Nikon Coolpix S3000 review

It's easy to dismiss the Nikon Coolpix S3000 as just another point and clicker when, in many ways, it's quite a sophisticated little camera.

It's an upgrade of the Nikon Coolpix S220, a deservedly popular compact offering a 10-megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom.

The new Nikon Coolpix S3000 features a 12-megapixel sensor a useful 4x optical zoom, all for under £100. Styling wise, the Nikon Coolpix S3000 is very attractive.

It's not much bigger than a mobile phone and comes in seven colours, which range from the stylish to the garish – black, blue, red, orange, green silver and, er, pink. This, in itself, isn't a big deal anymore, but the finish is excellent and our review model looked really classy.

Probably the biggest selling point of the Nikon Coolpix S3000, however, is the reasonably wide-angle lens with 4x zoom. With a focal length of 4.9-19.6mm, the Nikon Coolpix S3000 comes in handy when shooting landscapes or other scenes where you want to cram in as much detail as possible.

Certainly, the Nikon Coolpix S3000 needs as much help as it can get to stand out in the insanely competitive, sub-£150 compact market.

It's up against some stiff competition, principally the well-regarded Canon PowerShot A490 (now available for a piffling £80). So what new things does the Nikon bring to this very overcrowded party?