Nikon COOLPIX S570

We look at Nikon’s latest compact

Launched in the summer alongside two other S-range compacts, the S570 is introduced as a 12MP 5x zoom compact. However, these features are pretty commonplace in the market it enters, so what else does the Nikon newcomer have to rival

its peers?

First off, the design of the S570 is particularly unimpressive, sporting a rather dull yet traditional aesthetic. Rectangular in shape, the model lacks the sexy curvature which adorns some of its COOLPIX brethren, furthermore on first glance it appears deceptively smaller than it actually is, thanks to a double-layered design. The smooth metal front sits at just a centimetre thick, and fitted

to the back of this is another

near-centimetre-thick black matte plastic framing the 2.7” LCD, resulting in a rather messy, bulky and unattractive look. That said, a thumb-sized pad accommodates the top- right of the reverse, aiding grip and precision when shooting. Beneath this users will find the usual buttons; central is the circular d-pad holding flash, exposure, macro, self-timer and select controls, while flanking above this are Shooting/Scene/Movie and Playback buttons. Underneath the d-pad sit the menu and delete tabs. An AV socket is embedded on the right, the battery and SD memory card compartment stowed in the underbelly of the device and on the top we see the on/off, shutter and zoom controls. The slight design consolation is that the S570 is available in a choice of five colours: silver, black, red, pink or blue.

One of the most bragged-about features is the 12MP image sensor, but as we’ve learnt with other similarly specced models, more isn’t necessarily better. Holding a wide-angle lens should mean landscape shooters will be in their element and although the modest 5x zoom aids composition, it shouldn’t be relied upon for far-off, close-up captures. Image stabilisation is included here, but has to be activated from the get go as it’s not set up as a default option. That said, in our tests we found little difference between using and not using the feature, as both resulted in disappointing blur – even when used in well-lit, stable conditions. For portrait fanatics Nikon has installed blink warning, red-eye fix and lighting fix. The success of these shooting solutions was moderately effective, but we’ve seen much better results with rival brands such as Panasonic and Sony.  

Shooting with the S570 was largely a frustrating experience. Starting with Macro mode, the model struggled to find a lock, and despite what the specs insist we couldn’t get the go ahead to shoot until we were at least six or seven centimetres away from the subject. On executing the shot, the shutter lag is far too long to ensure crisp results.

Unsurprisingly, the results emitted an obvious softness. Furthermore, the S570 has a tendency to overexpose, but thanks to the favourable addition of exposure controls, users can remedy this. Using a self-timer and a mini tripod can help resolve softness, but the image stabilisation feature was limited in effectiveness.

Shooting landscapes again was a disappointing experience; even with a tampering of manual controls the colours were desaturated and the subjects lacked crispness, culminating in a flat vista. Portraiture was another relative write-off; unless you’ve got a pro studio lighting setup or perfect diffused natural light, the portraits produced with this compact just don’t compare with that of its competitors. Blurred edges, bleaching of skin tones, an off-kilter auto white balance and a tendency to underexpose mean the user will have to harness a manual approach to produce half-decent pictures. Metering was another issue, exposing incorrectly throughout genres.

The S570 didn’t lend itself to night-time or low-light shooting either, with blurred edges using a handheld approach, but even with the support of a tripod the gadget failed in finding a focus. It produced soft shots and noise was apparent at anything above ISO 400, which just doesn’t cut the mustard for this price. Sports or action photography was another minefield, as a relatively poor shutter lag made timing the action particularly troublesome.

Natalie Johnson

Final Verdict Altogether the S570 is a headache to use and the results are disappointing to behold. At this price tag, Nikon has really missed the mark OVERALL

Backed with a journalism degree, Natalie has worked in the magazine industry for over five years. Since joining DP she has reviewed a plethora of cameras, gadgets and accessories, and is never afraid of telling it like it is.