The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm, the next generation of Nikon’s all-time best-selling premium high-ratio zoom, combines an 11X zoom range with VR II to provide DX-format enthusiasts with an extremely versatile zoom range in a compact form-factor. Nikon enhanced construction to include a zoom lock switch, to allow photographers to secure the lens barrel at its minimum length, eliminating the natural gravitational effect that can draw the barrel downward during transport. The inclusion of Nikon’s exclusive Super Integrated Coating (SIC) reduces instances of ghosting or flaring. Whether shooting artistic landscapes or vacation snapshots, this lens provides fast and quiet AF operation with the help of Nikon’s SWM technology. Designed to be a one-lens solution and weighing in at a scant 19.9 ounces and measuring only 3.8 inches in length, this lens provides an extraordinary (35mm equivalent) picture angle of 27-300mm when mounted on any Nikon DX-format camera such as the new D300s or D3000 D-SLR cameras. Additionally, the optical formula contains two ED glass elements and three aspherical lenses to minimize chromatic aberration and distortion. The resulting images exhibit extreme sharpness, extraordinarily vibrant color and crisp contrast. 11x Zoom versatility A remarkable 18-200mm one-lens solution?adept in a wide variety of situations. Picture angle equivalent of a 27-300mm lens in 35mm format. Nikon VR II (Vibration Reduction) image stabilization Vibration Reduction, engineered specifically for each VR NIKKOR lens, enables handheld shooting at up to 4 shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, assuring dramatically sharper images. Two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements Offers superior sharpness and color correction by effectively minimizing chromatic aberration, even at wide aperture settings. Three aspherical lens elements Virtually eliminates coma and other aberrations, even at wide apertures. Zoom lock switch Secures lens barrel at its minimum length. Nikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) Enhances light transmission and offers superior color consistency and reduced flare. Exclusive Nikon Silent Wave Motor (SWM) For fast, accurate and quiet autofocus. Rounded 7-blade diaphragm Renders more natural appearance of out-of-focus image elements. Focus to 20 inches Extends versatility. M/A focus mode switch Enables quick response to changing situations between manual and autofocus operation. Flower-shaped lens hood Included HB-35 lens hood?shades the objective from unwanted, image-degrading light.
Filed under Nikon Cameras by on Mar 1st, 2010. Comment. 
The Coolpix S630 is a high quality compact digital camera featuring 12-megapixel resolution and a 7x optical zoom lens. The Coolpix S630’s unique design combines straight and curved surfaces with a unique “Sure Grip” that allows the camera to be held comfortably. Quick response and 4-way VR image stabilization system and sport continuous mode allows images to be captured at up to 11 frames per second.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars nice only most of the time
I don’t know what I do wrong, but I do ‘it’ too often. I get people snapshots slightly out of focus. I have it on auto, people are not in ‘action’, the photos just don’t come out sharp… and others come out perfectly. This is my 3rd (unless you count about 5 coolpix 7900s, which were great and I’d buy now if they were still selling them). Also the battery/sdcard door comes open fairly easily and I expect I’ll snap it off by accident someday. It has disappointed me too many times and I’m trying a Canon.
5 Stars LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE it
It’s light weight and easy to use (with a brief skim through the directions)! Takes great pix. No excuse for not getting “the shot” anymore.
5 Stars good value for the price
This is very good value for the price. I bought this as a present and my friend is very happy with the producr, and i am happy with the price
4 Stars Nikon Quality In a Small Package
I have been a dedicated Nikon 35mm fan for years, but this is my first Nikon digital camera. I did debate very long between the SLR series and the Coolpix line, but in the end, the compact design and the lighter weight of the Coolpix nudged me in that direction. So far, I am not disappointed.
The menu structure is different from the Olympus menu system I had become used to, but a short session with the Nikon owner’s manual quickly showed me how to access all the functions. Perhaps it is because I had used another band of digital camera for the last few years, I did not originally find the Nikon menu quite as intuitive. I had no trouble changing over however, after less than an hour or so.
The Coolpix is clearly designed as a point and shoot digital camera. Personally, I favor more of a wide angle style than what this camera delivers, but the zoom range is quite nice and very useable. Automatic modes are the default for everything. In my initial testing, I found very few photos that were not acceptable using the fully auto everything. Excellent optics and a vibration compensation system yielded very crisp hand held images. Good marks for this area.
While there is no full manual operation for the S630, there are shooting modes galore that will provide settings to isolate the subject from the background using larger apertures (portrait modes) or favor smaller apertures for greater depth of field when photographing scenic views. There is even an extreme close up mode, similar to the macro mode of many 35mm cameras. Other overrides will allow you to modify the flash effects (fill in, red eye reduction, off and others), fire bursts of shots (depending on exposure up to several per second), set automatic intervals (pre-determined) or even some in camera creative effects. While it did take some getting used to the controls, the S630 again took high marks in this area.
One of the features I really like about the Coolpix S series in general is the large, compared to my older digital camera, viewing screen. I was even more pleased to find I could superimpose a small grid as an aid in composition. I was trained on a 4×5 view camera and had a grid screen for my old Nikon F2S, so this was like coming home for me. I would have liked some intermediate lines in addition to the three by three box pattern, but even this simple implementation will prove useful.
The S630 uses an exclusive rechargeable battery. I suggest buying at least one spare battery with your camera. While the battery is rated at well over 200 exposures before needing to be recharged, I’m sure Mr. Murphy will be at the party you are photographing and your battery will die, just as you are about to snap that great celebrity photo you dreamed about taking. The S630 makes the external charger as part of your purchase package and an AC cord is an option. If you like being able to run on standard batteries, this may be less than desirable for you, but I like the rechargeable feature from an environmental standpoint. Call this an even trade.
I was disappointed in the lack of an uncompressed format to save images in. My last digital camera had a RAW format that while not used for every photograph nonetheless was used often enough I miss not having it. You do have some selection in the JPEG compression, however, so I have to be content with that. Your photos do look their best using the maximum pixel count, so you will want a high capacity card. I urge you to get at least a 4 GB card to supplement the minimal onboard memory.
Now we come to my only real dissatisfaction with the S630, and that has little to do with the camera itself. I hate the software suite Nikon supplies. I must digress a moment here. If you use a high capacity SD card, one that is 4 GB or more, you may not be able to read the card with the card reader built into your computer. While technically still an SD card, the SDHC series cards use some internal difference to break the 2 GB barrier. Whatever the reason, you should purchase an external reader capable of handling the SDHC format cards.
Without an external card reader, you need to plug the camera into your computer and use the Nikon Transfer software to transfer the images to your computer. While the plug fitting on the camera looks like a mini-USB, I could not get a mini-USB cable I already owned to fit the socket. I needed to use the Nikon supplied cable. My computer would not recognize the camera until I loaded the software. The transfer process is slow and the interface is clunky at best. I also have my own photo retouching software and do not need the software Nikon supplies. With an external card reader, the process is greatly simplified: remove the SD card, pop it in the reader and transfer the images just like any other file collection. An external reader will also provide a faster transfer speed.
All together, I found the S630 a very nice travel package. This camera will deliver some very high quality images without the bulk of an SLR. You can easily fit a spare battery, spare memory cards and the camera into a small case not even the size of a case for sunglasses. Well worth the price until you really need the versatility of a digital SLR.
6/30/2009
Recently returned from 10 day trip to Japan. The camera performed flawlessly and delivered photos even better than I expected. Great available light shots, very good flash fill in, good video in karaoke bar and wonderful overall grab shots. My only complaint is I wish it had a wider wide angle, but I knew this going into the trip. Used the telephoto at maximum to capture details at the top of castles, shrines and temples; great results there made up for the lack of a wider view.
Filed under Photography by on Nov 15th, 2009. Comment.
12-megapixel effective recording * 7X optical zoom (4X digital/28X total zoom) * optical image stabilization * 2-11/16″ LCD screen with 5-level brightness adjustment and an anti-reflection coating * 35mm equivalent focal length: 37-260mm * top JPEG resolution: 4000 x 3000 * continuous sports mode lets you shoot up to 20 three-megapixel frames at up to 11 frames per second * automatic scene selector identifies your shooting environment and adjusts camera settings to suit * face priority autofocus finds and focuses on up to 12 people in a group portrait * smile mode delays shutter response until your subject smiles * blink mode alerts you to your subject’s closed eyes * in-camera automatic red-eye correction * variable ISO (film speed equivalent) settings, including a high sensitivity mode for better low-light and flash-free shooting * D-Lighting mode brightens dark areas of recorded images *
Filed under Photography by on Nov 14th, 2009. Comment.
The Coolpix S630 is a high quality compact digital camera featuring 12-megapixel resolution and a 7x optical zoom lens. The Coolpix S630’s unique design combines straight and curved surfaces with a unique “Sure Grip” that allows the camera to be held comfortably. Quick response and 4-way VR image stabilization system and sport continuous mode allows images to be captured at up to 11 frames per second.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Versatile Little Camera – Great Photos
I bought this camera so that I wouldn’t have to carry my Nikon DSLR on a European holiday. The 7x zoom in a small package sold me on this particular model. While it has many scene settings, I kept it on Auto most of the time, and most shots were perfect. I was continually pleased with the exposures. I took a lot of indoor shots in museums without a flash and almost all were keepers. The only complaint I have is a big one. The zoom lacks fine control and I was frequently unable to frame a picture the way I wanted it. The zoomed shots were clear, however. In spite of the zoom issue I am very happy with photo quality and ease of use.
5 Stars Nikon CoolPix-Jetblack Digital Camera, Versatile and Small,Cool
Got this little Black Nikon Coolpix @ best buy for $100something+ ..under $200. Not bad, can take moving shots of a Car, sometimes though it’s pain to find the right adjustment so you won’t get a gloomy pic. has cool features, a definite upgrade over my 6year old but still working big Sony Cybershot(was considered small then!) which kills batteries very fast, this one doesn’t need batteries, has it’s own Nikon Battery you could charge.
4 Stars Great picture quality… but….
7x Zoom is nice, but I really wish P&S cameras had better zoom that didn’t distort. This was a gift for the girlfriend, she gives it a 5 of 5, but she’s being nice i guess (since i bought it for her).
Here’s what she has told me about it:
Great for:
The Zoo, concerts (only if you’re on the rail), Home and pets, Gardens, detailed close ups, easy to use, big display for photo review.
Not so great for:
When you’re pretty far from something, dark-photo quality (night time, clubs, etc), presets are stupid sometimes.
Guess she’s gonna get a SLR for X-mas, better start saving up!
Great P&S camera hands down, just needs a bit more zoom =/
1 Star A big disappointment
I did my homework before buying this camera and I read varying reviews on it. The problem with reviews like these is that we all have different opinions on what we see as good or bad in a photo. I’m pretty picky when it comes to judging the digital quality of a photo. I decided to try this coolpix camera myself. It was the 7x zoom that convinced me to buy it.
I tested all the settings from automatic to manual.
I’ll get to the point with my main complaint – image quality was a big disappointment.
- way too much noise in varying lighting conditions
- It showed bright blue pixels in many of the photos. Even when taking portrait shots of my wife in decent lighting conditions, she ended up with hot blue pixels in about 5 or 6 areas of her face. Plants and other subjects showed the same results.
- Zooming more than about 3x or 4x yields nothing but blurry pictures unless you use a tripod and the self-timer. So, don’t expect to get nice sharp images when using the advertised 7x zoom. I even tried tricks like resting the camera against a solid stationary object, but it didn’t help at all.
Those were my main reasons for returning the camera to Amazon. I bought a Canon Powershot SD780IS instead, and I’m happier with it.
5 Stars Tested for three weeks in Europe … V.G.
I purchased a Nikon Coolpix S630 just before I went to Europe five weeks ago. After 1000 pictures of mountain tops, boat rides, dark rooms and action shots, I am done testing it and am very pleased. For years I wanted a hassle-free camera with a high amount of optical zoom yet small in size, shoots well without a lot of light and a number of other features. I hoped to spend less money but was afraid a cheaper camera would frustrate me due to lack of features, poor quality or confusing operation. The S630 gives me all I want in a camera for a reasonable price.
My cousin was a professional photographer and he is impressed with how well this camera performs. Closeups of flowers are spectacular. Pictures displayed on a 42″ TV have great resolution and color accuracy. Pictures in poorly lit rooms come out with amazing clarity. Video and audio quality also are outstanding.
Reading reviews critical of this camera made me a little nervous about deciding to buy this camera but I am glad that I figured out they are overly critical except for the zoom speed. The zoom motor is too fast and you often overshoot where you want it to stop. All too often it will not stop where you want it to and you have to walk forward or backward to frame the shot. No camera will always produce a perfect shot on the automatic setting. Photography is a learned skill. The large screen lets you see if the shot did not come out right. You learn and try one of the other settings available. Battery life was roughly 125 pics. Time between pics is a little slow, but ok.
Pros: Quality pictures, video and audio; 7x optical zoom in a small body; logical hassle-free operation; reasonable price; low light pics are outstanding; has many nice features (too many to list here).
Cons: 1) Zoom speed as described above. 2) The Nikon S630 requires a special battery so you need to pay about $30 more for a spare battery that you need to keep charged at all times. 3) The software included has no editing capability just viewing and transferring.
Filed under Photography by on Nov 13th, 2009. Comment.
The Coolpix S630 is a high quality compact digital camera featuring 12-megapixel resolution and a 7x optical zoom lens. The Coolpix S630’s unique design combines straight and curved surfaces with a unique “Sure Grip” that allows the camera to be held comfortably. Quick response and 4-way VR image stabilization system and sport continuous mode allows images to be captured at up to 11 frames per second.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Worst point and shoot/ pocket camera I’ve ever owned
I’m a bit of a camera geek. A few years ago, I went on a vacation where I couldn’t take my big, bulky digital SLR, so I bought a Nikon P4 that fit in my pocket. I had actually forgotten how much fun a simple point and shoot camera could be! Sadly, that camera met an untimely end a few weeks ago.
I started shopping for a new pocket camera, and the Nikon S630 seemed to be a pretty amazing little package with 12MP and 7x optical zoom. As the old saying goes, it was too good to be true. I had it for about 3 weeks, and returned it.
The photos taken with the S630 camera had a ridiculous amount of noise in them. Every photo seemed grainy, lines were not sharp, etc. The majority of the photos I took with it were pictures of friends taken outdoors in bright sunlight- in other words, perfect conditions for a pocket camera. No pocket camera in the world should have a problem in these conditions, but the Nikon S630 couldn’t do it. If a posed group shot in bright sunlight was too much for this camera, I can’t imagine what a nighttime shot would be like. I also took a few shots using the flash, and they were no better than the others I took. Indoor photos taken with and without the flash had a somewhat yellowish-green color to them. I shot a total of 220 photos, and only had 18 that were of good enough quality to keep.
I’m a fan of Nikon, but I would not recommend the Nikon S630 to anyone. In fact, I plan to find a refurbished Nikon P4 (the camera I was replacing) instead of buying another newer model.
5 Stars I love this camera
Clean interface, lots of features. Fits in your pocket. I like how the shutter closes automatically, it keeps the lens from getting dirty/scratched. I especially like the panorama and close up modes, as I was backpacking for 3 days and taking a lot of nature shots. The battery lasted until the end of the trip, and I took over 300 pictures.
The wheel interface is nice, it makes it really easy to change modes and navigate menus. You can click up on the wheel and adjust the flash setting (auto, on, off), or click left on the wheel to adjust timer settings. On my previous camera it was hard to find these settings so I just never used them.
The one problem is that the wide/zoom control is a little sensitive. It’s easy to zoom in too close or out too far, and you sometimes have to iterate to get it exactly where you want.
5 Stars Nikon S630
Far exceeds expectations — clear pictures, no fuss. Automatic features very easy to use. Very reasonible price. Quick turn-on.
4 Stars Nikon Coolpix S630 Digital Camera
Still learning to use this camera, as I’ve had it only a month, but it appears to be easy to use. Love the macro setting. The “door” covering the cord attachment spot for uploading to the computer is a funny little creation. It sometimes takes awhile to get the door out of the way so I can attach the cord in its proper place on the camera. Other than that, everything seems well designed and user-friendly.
2 Stars Cool Camera – but poor picture quality
I purchase this camera a few weeks back and I was very excited about it. I was looking forward to the quality of Nikon lens, the size and weight of the camera. Now that I have received it and took a couple of pictures with this camera, I am very disappointed with the performance on the picture quality of this camera. Maybe because this camera is so advance that I do not how to manipulate the settings in order to take a shot; but overall the quality does not even come close to my Canon SD970IS. I have taken in to the Nikon shop and all they did was to check it to specification. That means, it is design as it. As to the picture, you have to make sure you have plenty of lighting and not much variation with it as it does not give you much option to change the settings. This camera does have a lot of automatic features, like scene selections, auto focus, and image stabilization; however, there is no way that I know of how to manually set the F-stops. I try a close up picture with limited lighting but turning on the flash, you would think it would capture the image but maybe an over expose area where the flash had taken placed. Instead, I capture the picture with a lot of other spots to illustrate that I was underexposed, even when I had the flash.
Bottom line, if I could return this camera, I would and stay with Canon.
Filed under Photography by on Oct 1st, 2009. Comment.
