Nikon Coolpix S500 Review - Design and Cosmetics
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I think the design of the S500 is one of its best assets. This is a great looking camera that is wrapped in a nice stainless steel body. The casing is very durable, and I'm sure this camera will sustain the test of time. I've had a Nikon Coolpix myself for about six years now, and it still works like new. So I have seen first-hand how durable the Coolpix line of cameras actually are. The S500 feels pretty comfortable, and the controls are positioned in easy to reach locations.
The stainless steel casing makes this Coolpix very attractive and durable, and it even comes in a very nice black look if that is what you would prefer. It is incredibly lightweight, weighing in at just over five ounces with the battery and memory card on board. The overall dimensions of the S500 are3.5 x 0.9 x 2 inches. So needless to say, this camera would make a great pocket camera; it is very portable and easy to travel with.
Scrolling through the various internal menu systems in this camera is easy due to the click wheel located on the back of the camera. The back of the camera also sports the zoom controls, as well as some dedicated buttons such as the trash and menu buttons. This design is very simple yet effective. The large 2.5 inch LCD screen takes up most of the real estate on the back of the camera. The screen is up to par as far as size and resolution goes. The maximum resolution of the LCD display is 230,000 pixels. Images appear clear and colorful on this screen.
The top of the camera sports the on/off button and the shutter release button. The top of the camera also has a couple of cool features added. There is a one-touch portrait button which, when pushed, turns on the face priority feature and red-eye reduction to make portraits easier and more accurate. There is also an anti-shake button which reduces the blurriness of images due to camera shake. These are two great features to have in a compact camera, and it is nice to see dedicated buttons for both of them on the S500.
Nikon has taken the time to design a great, and very functional, point-and-shoot digital camera in the S500, and it shows. This camera has a great feel to it, a nice sized LCD screen, and an easy control layout.
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