Nikon Coolpix S9100 Review
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 4.5Mb.
Although the S9100 pushes the boat out in terms of the available focal length happily it doesn't over-reach itself. We managed to get very usable results shooting at its extremities. Especially impressive, given that this is a point and shoot model aimed at the general user rather than amateur enthusiast. Too many times with rival travel zooms two or three shots are required to get a sharply focused image in daylight when shooting handheld at maximum 450mm equivalent telephoto – but that wasn't the case here.
Yes there's softening of detail to limit the appearance of image noise at ISO800 and above, but we can live with that. At ISO1600 it's only really shadow detail that is taking on the tell-tale sandy appearance, and only if enlarging sections to scrutinize closely. At the maximum setting of ISO3200 there's a more obvious smoothing/softened effect compared with the previous images. Overall though the S9100 has delivered a very respectable ISO performance for a sub £300 camera, and one that befits a camera emblazoned with the Nikon logo.
So the S9100 is reliably consistent, even if, to nitpick, we noticed marginal corner softening at extreme 25mm equivalent wideangle settings. As with just about every other pocket digital compact, purple fringing occasionally also makes an appearance in images with areas of high contrast. Otherwise colours veer towards the naturalistic.
Noise
There are 6 ISO settings available on the Nikon Coolpix S9100. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.
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ISO 160 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
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Focal Range
The Nikon Coolpix S9100's 18x zoom lens offers a very versatile focal range, as demonstrated by the examples below.
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25mm |
450mm |
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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 soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately you can't change the in-camera sharpening level.
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Original (100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 handled chromatic aberrations fairly well during the review, with some purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.
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Example 1 (100% Crop) |
Example 2 (100% Crop) |
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Macro
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 4cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
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Macro Shot |
100% Crop |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Nikon Coolpix S9100 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Off, On and Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
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Forced Off - Wide Angle (25mm) |
Forced On - Wide Angle (25mm) |
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Forced Off - Telephoto (450mm) |
Forced On - Telephoto (450mm) |
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And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the On or the Auto/Red-eye Reduction settings caused any red-eye.
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On |
On (100% Crop) |
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Auto/Red-eye Reduction |
Auto/Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night
The Nikon Coolpix S9100's maximum shutter speed is 4 seconds in the Fireworks scene mode, which is not great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1 second at ISO 800. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.
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Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
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Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon Coolpix S9100 camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
Sample Movie & Video
This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 36 second movie is 63.1Mb in size.
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
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Front of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera / Lens Extended |
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Front of the Camera / Pop-up Flash |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Rear of the Camera |
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Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
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Top of the Camera |
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Bottom of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Memory Card Slot |
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Battery Compartment |
Conclusion
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 gives a slick performance, in terms of both attractive design and handling. That said there is more competition than ever in the travel zoom market. Fortunately though, while the S9100 doesn't shoehorn in as many features as the arguably class leading Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20 (which also has GPS), the Nikon offers a better focal range and if that is your chief concern, also better value.
This makes it in our opinion one of the current best options out there for anyone looking for a jack-of-all-trades device that will fit in your pocket and deliver memorable holiday snaps with the minimum of fuss. As a total package we also prefer it to the recent likes of the Canon PowerShot SX20 HS, Olympus SZ-20, plus Casio Exilim EX-H30.
If you want manual features beyond a smattering of effects and the ability to control the likes of white balance and ISO, look elsewhere however. And for you the Coolpix P300 and P7000 'performance' cameras, as opposed to the S9100 'Style' range camera, might be a better fit.
At the end of the day the Coolpix S9100 offers more expansive framing opportunities than your typical point and shoot for not much more money. With respectable scores across its features, it therefore makes sense that if trading up from a humble 3x or 5x zoom snapshot, the S9100 should be given serious consideration as your next potential purchase.
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
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| Design | 4.5 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Ease-of-use | 4 |
| Image quality | 4 |
| Value for money | 4.5 |
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Nikon Coolpix S9100 from around the web.
reviews.cnet.co.uk »
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 is a solid compact camera that's easy to use, fast and good in low light. But if you want the extra reach its 18x zoom provides, be prepared to stretch your budget -- if not your pocket -- accordingly.
Read the full review »
electricpig.co.uk »
The Nikon Coolpix S9100 is Nikon’s latest compact camera. It’s aimed squarely at the consumer arena, and after plenty of DSLRs of late and a “prosumer” compact from the imaging giant, that’s a good thing. A lot of similar cameras in this target market try to be all things to all men. By packing in supposedly ‘pro’ functionality, most of these competitors muddy what a good point and shoot should be – fun, and easy to use.
Read the full review »
infosyncworld.com »
The sensor, controls, interface, and form factor have all remained unmolested, so what gives? In our eyes, the new Nikon Coolpix S9100 will suit those who wanted a faster camera with a larger zoom out of the Coolpix S8100. Is the S9100 worth the extra 30 bucks over the S8100? Let's dust off the magnifying glass, gumshoes.
Read the full review »
Specifications
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*1 Based on CIPA industry standard for measuring life of camera batteries. Measured at 23°C; zoom adjusted with each shot, |
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| Effective pixels | 12.1 million pixels |
| Image sensor | Type: 1/2.3-in. type CMOS with active cell array; Color filter array: RGB filter; Total pixels:Approx. 12.75 million pixels; Recording pixels: Approx. 12.00 million pixels (4000 x 3000) |
| Lens | NIKKOR lens with 18x optical zoom; Focal length: 4.5-81.0 mm (Approx. 25-450 mm); Aperture: f/3.5-5.9; Lens construction: 12 elements in 11 groups |
| Focus range (from lens) | Normal shooting: approx. 50 cm (1 ft. 8 in.) to infinity (at wide-angle setting), approx. 1.5 m (5 ft.) to infinity (at telephoto setting); Macro close-up mode: approx. 4 cm (1.6 in.) to infinity (at wide-angle setting), approx. 1.5 m (5 ft.) to infinity (at telephoto setting) |
| Monitor | Size: 7.5 cm (3-in.); Number of dots: Approx. 921k-dot; Type: TFT LCD monitor; (Acrylic) cover: Protective acrylic panel with anti-reflection coating on both sides, no air-gapless structure |
| Storage media | Internal memory (approx. 74 MB), SD/SDHC/SDXC/UHS memory card *2 |
| Vibration Reduction (VR) | Image-sensor shift type + electronic type (still image); Other blur-reduction functions: Motion Detection (conventional type), BSS (Best Shot Selector) |
| ISO sensitivity | ISO 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (4000 x 3000), Auto (ISO 160 to 800) , Fixed range auto (ISO 160 to 400) |
| Interface | Hi-Speed USB/PictBridge |
| Power Sources | Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12 (1050 mAh) |
| Battery life *1 | Approx. 270 shots (EN-EL12) |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | Approx. 104.8 x 62.0 x 34.6 mm/4.2 x 2.5 x 1.4 in. (excluding projections) *4 |
| Weight | Approx. 214 g (7.6 oz.). (including battery and SD memory card) *4 |
| Movie | HD 1080p: 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), HD 720p: 1280 x 720 (30 fps), iFrame 540: 960 x 540 (30 fps), VGA: 640 x 480 (30 fps) HS movie: HS 240 fps, HS 120 fps, HS 60 fps, HS 15 fps |
| Supplied accessories | Camera Strap AN-CP19, Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12, Charging AC Adapter EH-69P, USB Cable UC-E6, Audio Video Cable EG-CP16 and ViewNX 2 CD-ROM |
| Optional accessories | Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12, Charging AC Adapter EH-69P, Battery Charger MH-65, AC Adapter EH-62F, USB Cable UC-E6 and Audio Video Cable EG-CP16 |
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