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Nikon Coolpix S640 Review Summary

12 Megapixels12 MegapixelsHigh ISO: ISO 6400 or more is available at full-resolution.High ISO: ISO 6400 or more is available at full-resolution.Stabilization: Compensates for tiny involuntary movements of the camera.Stabilization: Compensates for tiny involuntary movements of the camera.VGA Video: 640 x 480 or more but less than 1280 x 720.VGA Video: 640 x 480 or more but less than 1280 x 720.Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera.Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more.Accepts Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and SD memory.Accepts Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and SD memory.Neocamera detailed reviewNeocamera detailed reviewDiscontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.Discontinued: No longer produced by the manufacturer. May still be in stock or found used.

Nikon Coolpix S640 Assessment

The Nikon Coolpix S640 is a very small ultra-compact camera with a stabilized wide-angle lens, offering a 4X range from 28 to 112mm, in 35mm-equivalent terms. Up to relatively recently, there was very little competition in terms of wide-angle ultra-compact digital cameras. This is no longer the case, putting the S640 face-to-face with more competitors than ever.

The Coolpix S640 turned in an average performance for a high-resolution ultra-compact. Image quality is decent with relatively low image noise up to ISO 400 but muddy details in shadow areas regardless of the ISO. As ISO is increased things get worse quickly but mid-sized prints should still be possible at ISO 800. Shot-to-shot speeds are slow but performance in other areas is snappy.

A direct and clearly superior competitor to the S640 is the Fuji Finepix F100fd. It features a wide-angle lens starting at 28mm too but that reaches out to 140mm, plus a 12 megapixels sensor which delivers very clean high-ISO images. Another interesting contender is the extremely durable and even waterproof Olympus Stylus 1030SW. This one lags behind the Nikon S640 in terms of image quality, but it is the toughest digital camera to date.

See our full-length review for an in-depth look and images samples at all ISO sensitivities.

Neocamera detailed reviewNeocamera detailed review
PROS CONS
Very fast autofocus lock Frequent autofocus miss
Image noise under control up to ISO 800 Useless ISO 3200 and 6400 sensitivities
Consistent exposure High purple fringing
Natural image colors Slow shot to shot speed
Very good white balance Pathetic continuous drive
Very responsive except during image storing

Severe loss of contrast starting at ISO 800

Excellent LCD visibility Redeye problems
Great LCD contrast and refresh rate Battery charges in camera
Good build quality, with reservations (see review) Poor tripod mount placement
GoodGood Good

Related Information

Sister Models
Nikon Coolpix S570 - Slower autofocus speed and less contrast LCD
Nikon Coolpix S630 - 7X Narrow optical zoom (37-260mm)
Previous Models
Nikon Coolpix S620 - 4X Optical zoom
Nikon Coolpix S610 - 10 Megapixels, 4X Wide optical zoom, 3" LCD, ISO 3200 Max
Nikon Coolpix S600 - 10 Megapixels, 4X Wide optical zoom, ISO 3200 Max
Nikon Coolpix S640
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By on 2009/10/15
2

Nikon S640 Facts

Ultra-Compact digital camera
12 Megapixels Ultra CompactISO 100-6400
5X Wide Optical ZoomShutter 1/1500-4s
Built-in StabilizationCustom white-balance
640x480 @ 30 FPS Video RecordingLithium-Ion
3" LCD 230K PixelsSecure Digital High Capacity
Buy from these sellers:Buy From Amazon.com

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