TechRadar Verdict
Pros
- +
Sharp pictures
- +
Logical control layout
- +
Good focus tracking
- +
7x optical zoom with ED glass and VR
- +
720p HD video
Cons
- -
Touchscreen interface not responsive enough
- -
Battery life
- -
3hr 20min battery charging time
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The Nikon Coolpix S6150 sits towards the top of Nikon's Coolpix Style range of compact cameras, and accordingly it packs a rich feature set in a slim, high-class camera body – all for under £160.
At its core is a 16MP CCD sensor and Nikon's EXPEED C2 image processing system that promises enhanced 720p HD video recording and high sensitivity performance.
Motion detection and lens-shift vibration reduction help to compensate for camera shake throughout the 7x zoom range, which offers a useful equivalent focal length of 28-196mm. Meanwhile Nikon's Best Shot Selector automatically selects the sharpest image from up to 10 sequential ones.
ISO can be squeezed to 3200 if you really need to reduce the risk of blurred pictures, but naturally this comes at the expense of detail and colour saturation.
The emphasis is on automatic operation – 19 scene modes and scene auto selector ensure that this Coolpix compact camera will appeal to those who don't want too much asked of them, technically.
A standalone Smart Portrait mode features a range of useful features, such as skin softening, blink warning and the ubiquitous smile shutter.
You can further improve pictures in-camera via the Retouch menu – Nikon's D-Lighting contrast adjustment is probably the one you'll reach for the most.
If you really must, you can draw on your photos and view them in a music-accompanied slideshow, complete with cute animated characters.
