Review on Nikon Coolpix S9300 16.0 MP Digital Camera - Black (No Longer Manufactured) by April Schol

First! The two things I liked most about this camera are the whopping 18x optical zoom and the 1080p HD video it captures. As an amateur photographer, I have a Nikon D7000 with a couple of lenses that I use every time I try my hand at photography. Wanted to buy an easy-to-use soap dish for a friend. As a lifelong Nikon fan, my task of choosing a manufacturer was interrupted. Now all I had to do was choose a model with a decent resolution (over 8MP), good optical zoom, and the ability to use a lithium-ion battery (I hate cameras that use AA batteries!). It has helped me zero several available Nikon cameras. In the end I settled on the S9200 and it was available at a good discount (49% when I bought it and 59% now!). Before passing it on to a friend, I tried it on to make sure I was getting the right product. This camera did not disappoint me at all. Thanks to the CMOS sensor, image sharpness is unprecedented, and the 16-megapixel camera delivers images that do not pixelate, even at maximum magnification. As I said, my favorite feature of the camera is its 18x optical zoom, which means you can easily take macro shots of flowers (my favorite subject when shooting with a DSLR). It also comes in handy when you want to photograph animals/birds/butterflies from a long distance without disturbing or scaring them. 1080p HD video is perfect for capturing any live scene (although it's not my favorite thing to do) but can easily be used during any event or party. You'll see the 1080p effect when you watch it on a PC or TV monitor. Although not very important, the high-resolution screen shows images with amazing clarity. Two additional features that I liked were the in-camera editing and the panorama. With in-camera editing, you can add various effects to your photos and make them more attractive even before copying them to your computer. I used the "Easy Panorama Mode" to take a panorama and was surprised to see that the camera stitched all the images together itself and didn't need any post-processing with third-party software! Many would like to experiment with this. Some other notable features include Nikon's innovative VR image stabilization, 7fps continuous shooting, and solid battery life. Several people have listed an endless number of issues with this camera. My point is that if you have all of these problems why not buy a DSLR instead of point and shoot. At this price you can't claim the features available in a DSLR. Another user complains that it's difficult to keep the camera steady when you zoom out 18x. Isn't that a practical problem? You will have this with any soap dish due to its small size. I would suggest using a tripod in such cases rather than blaming the camera for offering something people can handle! A few other complaints from various users just make me laugh. It seems they only mentioned these issues for the sake of mention! I think this camera gives you more than enough features for a beginner or casual shooter at a reasonable price. I'm glad I have it (and my boyfriend likes to use it too).