Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12.1 megapixel High JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

During the review period, the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj produced images of average quality. Centre sharpness was generally high, but the corners tended to be noticeably worse. Colours on the whole were true to life, although reds sometimes took on an orange hue. The 5x lens suffers from a bit of vignetting, especially at the wide end. This phenomenon is aggravated by the use of the flash, which does not have enough coverage to evenly illuminate the scene in a wide-angle shot. ISO performance was far from stellar, with the effects of noise reduction being noticeable even at base ISO, and getting progressively worse higher up the sensitivity ladder. On a more positive note, the S1000pj’s macro performance was very good.

Noise

At full resolution, there are 6 ISO settings available on the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj.  Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting between ISO 80 and ISO 1600. (There are two more settings, ISO 3200 and ISO 6400, but they are only available at reduced resolution.)

ISO 80 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj's 5x zoom lens offers a versatile focal range, as illustrated by these examples:

28mm	140mm

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting. You can't change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

For a camera with an internally stacked zoom, the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj handled chromatic aberrations well. Here are a couple of 100% crops that show what you can expect in the worst case.

Example 1 (100% Crop)	Example 2 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj has an excellent macro mode. The minimum focus distance is 3cm, and optimum results are achieved with the lens zoomed in a little. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject. The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot	100% Crop

Flash

The flash settings on the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj are Auto, Flash On, Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro and Off. These shots of a white ceiling were taken at a subject distance of 1.5m. It is obvious that the flash struggles to evenly illuminate the entire subject at the wide end of the zoom range, but the flash coverage issue is much less severe at the maximum telephoto setting. In the photos taken without flash, we can also see a bit of light fall-off in the corners.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (28mm)	Flash On - Wide Angle (28mm)
Flash Off - Telephoto (140mm)	Flash On - Telephoto (140mm)

And here are some portrait shots. The flash has a red-eye reduction setting, though in this test there was not much of a redeye effect to begin with.

Flash On	Flash On (100% Crop)
Red-eye Reduction	Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

Night

The slowest shutter speed of the Nikon Coolpix S100pj is 4 seconds in the Fireworks show scene mode, and even less in the other shooting modes, which is disappointing news if you are seriously interested in night photography. The following example was taken at a shutter speed of 1 second at ISO 400. We have included a 100% crop to show what the quality is like.

Night Shot	Night Shot (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj camera, which were all taken using the 12.1 megapixel High JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movie & Video

As of February 2025, we are no longer providing full size sample images or videos for download.

Please contact us if you have any feedback on our new policy.

Product Images

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera / Lens Opened

Isometric View

Isometric View

Rear of the Camera

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

Top of the Camera

Bottom of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Battery Compartment

Battery Compartment

Memory Card Slot

Memory Card Slot

Conclusion

The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj caused quite a stir when it was announced. We are used to more and more features being crammed into digital cameras, but an integrated projector was something truly novel. And, while we are sure that the future will bring more cameras sporting this “accessory”, it has been successful in making the Nikon S1000pj completely unique in the current digicam market. In use, the projector does not really disappoint, although its modest VGA resolution and dull colours mean it's no match for a traditional slide show created using a good old 35mm slide projector. Its ability to project movie clips as well as stills has, however, been a big hit with us, and made us fans at once.

If the concept of a built-in projector doesn't take your fancy at all, the Coolpix S1000pj becomes much less of an irresistible proposition. Discounting that one big trick, it is a fairly average point-and-shoot camera with so-so image quality, mostly undersized buttons, no proper manual control over exposure or focusing, and a rather disappointing video mode. Having a 28mm equivalent wide angle lens is a nice touch, though a lot less of a rarity than it used to be.

So to round it off, if the idea of being able to show your photos and videos to an audience in a way you can't with other currently available digicams, the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj will definitely be to your liking. If you simply want a versatile compact camera with good image quality, there are better alternatives around.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	3
Value for money	4

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj from around the web.

Specifications

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