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Nikon Coolpix S1100pj review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £299
inc VAT

We like the idea of a projector-camera hybrid, but the reality is less appealing – the touchscreen is fiddly and image quality is poor.

Specifications

1/2.33in 14.0-megapixel sensor, 4.0x zoom (28-140mm equivalent), 180g

http://www.dabs.com

Pico projectors are a great idea, enabling a handheld gadget to escape the confines of its dimensions and press a suitable surface into use as a spacious display. A digital camera’s LCD screen is fine for composing shots and making rough checks of new images, but the built in projector on the Nikon S1100pj means you can show them off to others too.

The projector’s 640×480 resolution is basic but it’s higher than the camera’s 460,000-dot LCD screen (if you’re wondering why the maths doesn’t add up, it’s because the 460,000 figure counts red, green and blue sub-pixels separately whereas the 640×480 resolution counts full-colour pixels).

The projector’s brightness is its main limitation. When held close to a wall to project a 3in image – the same size as the screen – it’s not much brighter than the LCD. Pulling back creates a larger but much dimmer image, although we found that in low household lighting it was still watchable at 20 inches across. Turning the lights off gave better contrast and let us project an even bigger image.

Nikon S1100pj front

This is Nikon’s second projector-cum-camera, and the increased projector brightness, up from 10 lumens on the S1000pj (see What’s New, Shopper 266) https://www.expertreviews.com/uk/digital-cameras/276073/nikon-coolpix-s1000pj to 14 lumens is clearly welcome. It can also be used as a PC display, connecting to your laptop via USB. We’re not sure who would use this feature, though – as a laptop screen will always be brighter and sharper.

We’re happy to see a move to HD video recording; there was a hint of noise in outdoor clips and more than a hint indoors, but overall the quality was excellent. There’s also an orientation sensor so portrait-shaped shots are rotated during playback – an important feature for use with the projector.

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Basic Specifications

Rating **
CCD effective megapixels 14.0 megapixels
CCD size 1/2.33in
Viewfinder none
Viewfinder magnification, coverage N/A
LCD screen size 3.0in
LCD screen resolution 460,000 pixels
Articulated screen No
Live view Yes
Optical zoom 4.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent 28-140mm
Image stabilisation optical, lens based
Maximum image resolution 4,320×3,240
Maximum movie resolution 1280×720
Movie frame rate at max quality 30fps
File formats JPEG; QuickTime (AVC)

Physical

Memory slot SDXC
Mermory supplied 79MB internal
Battery type Li-ion
Battery Life (tested) 220 shots
Connectivity USB, AV
HDMI output resolution N/A
Body material aluminium
Lens mount N/A
Focal length multiplier N/A
Kit lens model name N/A
Accessories USB and AV cables, infrared remote
Weight 180g
Size 63x101x24mm

Buying Information

Warranty Two-year RTB
Price £299
Supplier http://www.dabs.com
Details www.nikon.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modes auto
Shutter speed auto
Aperture range f/3.9 (wide), f/5.8 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution) 80 to 1600
Exposure compensation +/- 2EV
White balance auto, 5 presets, manual
Additional image controls none
Manual focus No
Closest macro focus 3cm
Auto-focus modes multi, face detect, touch
Metering modes multi, face detect, touch
Flash auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction
Drive modes single, continuous, self-timer