Review of the Nikon Coolpix S50c

www.europe-nikon.com The S50c has a 7MP sensor with a 3x optical zoom (38-114mm equivalent), which is fairly ‘middle of the road’. The inclusion of Vibration Reduction elevates its status, with Nikon claiming it to be like ‘shooting at a shutter speed three stops faster’ and, combined with a sensitivity range of ISO 100-1600, this works to combat camera shake. Unfortunately Wi-Fi can only be used on a computer installed with the dedicated software, so you aren’t able to upload from Internet hotspots. This would really set the S50c apart and justify the extra cost over the non-Wi-Fi S50 model. The multi-selector wheel on the rear combines with the menu and mode buttons to navigate through the options, but the menus are not intuitive, despite some good graphic displays. The wave body design is attractive, though unfortunately the 3in LCD screen on the rear is a bit contrasty and grainy. The rear wheel is plastic, which is a low-quality option that sits at odds with the rest of the camera’s design ethos. VERDICT Despite a few shortcomings, the S50c has a lot to recommend it – its image quality in particular. If the Wi-Fi option isn’t something you envisage using, then going for the S50 instead will save you £40. What Digital Camera Score 84%