Top Nikon Coolpix S51C / S51 Camera Reviews

DC Resource reviewed the Nikon Coolpix S51 and wrote: "Photo quality was generally good, though Nikon needs to throttle back the noise reduction a bit. Pictures were generally well-exposed, with pleasing, vivid color. Images are on the soft side, especially fine details like grass, trees, and hair (due to noise reduction). The S51 performed better than expected at high ISOs, with the ISO 800 setting still being usable for small prints. While the camera kept purple fringing under control, it couldn't do the same for redeye -- it's pretty bad, even with Nikon's two-prong approach to eliminating it."

Camera Summary:
The Nikon Coopix S51C and S51 are 8 megapixel digital cameras with 3x optical zoom. The difference between the two is the S51C has Wi-Fi connectivity for wireless image transfer. Both cameras feature optical vibration reduction, 3.0-inch LCD screens, ISO speeds up to 1600 and face detection technology. The cameras are available in September 2007 with the S51c costing $329.95, and the S51 costing $279.95.

Nikon Coolpix S51C / S51 News Release Excerpt:
Nikon Announces New Wireless Coolpix S51C Digital Camera and My Picturetown, an Innovative Photo Sharing and Storage Internet Service. New Wi-Fi Camera and Photo Sharing Service Will Allow Consumers to Access and Share Their Photos Anytime, Anywhere

MELVILLE, NY (August 30, 2007) – Furthering the development of wireless sharing technology in digital cameras, Nikon today introduced the new Coolpix S51c digital camera. This camera not only sends images via email through Wi-Fi, but it also supports my Picturetown, Nikon’s new photo sharing and storage service. In addition to an innovative Wi-Fi feature, the S51c boasts 8.1 megapixel resolution for generating high quality prints, a 3x Zoom-Nikkor glass lens ensuring great pictures with true-to-life color, and a huge, bright 3.0-inch LCD screen for users to easily compose and share images. The S51c is also the first in Nikon’s Style line of Coolpix cameras to utilize the new EXPEED™ image-processing system. To help ensure the consumer will be able to capture stunningly sharp images, the S51c features an Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization system and ISO up to 1600, enhancing the camera’s low-light performance.

“Not only does the S51c boast superior imaging abilities, but it also enhances the photo sharing experience for the consumer,” said Bill Giordano, General Manager Marketing, Coolpix for Nikon, Inc. “With the S51c and my Picturetown, consumers will be able to easily share and securely store their images, faster and more efficiently than ever before.”

Across town or across the ocean, by using the S51c’s One Touch Email with the Picture Mail button and Nikon’s new photo sharing and storage service, my Picturetown, consumers can take advantage of several avenues for sharing their images and videos. Through my Picturetown, users can email pictures directly to friends and family, publish pictures to the photo community sharing website Flickr, and link their photos to blogs and social networking sites. Pictures can also be sent to the email addresses of a Blackberry® device for viewing. Each S51c ships with a six-month complimentary T-Mobile™ HotSpot™ Wi-Fi service for digital cameras, allowing the user to send images and videos to my Picturetown from over 8,200 T-Mobile™ HotSpots™ nationwide.

In addition, S51c owners can utilize my Picturetown to store up to 2 gigabytes of images and movies, providing a valuable back up to memory card storage. S51c users are also able to access my Picturetown from their computers and Blackberry® devices, providing instant access to their images anytime, anywhere.

Adding to the advanced sharing capabilities of these cameras, the S51c features a huge, bright, high resolution 3.0-inch LCD monitor with a 160-degree viewing angle and an anti-reflection coating facilitating easier composition and high-quality playback anywhere, even in direct sunlight.

Furthermore, the LCD monitor serves as an excellent platform for Pictmotion™, which allows users to select up to 200 images along with music that’s pre-loaded, or from the user’s library. The music and photos are then automatically compiled in-camera to produce audiovisual shows in VGA quality for a truly personalized photo-sharing experience.

For capturing great portraits with ease, Nikon has enhanced their hallmark Face-Priority AF feature. When using the camera’s convenient One-Touch Portrait button, the S51c will be able to detect up to five faces in a frame, ensuring in- focus smiles and properly exposed faces. In addition to face detection, S51c users will be able to take advantage of In-Camera Red Eye Fix™, for fixing most instances of red eye, D-lighting, a feature that automatically lightens dark images as well as Optical Vibration Reduction, ensuring sharp pictures. This camera will also utilize EXPEED™, Nikon’s new imaging processing system for enhanced speed and brilliant color reproduction.

In addition to the Coolpix S51c, Nikon has also today introduced the Coolpix S51. Similar in features and form, the S51 offers the same stylish body and advanced yet easy to use imaging technologies as the S51c without the wireless transfer capabilities.

Both the Coolpix S51 and the Coolpix S51c come bundled with Nikon's Coolpix software suite for transferring, organizing, editing, and sharing images. The cameras utilize a rechargeable EN-El8 Li-ion battery and are compatible with a wide array of SD and SDHC memory cards.

The Coolpix S51 and the Coolpix S51c digital cameras will be available nationwide beginning September 2007. The S51c has an MSRP of $329.95, and the S51 has an MSRP of $279.95. For more information about these and other Coolpix cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.
 

Nikon Coolpix S51C / S51 Best Prices (When Available)