Slimline

At $150 less than the Coolpix S8, Nikon's Coolpix S9 looks like a good buy. Although its sensor resolution is lower, at 6-megapixels it is still high enough for snapshots, which will be the main application for this camera. Both cameras have 3x optical zoom lenses, although the S8 covers a slightly wider angle of view. Both sport 2.5-inch LCD monitors, although the S9's resolution is lower than the S8's - and it shows! Other specifications are similar and both models come in smart-looking, well-built metal cases.

The S9's quick review/shooting, mode, menu and delete buttons are arranged differently and it lacks S8's the 'rotary multi-selector'. However, the buttons are equally tiny and stand less proud of the camera body, which makes them less easy to use. No viewfinder is provided. The zoom toggle is slightly larger than the S8's and activates the same help function in the menu.

Most of the automatic shooting aids provided on the current Coolpix cameras are provided on the Coolpix S9 - including the same 15 scene pre-sets, BSS modes, Face-Priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and D-Lighting functions. No image stabilisation is included, although the camera will warn you when blurred shots are detected and give you the option of saving or deleting the shot. Sensitivity tops out at ISO 400.

Performance
The S9's metering system appeared to be very centre-biased in our standard shooting tests and this created problems in bright light with backlit subjects and subjects with central areas of dark shade. Otherwise, the S9 produced images with plenty of detail, a warm colour bias and slightly elevated saturation. Overall colour accuracy was good but contrast appeared slightly higher than in other Coolpix cameras. Adjusting exposure compensation to -0.3EV allowed most highlight details to be recorded without blocking up shadows.

Close-ups were competently handled, thanks to an inherently large depth of field. Digital zoom shots were very soft with visible artefacts. Image noise at ISO 400 was less visible than in shots from the Coolpix S8.

Imatest showed the Coolpix S9 to be capable of high resolution at ISO 64 and ISO 100 but resolution declined at higher sensitivity settings. Edge-to-edge sharpness was good - and fairly consistent across different zoom settings. Lateral chromatic aberration was low and we found no evidence of coloured fringing in outdoor shots.

The built-in flash delivered about the same output levels as the Coolpix S8 and failed to illuminate an average-sized room at ISO 400. Movie performance was similar to the Coolpix S8 and L6.

White balance was not handled as well as the other Coolpix models we've tested. The auto setting failed to remove the colour casts produced by either incandescent or fluorescent lighting. However the tungsten setting delivered acceptable colours, as did the manual pre-sets, although the fluorescent setting produced a blue colour cast that could be difficult to remove with editing software.

Response times were on the slow side for a modern digicam. It took 2.6 seconds to power the camera up and record an image, 2.7 seconds between shots without flash, and between 3.2 and 6.5 seconds between shots with the flash turned on. Capture lag was recorded at a consistent 0.9 seconds, with an average shutter lag of 0.3 seconds. We measured a consistent burst speed of 1.2 frames/second with JPEG images of all sizes. We completed all our tests on a single battery charge - and there was still power to spare.

IMATEST GRAPHS

SAMPLE IMAGES

Close up.

Image noise at ISO 400 - an enlargement of approximately 25% of the image file.

The auto white balance setting with fluorescent lighting.

The fluorescent light setting with fluorescent lighting.

The auto white balance with incandescent lighting.

The tungsten settign with incandescent lighting.

Image sensor: .76 x 4.29mm interline CCD with 6.36 million photosites (6.1 megapixels effective)
Lens: Zoom-Nikkor ED; 6.4-19.2mm f/3.5-4.3 (38-114mm in 35mm format):
Zoom ratio: 3x optical, up to 4x digital
Image formats: Stills – JPEG (Exif 2.2); Movies - Quick Time Motion JPEG with sound Image Sizes: Stills – 2816x 2112; 2048x1536; 1024x768; 640x480 pixels; Movies – VGA/QVGA/QQVGA at 30 fps
Shutter speed range: 2-1/2000 second
Image Stabilisation: n.a.
Exposure Compensation: +/- 2EV in 1/3 EV steps
Focus system/range: Contrast-detect TTL AF, with AF-assist illuminator; range 25cm to infinity; macro to 4 cm
Exposure metering/control: Centre-weighted metering plus Program AE and 15 scene modes, 4 with Scene Assist
ISO range: Auto (approx.64 – 400); ISO 64, 100, 200, 400
White balance: Auto with TTL control, 6-mode manual (Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash and Preset)
Flash modes/range (ISO auto): Auto, Red-eye Reduction (In-Camera Red-Eye Fix), Flash cancel, Anytime flash, Slow sync; range 0.25-3.2 m.
Sequence shooting: Approx. 1.7fps to memory capacity
Storage Media: 24MB internal memory plus SD expansion slot
Viewfinder: n.a.
LCD monitor: 2.5-inch type; 153,600-dot TFT display with brightness adjustment
Power supply: EN-EL8 rechargeable Li-ion battery (approx. 190 shots/charge)
Dimensions (wxhxd): 90.5 x 58.0 x 20.4mm (excluding projections)
Weight: 115g (without battery and card)