Nikon Coolpix, Amazing Pictures in the Palm of Your Hand

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I was so excited to team up with Staples and try out the Nikon Coolpix L26 Digital. Most of you already know I use a Canon DSLR for the photos I have here on Dishin’ but sometimes lugging out a big camera is annoying. So having the ability to just grab a camera and start shooting was awesome! I also loved the features, which included:

• 16.1 megapixels
• 5x optical/ 4x digital zoom
• 3.0″ LCD Display with anti-reflection coating
• Easy auto mode lets you simply turn on the camera and start shooting

The color is amazing. It is a cherry red color and looks not only stylish but pretty. I like things that are pretty and I am more likely to purchase something electronic if I can get it in another color besides black and chrome. Staples made it easy to choose my camera because they gave in depth descriptions and to be honest I was torn between two cameras. With their easy descriptions I was able to see the camera specifics side by side, making my choice easy!

Why Did I Choose the Nikon L26 Digital?

1. First it was because of the zoom. I loved the fact it had a 5x optical zoom and also the wheel for the zoom was on the top, meaning I could zoom in an instant instead of using the arrows on the camera. When you are shooting action or even portrait shots, having that zoom right there is convenient.
2. Easy Auto Mode. With my DSLR I have to change from Manual and Automatic, plus try different settings to get great shots. You guys already know that I am not the worlds best photographer, so to be able to point and shoot was perfect.
3. The Scenes- This camera came with several scenes that I could shoot with, including Panoramic and Pet Portraits. They are easy to get to and guess what! It has a food setting, making it even more perfect!
4. The display was big and easy to view through. I like big view screens because it gives me a better idea of what the picture is going to look like on the computer.

Shooting Modes:

This camera comes with several shooting modes ( scene). This review would be so slow loading if I touched base on all of them so I am only going to talk about a few.

• Auto Mode- As I already said this is the main reason I wanted this camera. I just turned the camera on and started shooting. It was awesome!
• Portrait Mode- I love taking pics of my girls and this is great for an easy portrait session. They weren’t on hand when I was shooting with the camera so Nana Helen’s dolls were my subject models. I really loved this setting. It was very easy to get everything right in the center with the view screen.
• Pet Portraits- I love taking pics of our cats. This setting is awesome because it has a continuous shooting mode or single mode. The continuous is great because if you have a fidgety pet you could get lucky and get an amazing pic using it!
• Smart Portrait- I am definitely trying this out with a live subject because it has a blink warning. Sometimes you get the perfect shot and someone blinks. With digital cameras you can just take the pic again but there is no guarantee that you will still get the same amazing shot. Knowing when your subject is getting ready to blink is a time and shot saver. Also, it has a red-eye reduction, which would be perfect for Avery. She has green eyes and her eyes are always turning red in pics.

Video:

This actually sealed it for me. My Canon does not have video capabilities, which means if I want video I have to grab my phone to take video. Which is okay, except when the phone is dead and I need video now. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the video. I will definitely recommend that you have a steady hand and move slowly. Otherwise you get terrible camera shake. I really loved that all I had to to do was press a button and presto! I was recording. Here is a sample video showing you Nana Helen’s Valentine Trees.

If you can’t see the video please click HERE

Also included was software to edit your pictures, movies, etc. This is great for people that need editing software. I did install the software just to take a peek because I use Adobe software. First, I have a very fast computer and it still took about 10 minutes to install everything. So if you have a slow computer look to spend about 20 minutes installing. Secondly, it looked very standard with minimal editing capability. If you are looking for several editing options you may want to use something else. Here is how it looks when you open it. I really did not like the charcoal grey interface with the light grey font. I feel it was hard on your eyes.

I would definitely give this camera a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only drawbacks were:

• It uses batteries, AA’s. I would recommend definitely investing in rechargeable batteries. Staples has some HERE.
• The point and shoot was amazing and I loved it but you need a steady hand. The first two pics I took were blurry and grainy.
• Video also needs a steady hand, even though YouTube does a great job fixing shakiness.

There are drawbacks with any product and I still feel this is a great camera for anyone that just wants to snap high quality pics without lugging a huge camera around. Also, you can’t go wrong with the price at Staples.

Ps. Don’t forget the memory card! You can never have to many memory cards!

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