Review posted for the Nikon Coolpix L4
By
Shawn Barnett
(Thursday, September 7, 2006 - 15:08 EDT)
Though it is in the same family as the previously reviewed L2 and L3, the Nikon Coolpix L4 is different.
Its 4.0 megapixel CCD sensor does a decent job, but its output quality is only equal to 5x7 printing without noticable blurring from anti-noise processing. Its body is still as handsome as the others, but the 3x Nikkor optical zoom protrudes from the camera body even when closed, and does not appear to be up to the L3's higher standard. The Nikon L4's lens is also slow and noisy when zooming out to the full 3x.
While automatic controls were impressive, there's very little manual override on the Nikon Coolpix L4, particularly relating to ISO light sensitivity adjustment. Still, the Nikon L4 has several handy features, including Nikon's D-Lighting, Face Priority AF, Best Shot Selector, and 14 scene modes. Like its bretheren, the Nikon L4 is slow, lagging behind some of its competitors in shot-to-shot speed and overall shutter response.
With the price hovering at around $120, it still does a decent job and would make a great first choice for kids. If you need a very inexpensive digital camera and only plan to print 4x6 images, see the full review for more on the Nikon Coolpix L4.
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