Digital Camera Reviews

Samsung unveiled a range of Wi-Fi enabled cameras and the WB150F Camera model is one among them. This is a latest pocket zoom from Samsung. It is proudly supplied with a Schneider-Kreuznach 18x optical zoom lens with a focal length equivalence of 24-432mm, AMOLED screen of 3 inches, 720p HD video capture, a 14 megapixel sensor and built-in Wi-Fi for uploading and backing up photos and various exposure options to help the users of all nature to capture excellent photos in various conditions. The fully manual controls which never fail to leave a feel of a typical camera that we have been using comfortably for more than decades. On a very first look gives us a sleek but sturdy built. The camera is not completely from metal and it naturally brings a solid feel with well planted buttons. It is somewhat large comparing with rival compact cameras measuring 91mm width, 53mm height and 18mm depth. However, this does appear to be smooth while handling, thus it suits appropriate to our hands. There is finger grip at the front which is not the best we have come across but it is still pretty secured. There is one more rubber patch that is designed at the back to present your thumb sufficient purchase. In brief, it is a decent all-rounder.

Design:

The outlook of the Samsung WB150F Digital Camera looks just similar to the WB850F with very small differences in the build quality and design. The given controls have been mostly straightforward, so it makes the user feel so friendly while using. Power button is placed in the middle of the top and zoom control is placed combined with a shutter button, along with the main dial. In the rear potion, we can find a dedicated video button as almost of the user’s expectation, a D-pad mode and a playback button. But D-pad is nowadays a very normal feature. This is a setback that there is no complete manual control presented in this model.

The rear screen is a 3-inch AMOLED technology with a resolution of 640 x 480 which is bright, sharp and promises top quality. The resolution is considerably low comparing the rivals, but we would not feel inadequate while using it. Indeed, the different angles of view are definitely never-ending and gets exceptional bright. It is not touchscreen as everyone expects to be so. The core part of the model is its focal length range which has a 18x photo images. Thankfully, this would certainly serve us well for every sort images from personal portraits to wide range of natural capturing. We will discuss its features in detail.

Samsung WB150F Main Features:

• Image sensor at 14 megapixel
• Video recording at 720p HD
• 3-inch wide display
• 18x optical zoom lens
• Automatic backup and uploading options
• Viewfinder via smart phones using Wi-Fi
• Photo sharing on social websites using Wi-Fi
• Li-ion rechargeable battery

The noticing option in this Samsung WB150F 14MP Camera is undoubtedly its brand-new Wi-Fi functionality. Samsung added a function for backup images or footage automatically and it is easy to share files and photos to social media and which gives access to all the Samsung’s devices, ranging from phones and tablets to TVs and even with refrigerators. Wi-Fi enabled locations are gradually increased day by day in hotels, restaurants, drive-ins, so Wi-Fi function would be useful. In addition to AllShare play, we are able to hold a backup on Microsoft Sky Drive. Moreover, it is very much possible to send emails from the camera, share them on social networks or upload our footage to video accessing social media like YouTube.

There is another option, a smart auto function that enables a wide range of different scene modes and suggests the one which is closer depending on the current circumstances. Again it goes on functioning like configures the camera to assist the amateur photographers who are less experienced. We can divide the screen into three individual segments using split shot function. The splitting option allows us to create any image in a different way in the respective parts and combine the three results in a single frame. And one more function is named magic frame for overlaying images setting a background with lots of options like full moon, holiday, wall Art and magazine. Interestingly, a picture in picture option lets us to overlay the first shot on the other. Maybe the funniest yet interesting option is the funny face creating function that enables face detection and locates facial features and get them go out of shape in the actual time of the preview. In the rear of the camera we find a multi-controller is being used to produce effects, for instance we can change the person’s features like eyes or nose really larger. The WB150F has image editing function for doing corrections. With Live Panorama, we can see the final image in advance, which means we can get the desired one. It is so simple that just by holding down the shutter button and surfing the camera across the scene. It has a single USB port and no HDMI port.

Wi-Fi features in detail:

• Uploading photos on social websites
• Sending Emails directly from the camera
• Store a backup to smart phones directly from camera
• Viewfinder via smart phones using Wi-Fi
• iStudio program enables direct transferring of files to a windows with no wires connected

The above mentioned features are just the same on the DV300F, ST200F and WB850F.

Video recording:

in addition to still image capture, it is very much possible to record movies on HD (high definition) quality. Videos would be normally saved at the resolution of 720p that means 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames for a second. There is a strange motion photo option which inserts a moving object on a freeze – framed background.

Performance:

The menu system in the camera is easy to use. It has a backlight mode which fires the flash but there is no HDR mode. Graphical User Interface, GUI is well improved assisting icons so that modes and options are clearly visible. As a compact camera it has a lot to offer and the build quality is also solid.

Battery:

It has Lithium-ion Rechargeable battery and it is removable too.

Verdict

The Samsung WB150F is a solid camera with exceptional range of features including Wi-Fi for easy sharing, backing up or uploading images to the internet. The 18x optical zoom lens performs promisingly well and the camera has colourful images but it does not boost the colour. Image quality of the camera could be improved to some extent. When compared to other pocket zooms with full HD and high speed shooting, only with 720p video recording is slightly less attractive. But, the price on the card promises more unusual features what an expensive compact camera can offer.

Samsung WB150F Digital Camera with Wi-Fi – Specification Table

Manufacturer	Samsung
Model Name	WB150F
Dimensions (H x W x D)	53 x 91 x 18 mm
Weight	188.2g
Available colours	Black, Silver, Red and Violet
Display	3 inch AMOLED screen
Recording media	Expansion Slot
Focal Length	24 to 432mm
Expansion Slot	SD/SDHC/SDXC
Sensor Size & Type	1/2.33 inch
Sensor Type	CCD
Effective Pixel	14.2 megapixels
Extra Optical Zoom	Up to 18x
Intelligent Zoom	10x
Shutter Speed	1/2000sec
Lens	18x, 24 to 432mm equiv lens
Flash	Automatic & Manual
Self timer	2 to 10 S
File format	JPEG
Other Features
Wide angle 28 mm zoom	Yes
Wi-Fi	Yes
Battery	Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Interface	USB 2.0
Accessories supplied	Battery, battery charger and pack, CD, USB cable and Hand strap
Warranty	One year

The IXUS 310 HS from Canon is a finest portable camera with lots of improvised features that would definitely hold the attention of almost all the photographer. The IXUS 310 HS secures high for picture quality and is one of the best touch controlled digital camera. It is that small to fit enough into most pockets. The outlook of the camera appears to be well designed with a solid build quality. The LCD touch screen is very responsive. This is the area where the IXUS 310 HS can be compared well against many of its closest rivals. Canon has given four attractive and a bit unique colours and they are silver, brown, gold and pink. The features widely include a CMOS sensor, wider 24mm 4.4x optical zoom lens with an optical image stabilisation, 3.4 frames per second when used in the maximum resolution, recording of 1080p HD movie with high quality stereo sound and LCD touchscreen measuring 3.2 inch diagonally. Those who are in search of a touch controlled digital camera and the preference mainly lies on the quality, then this camera is unbeatable.

Pros:

• Large Screen
• Very responsive touchscreen
• Alluring build quality and style
• High quality image
• Noise-free results at higher light sensitivity

Cons:

• Touchscreen requires some get used to

Overview:

Canon’s latest launch of IXUS 310 HS Digital Camera also continue to target photographers those who are not ready to compromise on fashionable features. This camera boasts the latest DIGIC 4 processor with integrated iSAPS technology, which technically means the camera analyses images while capturing and choose the apt scene mode for the situation. The latest generation processor boosts the performance when shooting and makes it easy to capture super slow motion movies at 240fps (frames per second) and high-speed burst stills. Its sensor has been improved the sensitivity and producing high quality images with less noise.

Design:

Touchscreen:

Touchscreen would not be the first choice of all photographers, especially when it comes to pocket zoom cameras. The reason behind this is compact cameras usually small where touch control may be a little tricky. Still the manufactures tend to go with the wind. The touchscreen entirely occupies the rear potion accepting a single playback control to the left side of the bottom and a 3.2-inch size is convincingly large enough to portray a complete view. It has higher resolution of 461,000 dots to aid better visibility and clarity; in addition to that, the ratio of the widescreen is 16:9. As you would have thought, the camera puts forward an effective HD video besides stills and just like the same option in Cyber-shots from Sony’s touchscreen enabled, an exclusive red virtual button is provided for recording in the right side of the top most corner on the Canon’s screen for immediate accessing. The chosen location is really impressive, though the user’s thumb sometimes pass through the recording button in the general handling process of the camera. The rear screen space is wasted and minimised with black ribbon like borders on both the left and right when shooting in regular 4:3 aspect ratio photos. The largest parts of the touchscreen selections are spread over the surface and difficult to understand the Primary view because of the black bands on either side. Quality of the video looks good with images captured by its actual colours and a reasonably faithful version of the image or footage through the lens.

We can say it takes some time for us to get familiar to the touchscreen response when selecting function modes which is just the same in almost all the touchscreen rivals in the market. While capturing a shot, we would tend to hold the camera straight in our hands, because of which the screen becomes dirty with fingers and thumb impressions. Sometimes we have to repeat the stroke on the particular option on screen for getting the response faster. This makes us occasionally come down on our choices and fix into a separate shooting mode option just to save the time or a quick menu control to throw the users to enable key settings.

Build Quality:

Its distinctive rounded edges and faceplate which bulges outward looks absolutely rich. Comparatively, it is bit bulkier than the competitive products. Still it is suitable for a handbag or a pocket carrying. It is well-built and light weight to carry. Build quality looks stunning with a robust stainless steel body which is meant to be solid and withstand the rigorous of daily life. So, we are just free from worries and can be pretty sure about the life of a stainless steel. There is nothing seems to be a hold at the front of the camera, however a bit projected edge at the left side in the rear plate, to the least extend it pretends to be a grip and prevents the thump from accidentally slipping about which is  just the same what we experienced by our forefingers at the camera’s front. The dimensions measures 100.6 x 55.4 x 25mm and weighs 185g including a rechargeable battery and expandable memory card.

Features:

Controls:

The top panel where we can find some physical control buttons moderately buried into the panel. It seems that it follows the same style in the sibling model of IXUS series 220 HS for this control, as in we can see a switch which is a alternate control between auto mode and program dial mode. Program Auto provides easy access to wide and broad degree on functional front and a wide range of shooting mode selections without surfing the main menu. The main menu includes aperture priority modes following shutter with a single finger tap on the ‘P’ logo on the screen and a wide range of virtual button controlled digital filter on effects. In the rear, one and only physical control is playback button. For the rest of controls, we have to depend only on the camera’s touchscreen which dominates the entire back panel. Function buttons are shoved on the left side and right side of the display. On the middle of the top is an indication light which shows the left over time for battery, the available capacity of images can be shot, the resolution selected for video and also shown the total capacity of recording which can be loaded or captured on the remaining memory.

On the main screen of Canon IXUS 310 HS Digital Camera, we have a sign of the shooting mode selected which we have already discussed. When selecting program mode a simple press on the icon shows six additional shooting mode options appearing on the screen as to select individually at the moment. The initial screen displays program mode following the shutter mode and aperture priority as previously specified, a digest function for movies and solely designed predefined portrait. A tap on the right or left arrow key just like that brings the immediate screen of options which comes readily into view. This is where we get to see smart shutter for detection face on the images to capture photos instantly and 3megapixel mode at the maximum speed. There is an image selection capturing a shot at the best rate from some unfortunate occasions like fire. Low light enabled night shots and fish eye are displayed after the previously mentioned options.

The following screen includes six options like cool miniature shoot mode which narrows focus to a innermost area of the screen to mimic the effect. The options extends like toneless or neutral, super bright and shots for posters. Just the same on other IXUS, Canon’s natural colour portraying and colour changing options are given under the title of my colors control. We can also change the in-camera sharpening level in this my colors menu option as per our wish. And to conclude there is well-matched movie control and it is where we are on the last control given for setting shooting that includes two simple options and settings for slow movies.

Image Quality:

The IXUS 310 HS which shares the same resolution and sensor with the IXUS 220 HS has achievable image quality. Canon’s snapshot with very sharp detailed results impress us without fail. Though there is a slight loss of clarity or sharpness at the corner of frame captured at maximum wide angle. The camera by default biasing whatever is presented at the centre of frame, most of which are pleased with results. Its performance never drops appreciably when comes to low light shooting mode. Three megapixel low light mode performance is likely to deliver sharp result. Noise, six different ISO settings are provided on the touchscreen enabled camera and it shows the noise level variations for each ISO setting.  Macro setting enables the camera to focus on a subject which is 3cms distant from the camera when the lens has been set to wide-angle. Flash settings are auto, flash on/off, slow synchronization, red-eye correction and red-eye lamp settings. The maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds in the long shutter mode which is obviously good news for those who are interested in night photography.

Performance:

High quality image is very much pleasing and depiction of natural colours to shots with sharp details. White balance performance is highly good under different range of lighting conditions. Noise reduction presented on the camera works great and keeps images clean though there is a loss of detail and contrast. Canon IXUS 310 HS does not disappoint anyone when considering quality of performance.

Verdict:

Canon IXUS 310 HS is exceptional in overall build quality added with a large screen. It is very much portable since it is less weight and fit for pockets. The quick responsiveness of the touchscreen would immediately attract the users. But there are some chances that some people who occasionally miss the physical button controls when they are in a hurry to locate a particular option. Full HD movie recording is one more added point. As discussed image quality is one such thing which throws slight discomfort in handling the camera.

Check Canon IXUS 300 HS Reviews and Canon EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera Review in this website.

Canon IXUS 310 HS Compact Digital Camera – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Canon
Model Name	IXUS 310 HS
Dimensions (H x W X D)	55.4 x 100.6 x 25.0mm
Weight	185 g (Including battery/batteries and memory card)
Colours available	Silver, Brown, Gold and Pink
LCD Screen	3.2 inch PureColour II Touch (TFT), 16:9 aspect ratio Approx
Recording source	Internal memory and memory card
Expansion Slots	SD, SDHS, SDXC, MMC, MMCplus, HCMMCplus
Effective Pixel	12.1 million pixel
Sensor	1/2.3 type back-illuminated CMOS sensor
Focal Length	4.3 – 18.8mm (35mm equivalent: 24-105mm)
Focusing	TTL
Exposure compensation	±2 EV in 1/3 stop increments
Shutter	1/15sec to1/1600sec
Flash	Manual On / Off
Self timer	2 to 10 seconds
File format	JPEG
Other Features
Red-Eye Correction	Yes
Intelligent Orientation Sensor	Yes
Histogram	Yes
Interface	Hi Speed USB and HDMI Mini connector
Battery	Rechargeable Li-ion Battery NB-6L
Accessories	Battery with Charger, USB cable, Lens cap, clip attach tool
Warranty	One year

Fuji FinePix AV200 had been launched along with three other series in the Easy Share compact camera category. The FinePix AV200 brightens up in many colours and is in the affordable price margin. The camera can be kept inside the pocket or purse and is useful for traveling and home based occasions.

Overview

Fujifilm FinePix AV200 Digital Camera silently delivers the best in class scene modes. The in-built scene modes are seen in several cameras and it also has scene modes which are not available in any other camera, especially the SR six scene modes automatically alters the settings to adapt to the subject. The Photo Book assist is a good addition to chronologically arrange the pictures. Even more, the camera has a fantastic image search formula which is broadly classified based on the type, media and many more. Finally the easy share enables the camera to be connected to the social networking sites with a few clicks away.

Design

FinePix AV200 Digital Camera has the dazzling looks. The front, rear and the overall structure makes it easy to be carried around anywhere. The upper part consist of essential buttons such as the power button, shutter button, flash and self timer. The front part consists of the lens and the lens cover and tiny blink indicating the microphone location. On pressing the power button, the lens cover opens and projects the lens forward. The shutter button can be pressed and is located right next to the power button. Chances of accidental press are averted because the shutter button has a rounded and more solid feel and the power button lies an inch beneath the cavity. The auto power off can be selected from up to 2 minutes, so that during inactive phase, the camera turns off automatically.

The flash sits beneath the power button. Amazingly the flash is categorised as suppressed flash, forced flash, auto flash and slow synchro. Suppressed flash refers to the condition wherein it recommends usage of tripod under very poorly lit condition. The slow synchro flash feature captures the subject and the surrounding even under poor light conditions. However the condition of overexposure is inevitable. The auto flash is highly beneficial for amateurs as it is known as intelligent flash and handles the scene perfectly. The flash output and the level of sensitivity are evenly balanced. It ensures that the subject is appropriately exposed. We liked the flash symbol’s yellow blinking indication as it notifies that flash is being charged. Besides this, there are no buttons arranged on the front floor and gives enough room to hold the camera over that region.

The downside of consists of Fuji FinePix AV200 the battery chamber, memory card slot, tripod mount and the speaker. The battery chamber and the memory card compartment lies next to each other. The area enclosing the battery is slightly bulged, thereby giving some hand rest while taking pictures.

The rear part is occupied by the 2.7 inch LCD monitor. The area encompassing other navigation and zoom control gains a closely packed look, but it is not cumbersome to be handled. The zoom in and zoom out selector is religiously designed as a bar which can be pressed at the sides to get the respective function. The alphabet inscribed as T indicates zoom in whereas the W indicates zoom out. The zoom function can be deactivated only by pressing the display/ back button. For aesthetic reasons, two rows of white dots are placed. The playback and the display button are located above the navigational wheel. The display button also acts as the reverse button.

The four way button consists of the four controls indicating the functions such as macro, exposure compensation, self timer and the flash. Menu can be accessed using the central button which also acts as the ok button. The exposure compensation is integrated with the delete operation.

Features

Scene Modes
Fujifilm FinePix AV200 Camera has good range of scene modes; especially the six scene SR auto recognition mode is user-friendly. Most of the typical complicated situations are handled by the camera by applying the scene modes appropriately. Modes such as portrait, night portrait, backlit portrait, night and landscape can be used for any occasion. Besides this there are several point and shoot modes. The different and notable ones are natural light and with flash, program AE and the text mode. The natural light and with flash mode allows the user to capture two shoots, one with flash assisted and the other without it. Deciding on the print quality, one can decide on the better one. The Program AE modes are usually seated in the mode dial. As FinePix AV200 is point and shoot camera, one need to pick it from the scene modes. However in the AE mode, aperture and the shutter speed are the two main exposure settings. When the program AE mode is activated, the focus and the white balance ought to be taken care of. The text mode can be used to capture posters, notices or drawings.

The most notable one is the panorama scene modes. One can take up to three pictures and collage to become in one frame. The pictures are technically stitch together by adopting a procedure. The frames are overlapped by super imposing, and the camera releases the shutter automatically. Panorama mode cannot be completely applied for any shooting setting. A few typical setting such as the moving objects, waterfalls, and contrast brightness shoots cannot be overlapped. Pictures taken can be printed and preserved and if taken under the proper conditions, it looks good to be put in a frame.

Face detection
The intelligent face detection applies the accurate focus and exposure leaving the backlit environment as it is. The detected face is notified with a green border in the LCD monitor. Under occasions of couple of people in the focus, the camera detects the one which is in the centre and applies the white border notification. The camera can detect up to ten faces. In addition to this, blink detection comes handy in group photos. This is very useful for people who blink at the flash of the camera. Blink detection automatically detects the blink and notifies the user for a re-shoot.

Photo Book Assist
Photo book Assist, an in-built photo archiving approach in the point and shoot camera is appreciable. Numerous folders can be named and respective images can be uploaded. In addition to this, the pictures can be easily retrieved and shared on the web. Each book can hold up to 300 images; the ones which do not contain any image are automatically deleted.

Easy Share
Similar to that of Kodak’s easy share concept, FinePix has evolved to bring the photo sharing in sophisticated mode in the mid range easy to share cameras. The computer needs to be uploaded with the My FinePix studio software. Once the camera is connected, the pictures are automatically transferred to the sites such as the You tube and the Facebook.

In-built image search
The image search is thoroughly amazing in the FinePix AV200. There are numerous and thrilling search options such as by date, by media type, by face, by favourite rank, by scene type and by upload mark. Ranking pictures with star ratings and the favourite ones are assorted neatly. The pictures are shot in the Scene Recognition mode. It is possible to retrieve by applying the respective scene setting such as the portrait, landscape and many more. The ones which have been tagged can be picked by searching using the upload mark search. The micro thumbnail also host up to 100 pictures for ready play back, however the picture size is shrunk too small.

Video Recording
Movies can be recorded in the 16:9 format, high definition, standard definition and the lowest resolution. Depending on the resolution and clarity, the recording time varies. Recording time also depends on the type of card used. In an 8GB card, the maximum time limit for HD movie is 37 minutes, whereas the same is reduced to 9 minutes in 2GB card.

Battery
The camera supports the AA battery types. Though it is useful for a section of people, the constant battery depletion could deject the user while handling an interesting shoot. The battery performance is below average, a feature which Fujifilm needs to fix in the easy share camera line-ups.

Memory capacity
The storage media includes SD/ SDHC card type.

Performance

Image quality is assured and the picture looks bright and tidy. Thanks to the 14-meag pixel sensor. It is claimed by Fuji film to produce picture quality best even in the A3 print. The zoom level is kept to 3x optical zoom. It is equivalent to the zoom range of 32-96 mm zoom used in a DSLR camera. Needless to say, the performance of Fujinon lens. Chromatic aberration is controlled in the Fujinon lens, which are also of high precision.

For a compact camera, it handles the ISO sensitivity range well. Up to ISO level 3200 is possible, but under low light conditions, the pictures look terrible. At faster shutter speed, one can take wild life photography. The digital image stabiliser betters up the image quality. Automatic camera shake is determined and it increases the shutter speed correspondingly to compensate the blur.

Verdict

There are plenty of easy share cameras in the market and this one contains good range of features. The film quality is appreciable. It is because the camera automatically handles the scene modes. The 14 mega pixel resolution is good. The colour contrast level is decent and delivers good performance even for out door shots. Small tinkering such as forced flash in very low light conditions are good as it prevents over exposure in the pictures taken. The only down side is the time lag taken to swap between the scene modes. It is not recommended for quick shots. The variety of scene modes can be accessed through the menu and requires patience to pick the appropriate one. The panorama mode is good addition for the compact camera facility, but sometimes it can be confused when there is no leveled horizon. The menus are intuitive but take some time to get used to it. Battery life is a matter of debate in this camera. Continuous face detection can deplete the battery power and can drain as easily within 2 days. The best aspect is the image search option and instant social network uploading capacity. The screen sizes available are 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The amount of frame varies from 778 to 4797; this depends on the screen size and the file size. Overall, FinePix AV200 is a decent performer for the price invested and could deliver timely shots had the battery type has been replaced.

Fuji FinePix AV200 14MP Digital Camera – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Fuji Film
Model Name	FinePix AV 200
LCD screen size	2.7 inch
Lens used	Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens
Camera Resolution	14.0 million pixels
Aperture	F2.9 / F8.8-Wide F5.2 / F16- Telephoto
ISO sensitivity	upto ISO 3200
Metering	TTL
Exposure mode	Programmed AE
Digital Image Stabilisation	Available
Shutter Speed	1/4s to 1/4000s
Compatible file forma	Still Image: JPEG Audio: Wave format Video: AVI
Storage Media	SD/SDHC, No internal memory
Accessories	user manual USB cable Hand strap CD-ROM 2xAA type alkaline batteries
Warranty	Limited Warranty

Nikon Coolpix falls in to the category of compact point and shoot camera. The L in the Coolpix L23 indicates lifestyle range. Practically speaking, the camera is made viable by ripping some of the features of compact cameras, thus making it very user friendly. Hence, it would be total injustice to expect the simple camera to capture every minute detail pristinely.  On the other hand, it serve as an excellent gift for technophobia people, senior citizens and children alike. Nevertheless, it still can be used to click away shoots for reference purpose or a simple dine-out with friends. The attractive point is the overall cheap price bundled with some essential features place the camera in the best selling bracket.

Overview

Nikon carefully camouflage their camera’s identity with the usage and it is not a surprise to see the lifestyle L series brightens up in red, blue, pink, silver and black colours. Comparing to its rival, Sony alpha 100, it provides the essential pixel count which is around 10.1 mega pixel. The image sensor used is of CCD class and the camera is fitted with the Nikkor lens capable of zoom level 5x. Lens is capable of wide angle coverage up to 28 mm which is equivalent to that of 35mm format. The image processing speed is taken care by the Expeed C2 image processing engine.  Integrated with movie recording capability, the point and shoot camera also offers the easy auto mode. Not to mention, the surprise elements such as the advance smart portrait system blink proof, skin softening and many more.  The internal memory is quite small and is approximately 22 MB, whereas it has an option for inserting memory cards. LCD screen measures to 2.7 inches.

Design

Nikon Coolpix L23 Digital Camera is light weighted and can be kept in the pocket and carried in the handbag. This camera is styled adhering to the Coolpix line-ups design, but with some modifications. The noticeable one is that the camera is slightly bulged in the right side. The bulkiness offers the area to hold the camera while capturing. Not to mention, even if it is not used while taking pictures the structure provides a good grip. It encloses the battery compartment for storing the AA batteries. The top panel consists of least buttons, except for the power and the shutter release button. The shutter release button consists of a zoom rocker enveloped around.
The Nikon Coolpix L23 is the least complicated compact camera. Rear side houses the 2.7 inch LCD screen. The rest of the space is amply distributed with a few buttons and four way navigational controls. Direct button to start the shooting is appreciable and easy to use. At the same time, the button identified with green camera picture on it can be used to swap while taking pictures and reviewing it by pressing the review button located close to it. In continuation with the same, it provides the direct access to video shooting, but requires twice the press.

The four sided control pad which acts as navigational control is located in between the buttons and comprises of the self timer, flash, exposure compensation and the macro mode. The pad encloses the OK button in the centre. The flash can be operated at any time. The exposure compensation can either be brightened or darkened by a value of two stop. It operates by forcing the aperture to either open or close concurring to the meter reading. However it can also push slow shutter speed. Nevertheless it is advisable to use, only when the effect is readily known. Macro mode can be used for close-up shots. It is activated by hitting the macro mode, but not in the true sense as implied for a DSLR camera. It gives the flexibility to enlarge the subject quite bigger in the frame. Surprisingly, it allows a focus distance of 3 cm. The four-way button also acts as the navigational tool to access the functions stored in the menu, such as the scene selection mode and many.

Beneath the 4-way access wheel, access menu and the image delete button is positioned. The spatial arrangement of the buttons provides good space to be easily operated by the thumb and is logically located. Such a positioning prevents accidental hit of any of the buttons and also prevents the need to look at the camera before running any function.

Features

Zoom
The Nikon Coolpix L23 Camera lens provides zoom factor of 5x, which is out rightly incremented from the earlier model, viz L22. The latter has a zoom of 3.6x. The 5x zoom efficiency of the lens provides 28-140mm focal range. In other words, the capacity of 35mm equivalent fulfills the user’s need. The lens is of ED element and effectively controls the chromatic aberration, especially occurring in settings with high contrast numbers.

Scene Modes
The Nikon Coolpix L23 10.1MP digital compact camera is self sufficient and provides the easy auto mode and 17 scene modes. The easy auto mode is highly applicable for users, who would just want to click the pictures right away. In this mode, it eliminates the functions in the main menu but retains the resolution. It readily applies the settings appropriate to the subject within the frame. The advance smart portrait system has numerous options such as the face priority, self timer, and skin softening, blink warning and blink proof, and automatic red eye correction. These alterations make the picture look complete, even if captured by children.

Shooting modes
The continuous shooting mode is used in Coolpix L23 also, but two modes are selected. One is the normal burst mode and the other is multi-shot. In the normal burst mode it can fire nearly around three to four pictures. Within time frame of 10 seconds, it can once again shoot 8 pictures. On the other hand, in the multi-shot mode, nearly 16 shots can be captured in one second. Nevertheless, the 16 shots is automatically collaged in to one image, but this reduces the resolution.

Video Mode
Amazingly the Coolpix L23 contains video shooting mode, but with the VGA quality resolution. Videos can run at 30fps and offers smooth transition and is clear. On the downside, the video can be viewed in the computer screen and not on the bigger screen. Hence it is suffice to meet the Youtube application uploading and not serious holiday content.

Battery

Battery is of AA type and receives mixed welcome among the masses. From the feedback we could say, the area of application determines the extent of friendliness of the battery. Since it is AA type, during holidays it can be found anywhere but on the other hand while taking important occasions battery run-out is a serious trouble. Hence to avoid the same, back up of numerous batteries would be ideal.

Memory

Memory card occupies the place next to the battery compartment separated by a chamber. The internal memory is only 22MB; however it is compatible with the external storage media such as the SD, SDHC and the latest SDXC. Though the card compatibility is limited, the storage capacity of SDXC itself is 64 GB and it would occur rarely in occupying the entire camera capacity and hence the compatibility range of external storage media is justified in the Cool Pix L23.

Accessories

Accessories included in the box are USB cable to connect the camera to the computer, wrist strap, View NX2, user manual and a pair of AA batteries.

Performance

At lower ISO speed, the Nikon Coolpix L23 yields good quality. ISO rating of 80 and 100 or so is good. Simultaneously when the ISO is increased, the photo quality reduces. However, amusingly it is not in the user’s hand to control the ISO speed and the camera applies the settings appropratiate to the scene and the subject. The picture performance is boosted only at the place where it is required. Especially the D-lighting assist in levelling out high contrast pictures and reveals the details naturally. The quick retouch feature integrated in the play back menu irons out the picture to give the better look. Primary colours such as the red and the yellow look lively and saturated. The portrait scene looks balanced with even skin tones thus giving realistic effect. Coolpix handles the purple quite well, owing to the incorporation of good quality sensor and image processor in the camera.

The image noise is the trickiest part because, picturing at ISO 200 yields images with purple blotches. ISO 80 gives satisfactory result. The images are sharp and can be further boosted using the editing software. Chromatic aberration is a characteristic feature of inferior quality lens containing greater dispersion. It does not permit the colour to be focused on the same plane thereby causing colour fringing. Nevertheless, Nikon’s extra low dispersion type of lens greatly controls the dispersion thereby eliminating the fringing effect. The macro feature is largely over used these days in numerous compact cameras. But when we face the reality, it actually struggles to deliver the quality. Nikon Coolpix L23 claims to have macro capability to handle close-up shot as near as 3cm, but it literally takes great efforts even for a 5cm shot.

Verdict

Nikon Cool Pix L23 can be easily placed as one of the best available compact cameras. The good features are the added scene modes for still photographs. It has also enough room for improving the skills in the advanced picture setting. The camera is designed with mini USB connector cannot be accessed at ease for people having short nails. Price range is also an attractive feature. Lots of features loaded in the camera can be known through the manual, which makes the point and shoot aspect a reality. The inability to control the ISO in the compact camera is a disadvantage. Battery performance is totally a personal preference. The menus are easy to comprehend and apply, but had it contain explanation the usage would have been better.

Nikon Coolpix L23 Digital Camera – Technical Specification Table

Manufacturer	Nikon
Model Name	Nikon Coolpix L23
Effective pixels	10.1 million
Screen Size	2.7 inch
Image Sensor	CCD image sensor
Camera Lens	5x zoom NIKKOR
Focus range	1ft to infinity
Features
Vibration Reduction	Available
ISO sensitivity	Auto
Easy Auto Mode	Available
Storage Media	22MB internal memory, Compatible SD/SDHC/SDXC
Battery Life	250 shots
Warranty	One year