Nikon Coolpix S630

Review Index – (updated 09 August’09)

ImagingResource
“This camera definitely has eye appeal and comes packed with a lot of new technologies from Nikon. On the down side the lens does have a bit blurring, unimpressive color reproduction, not quite accurate white balance, and a little slow in between shots. Higher ISO’s do present some noise but we applaud Nikon for some unique qualities and really nice photos when printed. Add it all up and the S630 earns our recommended designation.”

PCMag
“If all you need is a lot of zoom power in a small, attractive camera, the Nikon Coolpix S630 delivers. But if you’re looking for a more well-rounded feature set, consider the Editors’ Choice Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS. With a 3x lens, you’ll lose zoom, but you gain HD video capture, better face-detection implementation, and higher image quality—all for a lot less money.”
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Cameras.co.uk
“The Coolpix S630 is on the slow side if you want to fire off more than one photo. It does a decent job without being anything to get too excited about. For me the most impressive feature was the brightness and co lours of my outdoor shots.”
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DigitalCameraInfo
“While not heavy on controls, its still image quality was excellent, with low noise, above average color accuracy, and minimal lens distortion. Where the camera faltered was its image stabilization system, a slow continuous burst mode, and standard definition video with very little control.”

Register Hardware
“There’s not a lot that makes the Coolpix S630 stand out from the crowd. There’s no HD movie recording, limited manual control and there are a number of handling issues. You’ll get decent images in most cases, but little improvement over a camera offering 10Mp performance. This isn’t a bad camera, it’s just we expected rather a lot more from brand like Nikon.”
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InfoSync
“We had trouble at night, particularly in certain types of dim lighting. Steadying the Nikon Coolpix S630 for a one-second shutter speed was a challenge, so we had to resort to the flash in certain situations. Colors are decent, but noise is heightened and the image looks fake.”
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DCRP
“Photo quality is undoubtedly the Coolpix S630’s weak spot. Exposure is generally spot-on, though like most compact cameras, the S630 likes to clip highlights. I have no complaints about color: the camera handled everyday shooting and my studio lamps without an issue. The big problem is detail, or rather a lack of detail. Images are soft, overprocessed, and fuzzy — even at IS0 64. The reason for this is that Nikon is applying a ton of noise reduction to photos. So, instead of seeing grainy photos as the ISO increases, you just lose detail.”

ePhotozine
“For a little compact I don’t think it’s too bad. I think if you had this as something to stick in your pocket on those family days when the bag you’re carrying will have sandwiches in, then it’ll do the job nicely. It seems to prefer sunny days, but then don’t we all?”
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Steves Digicams
“Overall outdoor image quality is good. The exposures are very accurate based on the cameras focus point, however, it left the overcast skies slightly overexposed. The color in the images looks very natural, giving authentic representations of what the photographer is viewing. With the included Nikkor 7x (37-260mm, 35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens, shooting landscape, group portraits and getting extremely close to distant objects it simple.”

DPInterface
“The Nikon Coolpix S630’s downfall is pretty anti-climatic, just about everything was smooth sailing (except battery life and movie mode) until we reached image quality. What’s the use of having good ergonomics and a decent set of point-and-shoot features when a camera can’t take good quality photos? If you actually do buy the Coolpix S630, remember to get an extra battery and be prepared to do cleaning up of images on your computer.”

GoodGearGuide
“Being a point-and-shoot camera, manual features are kept to a bare minimum. Along with the now-obligatory face detection and 16 scene modes, the highlight is probably the continuous shooting mode, which offers an impressive 11 frames per second burst rate (up to 20 frames can be taken with each shutter-release). If you’re a sporting fanatic keen to study the minutia of your technique, this function is bound to come in handy.”
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CNET
“If you were considering an average compact point-and-shoot with a more typical 3x zoom, the Nikon Coolpix S630 is a nice (there’s that word again) step up. It’s not particularly fast and the photos are merely good, but it is an excellent design, has a very good feature set, and it’s easy to use.”
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Trusted Reviews
“Although it’s a bit expensive for a point-and-shoot automatic, the Nikon CoolPix S630 does offer excellent handling, Nikon’s impeccable build quality, a big 7x zoom and very good picture quality. It copes well with most lighting conditions, and is ideal for holiday snaps and social situations. Performance is a bit slow, and it lacks some of the latest features, but it’s a nice camera to use and takes good pictures. “
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CNET Australia
“The S630 is a decent compact camera if you need speedy burst shooting in a small body with 7x optical zoom. Apart from that, there’s little else to recommend this camera on considering the disappointing image quality and expensive asking price.”
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CNET.co.uk
“By the time you’ve worked out everything the Nikon Coolpix S630 does and how to use it, it’ll be time to get a new camera. The S630 does everything it sets out to, but not especially well and often with restrictions you may not have anticipated.”
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