Nikon Coolpix S550 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Plum) | 
| Brand: Nikon
Buy New: See price in cart
New (35) Used (2) from $213.38
Rating:  105 reviews
Sales Rank: 28
Color: Plum
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Includes Software: Yes
Optical Zoom: 5
Digital Zoom: 4
Connectivity: AV
Display Size: 2.5
Maximum Focal Length: 31.5
Minimum Focal Length: 6.3
Maximum Resolution: 10
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 3.5 x 0.9 x 2
MPN: 26110
Model: 26110
UPC: 018208261109
EAN: 0018208261109
ASIN: B0012OELQW
Release Date: March 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days
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| Features:
| • | 10-megapixel resolution for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches | | • | 5x optical zoom; Electronic VR image stabilization | | • | 2.5-inch, high-resolution LCD | | • | In-Camera Red-Eye Fix; enhanced Face-Priority AF automatically focuses on up to 12 faces | | • | Capture images to SD memory card (not included) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Be it for movie or still images, the thin Nikon Coolpix S550 offers an enthralling experience with pictures of incredibly fine detail. Sleek, easy to use, the S550 has image stabilization and a long 5x zoom range. Go for Coolpix S550. It makes sense. Internal Memory - Approximately 52MB for immediate picture taking Storage System - JPEG - JPEG-baseline-compliant; can be selected from Size priority and Optimal quality, AVI, WAV / File System - DCF 2.0, DPOF, EXIF 2.21 Image Stabilization - Electronic Movie Modes - Movie with sound, Time-lapse movie, Stop motion movie White Balance - Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash, White Balance Present Play Functions - Full frame, Thumbnail (4 or 9 or 16 segments), Zoom, Slideshow, Shooting data, Auto image rotation, Sound playback Hi-speed USB 5x Optical Nikkor Zoom Lens Specification - Equivalent with 35mm format picture angle - 36-180mm, f/3.5-5.6 Autofocus System - Contrast-detect TTL AF with AF-assist illuminator / Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points - Auto (9-area automatic selection), Manual (99-area manual selection) Exposure Modes - Auto, Scene; Scene Modes - Face-priority AF, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist, Smile Power sources - Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL11 (supplied), AC Adapter EH-62E (optional) Battery life - Approx. 200 shots with EN-EL11 battery (based on CIPA standard) Unit Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 90 x 53.5 x 22 mm (3.6 x 2.1 x 0.9 in.) excluding projections; Weight Approx. 120 g (4.2 oz.) without battery and SD memory card Includes Supplied Accessories - AV/USB Cable UC-E12, Strap AN-CP14, Rechargeable Battery EN-EL11, Battery Charger MH-64, Software Suite for COOLPIX (Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area.)
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| Customer Reviews: Read 100 more reviews...
 Not quite up to par April 1, 2008
Brendan Ross (Washington, DC USA)
195 out of 211 found this review helpful
The camera is small, light, highly portable and easy to use. It takes nice pictures under good lighting situations, and particularly outdoor situations. However, I've found a few issues with it:
1. ISO noise seems excessive. The noise at ISO levels 400+ is really among the worst I have seen, even for a point and shoot. As a result, it's really not my first (or second) choice for low lighting (often indoor) shots without using a flash. It works well enough with a flash, but so do most cameras. Trying to take non-flash pictures indoors with this camera is a chore because of the high level of noise at even moderate ISO settings.
2. Odd juxtapositions in the design. For example, the camera cannot both date stamp and use its electronic vibration reduction function at once -- that's a very odd trade-off, and smacks of some very odd engineering decision.
3. Limited on-screen information. While shooting it will at least provide your aperture and shutter speed, but it doesn't on playback, and there is no option for controlling that display information. Other cameras (like Panasonic's DMC-FS3) display aperture, shutter speed, ISO and WB all on the playback screen. I like to review these things when looking at an exposure to determine whether I want to adjust anything for the next one, and not being able to see this information on the review display is quite annoying on a camera that has been recently released.
In all, this is a fine camera for quick outdoor shooting. For virtually anything else I plan to do with a point and shoot, my first choice is Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FS3. I'm not happy to say that, because I am generally a fan of Nikon equipment, and my digital SLR equipment is all Nikon ... but the Panasonic beats this camera pretty much across the board, I'm afraid, while also being slightly cheaper.
One week in- A cool little camera June 30, 2008
Michigoon (Mid-MI)
150 out of 151 found this review helpful
As a fairly cheap point-and-shoot camera, the Nikon Coolpix S550 is a pretty neat piece of hardware. It's certainly not a high-end DSLR, but it's good at what it does, and it offers some nice pluses over other cameras in its price range.
The good:
-5x optical zoom is very good for a little camera like this, and is tops in this camera's class. I would like to remind readers that "digital zoom" really just crops out part of a picture to make it look bigger in the viewfinder while destroying actual shot quality, so please disregard the "digital zoom" on this or any camera.
-10megapixel resolution is pretty phenominal, especially in this camera's price range, especially coupled with the 5x zoom. Dollar-for-dollar, you're getting a lot.
-Shutter and record speeds seem great. Note that with megapixels this high, you're going to need a high-speed SDHC memory card if you don't want to see too much of the hourglass.
-The high resolution and zoom really combine for wow power when you take movies with the camera. Although the mic is terrible and you'll probably just want to mute it, you can take movies of a pet where you can see every individual hair from a respectable distance if you so choose. On a one-gig card, I can shoot a half-hour of movies at this quality.
-The camera's overall size is very comfortable. Not much taller and wider than a credit card, not much thicker than a thin paperback, and compeletely flat when it's powered down. Yet it's still roomy- I'm a 6'+ guy with stubby fingers, and I've never fumbled a button yet.
-Tons of modes. The camera can take widescreen pictures or regular format, PAL or NTSC, and resolutions from standard tv (640x480) through the roof (over 3,000 vertical pixels). It has smile recognition, stabilization, various compensation filters including red-eye. It has Portrait, Outdoor, Indoor, and even Copy for taking pictures of documents just in case you're a secret agent on a budget. The basic Shoot and Smile modes seem wholly satisfactory, but this camera offers plenty of room to grow. Yesterday I took some very clear photos of moths in flight, with no adjustments other than setting the camera to high ISO.
The not-so-good:
-No optical viewfinder, only the digital screen. It's a very good and very big screen though, so this is mostly just for nostalgia's sake.
-The camera doesn't have a dial for the various settings. Instead of just clicking over to Portrait or Outdoor, you have to hit a menu button and look around. This is a pretty small complaint overall, but I would have still preferred a wheel.
-I've noticed that with a lot of low-end digital cameras like this, you can see that as the camera auto-adjusts it will show a perfectly sharp picture in the viewfinder, but keep adjusting until the picture becomes a bit blurry. Maybe this is just something about the way I take pictures, but I know this camera is capable of clearer shots. This is especially evident in extreme close-ups, such as under a foot away. The camera will adjust right up to a perfectly crisp photo for a moment, then keep going to a blurry mess before it snaps the shot. If I could just cut out the last few moments of zooming, I'd have gotten a perfect photo. I saw this same thing with a number of comparable cameras while doing in-store tests, and I'm puzzled as to what causes it (maybe I need to turn off the assist beam sometimes, I don't know). I'll have to check the camera's official site and such to see if I can find tips.
-5x zoom, while really wonderful for the price range, still seems a bit stifling. Maybe I'm just at the point in my life where I need to own up to the truth and save up for a high-end SLR. 5x optical is certainly much better than the 3x zoom that comes with most comparable cameras.
Overall, I really got this camera because it was time to upgrade from my old Canon A60. The A60 took really great photos in the right conditions, but it couldn't adapt to conditions well, and it had a very big delay between pressing the button and getting a shot. The Coolpix has already paid for itself with smile recognition- I'm a "psychic blinker" who manages to always shut his eyes the moment a photo is taken, and I haven't gotten a single photo of myself with my eyes closed, even doing close-ups with flash.
If you're just starting out in the digital world, this camera has all the best features with a clear interface and instant point-and-shoot modes that require no calibration. If you're like me and you just need to find a smarter digital camera, you could do a lot worse than this one for the same money. If this camera suits your price range, you simply must put it at the top of your list. The only reason I'd suggest passing on this camera is if you've got significantly more money to spend on a higher class of camera.
small camera with big zoom March 25, 2008
CA or Bust (MD)
105 out of 112 found this review helpful
I like the camera and the photos. The zoom is good and unheard of for a camera this size. easy to use even without reading the manual. One problem, it comes with a rechargeable battery# Li-ion EN-EL11 but...I can't find anyone who sells it yet (I like a backup battery). The screen is large but I do miss the option of using a view finder, which helps in bright light. Photo colors look real.
 Unimpressed Is An Understatement May 19, 2008
Ranting Reviewer (Boston, MA)
62 out of 69 found this review helpful
I bought the Nikon Coolpix S550 after doing fairly extensive research online and talking to multiple salespeople at camera stores. I had narrowed my selection down to the Nikon or a Canon Powershot Elph. When I walked in to the store and asked the salesman what point and shoot digital camera he would recommend, he immediately said "Nikon", so I bought it. Thank goodness the store has a 10 day return policy. If you use the camera for a few days and do not like it, you can return it (along with the box and everything that came in it) for a full refund within 10 days of the date of purchase. There is no restocking fee like many of the other local retailers.
After using the Nikon Coolpix S550 for one day, I knew I hated it. The shutter speed was slow, especially when using it indoors with a flash. The red eye reduction flash was even worse...it flashed about 12 times before taking the picture and then would not focus (or didn't think it was focused), so it would flash and beep at me before the shutter would actually go off. That made for a good 5 - 10 second lag between pushing the shutter and actually capturing the image. Meanwhile, because the flash went off so many times, people were moving or talking by the time the picture was actually taken. I really didn't want to have to say "this is going to flash a bunch of times before the picture is taken, so just stay still and I'll tell you when the picture is done" for the rest of the camera's life ( I had to do that with an old film camera of mine for years, it's not fun!). The camera is equipped with red eye recognition and will supposedly correct red eye within the digital image after the picture is taken...doesn't that eliminate the need for the crazy multi flash? It was bad enough that I hated that aspect of it, but the subjects who I was taking pictures of complained as well.
Not only was the shutter speed slow, but the recovery time between pictures was long. I knew going into it that the Nikon shutter speed was a bit slower than other digital cameras, but that in addition to the long lag time between pictures is unbearable.
As for the facial recognition, it is non-existent. Not once in all the pictures I took did the camera recognize and lock onto anybody's face. I was taking pictures of people facing fully toward the camera too. Now, I don't need facial recognition, but if the camera has it, it certainly should work.
Also, the menus on this camera are difficult to maneuver through. I think I would have had to carry the instruction book along with me at all times just in case I ever wanted to do anything other than auto focus! The good news is the instruction book is very informative and easy to follow.
I really wanted to like the Nikon, but I knew after that first night that I would be miserable with it. I brought the camera back and purchased the Panasonic Lumix DCM-TZ4. The Lumix is 200x better than the Nikon Coolpix! It has 8MP, 10x optical zoom and up to 40x digital zoom. It always recognizes faces even if it is only a picture of a face. The images are sharp and beautiful! The camera is a little larger and heavier than other compact digitals but I am thrilled with it. I am sad to say that this experience with the Nikon has turned me off to their product completely. It would take some major improvements in their product line to make me try a Nikon again.
a detailed and helpful review March 27, 2008
Barbara P. Spell (Charleston, South Carolina)
49 out of 61 found this review helpful
this camera is the best camera i have ever owned. i love it, but i do feel the picture does not do it justice. the blue nikon s550 is not dark blue like in the picture. it is more sapphire. i love the color. i think it is better than the dark blue of the one in the picture. it is gorgeous. the camera is easy to use. it has a 5X optical zoom, but is also has a 4X digital zoom. that means the picture you are taking is 20X closer than without a zoom. the camera does terrific close-ups, has clear shots, and has awesome color options. you can change the color of your shots to black-and-white, sepia, cyanotype, vivid color, and standard color. it shoots unlimited video (it will film until your card is full). the camera without a card holds about 30 pictures! the camera feels sturdy but is very sleek. the black version is more of a gray-black, so i find the blue or plum much prettier, but i like colors. the camera warns you before the battery is dead. it warns you with enough time to finish what you're doing. one of my only criticisms is that the camera will take a little bit to focus if you are shooting a close-up. i'm only talking maybe 5 seconds, but it is totally worth it. the camera does pretty well in low lighting, you just have to make sure your hand stays still, so the picture is clear. i am in love with this camera. it is amazing! :)
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