S500 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom | | | | | | | Description: | | Open Box From the solid feel and comfortable wrap-around grip of its stylish and compact stainless steel body to its large, easy-access control buttons, the COOLPIX S500 is an absolute joy to carry and a pleasure to shoot with. Achieving sharp results in low light or unsteady conditions is made easier thanks to a Lens Shift Vibration Reduction image stabilization system that remains active the whole time you are shooting, and a light sensitivity range that extends up to ISO 2000. This camera powers up and is ready to shoot within 0.8 seconds, and the shutter releases in less than 0.005 seconds. With all functions optimized for immediate response, the COOLPIX S500 sets you freer than ever before to capture special moments as and when you experience them. This camera is produced in silver. Features: 7.1 megapixel resolution means detailed images that stay sharp even when significantly enlarged. 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens covering the key photographic range of 35-105mm (35mm equivalent). Lens Shift Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization system counters the effects of camera shake to produce sharp images and movies, and deliver clear images in lower light. Active the entire time the camera is switched on, sensors in the VR lens unit detect camera movement and make precise automatic adjustments to reduce image blur in your images and movies as well as on the camera?s LCD monitor. High-quality, durable compact stainless steel body, with comfortable wrap?around grip for ease of use. Light sensitivity of up to ISO 2000 reduces the risk of blurry images when you shoot fast-moving subjects or take pictures in low-light situations. For more challenging light situations you can activate High-Sensitivity mode and let the camera select the best setting from ISO 50 to ISO 1000, or you can set it up as high as ISO 2000 manually. Large 2.5? LCD monitor with anti-reflection coating simplifies image composition and playback. Rotary multi-selector enhances ... | | | Features: | |
• 7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 20-inch prints
• 3x optical zoom through a quality Zoom-Nikkor lens (zoom is equivalent to 38-114mm in a 35mm camera)
• 2.5-inch LCD display; exclusive Nikon In-Camera Red-Eye Fix
• Face-Priority AF automatically focuses on faces
• Sleek, stainless steel design
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 3.5 inches | | Product Width:
| 0.9 inches | | Product Height:
| 2.0 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.75 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.7 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.6 inches | | Package Height:
| 3.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.95 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 5 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 5 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 ...May 26, 2007
By Mary
I love this camera, for the price.. had it for a couple months now, and overall it's great for a compact digital camera... only negative is that I still manage to get blurred images sometimes, unless I'm completely not moving or using a tripod. Otherwise, it takes very clear, lush and detailed pictures with true to life colors, and doesn't seem to burn through batteries as easily as other cameras I've had in years past, and has a lot of nice features. The Red Eye redux and direct to TV/computer works wonderfully... it's pretty fast in recovery time... and it does an excellent job in self adjusting to the light situation, no matter what it may be.
17 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 Fragile LCD --- cute but looks are deceivingJul 14, 2007
By Esurc Nod
"Don"
This camera looks like a little tank, and I bought it to replace a Canon Elph that really had been a tank. I had tossed that old camera in briefcases, backpacks, pockets, and it had always been fine. When looking for a new pocketable camera, I was drawn to the S500 because it reminded me of my trusty old Elph. The Nikon had similarly rugged looks. But it fails to live up to the promise.
I know what you're thinking---"Another Amazon customer who got a rare defective product, so I can disregard his negative review and look at the positive ones." Well, that's how I usually feel, too. I'm writing this review because, after my camera broke, I did a quick google search and saw others who had also bought this same new model who have had the same mysterious problem. Caution seems appropriate, maybe instead looking at a more established model until Nikon figures out how to make these new ones correctly.
About 45 days into owning the camera, I pulled out the S500, clicked the power button, and saw a white screen LCD with black splotches. It seems that the LCD panel had broken at some point in the prior week. I hadn't taken the camera anywhere stressful. It had either been in a pocket or in the small pocket in a student backpack, the part where you put pens, a cell phone, an iPod, etc. Those seem like natural habitats for a "pocket" camera. I have carried lots of electronics around (phones, iPods, etc.), and nothing had ever been damaged. But this little camera is now completely worthless. (Since it lacks an optical viewfinder, and since the menu is all on-screen on the LCD, it's really just an expensive little doorstop now.)
I'm still investigating what my options are under Nikon's warranty. Based on some quick web searching today, I expect to be told that I'm at fault for the LCD damage and that I should always carry these cameras inside a protective case. If that's so, then why bother buying a pocket camera? The protective case (and I bought the Nikon-branded one) won't fit in your pocket, and without a case, you're apparently just waiting for the little thing to shatter.
Nikon, are you listening? Does this happen to your other cameras, too, or is this one an outlier that consumers should avoid?
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Very small & includes optical vibration reductionJul 03, 2007
By Doug Yates
I believe this is one of the smallest cameras on the market with optical vibration reduction (VR). I have a VR lens on my larger camera and find it invaluable and now consider it a must have feature. It also has a very fast startup/shutter response and the stainless steel exudes a quality feel.
I own a Nikon D80 DSLR and was looking for a small P&S to use when taking the larger camera along wasn't practical. Although it has very little advanced controls I believe it is exactly what I needed. I also like that it has a more powerful flash than most other cameras in its class.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
FragileJan 26, 2008
By A. Pecoraro
"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing. ~ Einstein"
The camera takes absolutly fantastic pictures. Unfortunately it is very fragile. We had the camera fall about 1' and hit the floor. After whicht it was no longer functional (reports "Lens Error"). The Nikon repair shop wants $150 to repair it. A bit steep for a $175 camera.
We now own a Stylus 790 SW from Olympus. The image quality isn't quite as good, but the camera is supposed to be able to survive a 5' drop.
Nice small cameraJan 20, 2008
By Qian Wang
"Carson Wang"
I got some great shots with the Coolpix S500 about a month ago, I found useful Nikon's Best Shot Selection, which takes a series of shots and keeps just the one it determines is the sharpest. You can increase the camera's sensitivity up to ISO 2000 to cope with moving targets in low light, but even daylight shots at this level contained so much noise that they were barely worth having. I noticed little noise, however, in images shot at ISO 400, a big improvement over how most compact cameras performed until recently.
| | |
|
