Nikon S6200 Review

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S6200 Overview

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S6200 Overview
Specifications

Basic Specifications
Full model name:	Nikon Coolpix S6200
Resolution:	16.00 Megapixels
Sensor size:	1/2.3 inch (6.2mm x 4.6mm)
Lens:	10.00x zoom (25-250mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	LCD
Extended ISO:	80 - 3200
Max Aperture:	3.2
Dimensions:	3.7 x 2.2 x 1.0 in. (93 x 57 x 25 mm)
Weight:	5.6 oz (160 g) includes batteries
MSRP:	$230
Availability:	09/2011
Manufacturer:	Nikon
Full specs:	Nikon S6200 specifications

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16.00 Megapixels	10.00x zoom	1/2.3 inch size sensor

Nikon Coolpix S6200 Overview

Posted: 08/24/2011

The Nikon Coolpix S6200 digital camera is targeted at photographers seeking an affordable long-zoom camera with a pocket-friendly body, and as such, it's likely to appeal to photographers looking to travel light without sacrificing zoom range, as well as outdoors and nature types. The S6200 replaces the previous S6100 model in the company's lineup.

At the heart of the Nikon Coolpix S6200 is a standard CCD image sensor with an effective resolution of 16.0 megapixels. Total resolution of the S6200's 1/2.3-inch type imager is 16.44 megapixels. The Nikon S6200 offers sensitivities ranging from ISO 80 to 3,200 equivalents, with everything from ISO 100 to 1,600 equivalents available to an Auto ISO function.

The Nikon S6200's 1.0-inch thick body includes a Nikkor ED-branded 10x optical zoom lens, offering everything from a generous 25mm-equivalent wide angle to a useful 250mm telephoto. As you'd expect given the telephoto reach, which would otherwise require a 1/250th second shutter speed or higher for handholding, the S6200 includes true optical image stabilization. Maximum aperture varies from f/3.2 to f/5.8 across the zoom range. There's also a 4x digital zoom function which provides an effective 1,000mm-equivalent telephoto when combined with the optical zoom, although like any digital zoom this extra reach will come at the cost of significantly reduced image clarity, since the camera is essentially just taking the center of an image shot at the camera's maximum optical zoom level, then scaling it up to full resolution and making some educated guesses as to the missing data (with more to guess as the zoom level increases). By default, the Nikon S6200's lens can focus to just 20 inches (50 cm) at wide angle, and 40 inches (1 m) at telephoto, but a macro mode enables focusing as close as just 4 inches (10 cm) in the wide angle position.

The rear panel of the Nikon S6200 offers up a 2.7-inch TFT LCD panel with an approximate resolution of 77,000 pixels (230,000 dots, with each pixel comprising adjacent red, green, and blue dots.) The S6200's screen is said to have an anti-reflective coating, and a five-level brightness adjustment.

The Coolpix S6200 offers not only still-image capture, but also a high definition 720p (1,280 x 720 pixel) video capture mode. The S6200 allows use of the optical zoom lens during video capture, enabling consumer videographers to better follow their subject as recording continues. There's also a selection of special effects functions that cater to artistic types who don't want to sit in front of a computer editing their photos, although a list of these modes wasn't available at press time.

Images and movies are stored on Secure Digital cards, including the higher-capacity SDHC and SDXC types. The S6200 also includes approximately 74MB of available internal memory, enough to capture a few of the most important shots, should you accidentally leave your flash card at home. Catering to transferring of images and movies to a computer, the Nikon S6200 offers a USB 2.0 High Speed data connection, and there's also an HDMI high-definition video output. Power comes from a proprietary EN-EL12 lithium-ion battery pack, rated for approximately 250 shots on a charge, to CIPA testing standards.

The Nikon Coolpix S6200 has dimensions of approximately 3.7 x 2.3 x 1.0 inches (93.0 × 56.7 × 25.4 mm) excluding projections, and weighs 5.7 oz. (160 g) including battery and SD memory card. The product bundle includes one EN-EL12 battery pack, both USB and video cables, an AC charging adapter, camera strap, and ViewNX 2 software CD-ROM.

The COOLPIX S6200 will be available in the US market from mid-September 2011 in red, pink, silver, blue and black versions. Pricing is set at approximately US$230.