Nikon Coolpix L19 review

We usually approve of brightly coloured cameras, but the L19’s metallic mauve is hideous.

Thankfully, it’s also available in silver. It’s the cheapest of Nikon’s recent models, and although the design isn’t sizzling with style, the rounded corners make it feel robust. We can imagine this camera surviving rough treatment from children.

The 3.6x zoom range is better than we’d expect at this price, but it’s only 41mm at the wide-angle end, so you’ll need to step back further than usual. The 2.7in screen seems generous, but its colours looked washed out. Photographic controls are basic. With no ISO speed, metering or autofocus options, the camera relies almost entirely on its automatic mode. Exposure compensation, flash, white balance and resolution are the only image-related controls on offer. Luckily, this wasn’t a problem in our tests, with well-judged exposures in a wide range of light conditions. Detail levels in outdoor shots were good rather than excellent, but because it’s an £88 camera we can’t imagine anyone being disappointed. Shots taken indoors without the flash were fairly grotty, displaying smudged details and noisy shadows. Surprisingly, though, the results were better than the same shots taken with Nikon’s pricier S630, below.

The L19 was also streets ahead of the S630 for performance. It took just 1.5 seconds between shots in the single drive mode and turned in a respectable 1.1fps in continuous mode. The use of AA batteries meant that flash photos were around four seconds apart, though.

As a budget camera, the L19 hits all the right notes: it seems robust and is easy to use, it’s responsive and takes pleasing photos. However, it’s narrowly beaten by Pentax’s Optio M50. The M50 is slower but has a 5x zoom, better controls, a smarter design, a Li-ion battery and marginally better image quality. It’s available for £90 including VAT from www.comwales.com.