Review on 📸 Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 Megapixel CMOS Digital Camera – 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens – Full HD 1080p Video – Black (OLD MODEL) by Larry Cho

This travel zoom camera is most comparable to Panasonic ZS8/10, Canon SX230 HS and Sony HX9. I didn't consider other similar cameras from Fuji, Pentax or Samsung when making my purchase decision. After reading reviews on dpreview.com, imageresource.com and other sites and looking at comparison shots, I settled on the Nikon S9100. In terms of price, it was in the middle: Panasonic is cheaper, Canon is comparable and Sony is more expensive. I used to use Panasonic cameras (FZ18 and FH-20) and then decided to go with another manufacturer. The 3 main issues discussed in S9100 reviews on various websites were: 1) Zoom sticks open after a while. time and won't remove 2) there is a problem with focusing at higher zooms and 3) the small cover doesn't fully close when the camera is off. I had no issues with #1 as it doesn't seem to affect all cameras from the reviews, just a few specific ones. I had some trouble focusing at higher magnifications (#2). I solved it by turning the camera off and on again. I think the camera's "intelligence" is trying to remember and adjust past focus points. This has only happened a couple of times, and both times restarting the camera helped. Of the 20+ times I've turned the camera off, the small lens cap got stuck once or twice. A simple touch of your finger and it closed. This camera has many functions and scene modes. While there is no manual focus, there are other manual adjustments such as white balance, saturation, tint, etc. I find button manual focus on other similar cameras strange. These features are great for the serious amateur photographer. There are a lot of things in this camera. I also like the superior 18x zoom lens, solid body construction, quick launch, burst mode, and other features including a smart scene mode for those of us who don't want to think while taking photos. The size is a little heavier and bulkier than my smaller, cheaper 8x zoom camera, but it feels solid and of better quality. Haven't tried the video yet. I hope this camera will accompany me for a long time. There's still room for improvement, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. Update 1/4/12: I took it to spot some planes and take some pictures in the blue sky. The photos show that there are problems with vignetting at the edges. I'm not sure if this is related to my camera or to all S9100s. This was particularly evident at extreme magnification. I still have to make comparison pictures. It's not too bad, but shooting in direct sunlight might have made the vignetting worse. The camera still takes great pictures. I mainly shot in manual mode with increased saturation (referred to as clarity), white balance in sunlight, and slightly reduced exposure. Battery life seems good, although I bought a cheap backup battery and charging port (the camera doesn't come with an external charger). 2012 Update my review after 6 months of use. There seems to be some color fringing around the edges that most reviews miss, especially as the resolution increases. I had a camera on my wrist and it bumped into something while I was wearing it. There were no problems until the flash stopped working after 2 months. Nikon said there was impact damage, although the flash lasted a few months. I am disappointed that visible marks on the camera will void the warranty, especially after purchasing the extended warranty. I suspect they blame the impact damage when something else stops working. The maintenance guys were cold and wanted to charge me half the cost of the camera to fix it. I will probably not buy from Nikon again and this was my first purchase. I figured out how to use it, but the manufacturer doesn't make these things very durable, maybe only until the next version comes out. OK. Unfortunately, I no longer buy from Nikon. ******UPDATE ********** November 2013 I've had the camera for about 2 years now. The image quality was preserved, but there was dust inside the lens between the lenses. A quick shake brought him down, but he pops up from time to time. But now the LCD turns on but there is no picture. As I mentioned above, expect around 2 years from this camera. With the release of the S9300 and S9500, Nikon expects you'll only need them for what I think is a year before upgrading. Still disappointed and now I have a camera that is only good for parts. Mfr's warranty was worthless as they claim I dropped the camera (although I didn't). Unfortunately, I still don't buy a Nikon anymore and I've also told all my friends about it. Successfully convinced a good friend to buy another brand to avoid wasting money on another Nikon. Disappointment is the word I associate with Nikon based on my experience with this camera.