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Nikon S02

 
Nikon Coolpix S02 front
 
  • 13MP - 1/3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 1600
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 30-90mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 100g - 77 x 51 x 18mm
  • Announced September 2013
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
97
Imaging
36
Features
28
Overall
32

Nikon S02 overview

Nikon S02 is Nikon's Ultracompact camera first launched on September of 2013. It comes with a 13 MegaPixel, CMOS 1/3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 4160 x 3120.

The S02 is positioned #67 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & all-around #1023 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to check our Smart camera search to get camera rankings based on your custom requirements.

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Below is a diagram of multiple criteria used in the scoring system.

Nikon S02 Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of pluses and minuses of the Nikon S02 based on aspects which are oftentimes viewed as essential in a camera.

does have HDMI port
good resolution (13 megapixels)
has built in flash
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
image stabilization (Digital)
in built lens has zoom (30-90mm 3.0 x zoom)
includes face detect focusing
touchscreen
display isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have phase detect AF
doesn't have RAW support
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of headphone port
lack of microphone port
lack of Timelapse function
manual focus not available
manual mode not available
max zoom aperture not good (f5.9)
no external flash support
no moving screen
no shutter priority
screen has low resolution (230 k dot)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
tiny screen (2.7")
tiny sensor size (1/3")
wide angle not good (30mm)
Photography Glossary

Nikon S02 Sensor information

The sensor spec on the Nikon S02 is 4.8mm x 3.6mm (1/3"). The 17 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4160 x 3120 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Digital). Optical stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter might cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor has 13 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 125 to 1600. Sadly, RAW files are not saved so you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath illustrates the S02's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The S02 sensor has a crop factor of 7.5 and is showcased in green.

Nikon Coolpix S02 sensor size President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon S02 dimensions

Nikon S02 is 0.22 pounds (100g or 3.53 oz) & the dimensions of the camera is 77mm x 51mm x 18mm (3.0" x 2.0" x 0.7"). The weight of normal Ultracompact camera is 121g and the Nikon S02 is lighter as compared to other rivals.

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Underneath is a picture of the Nikon S02 with a soft drink to help you get a feel for its size.

Nikon Coolpix S02 dimensions scale

The top view underneath will highlight the button design on the S02.

Nikon Coolpix S02 topview buttons dials

Nikon S02 Lens information

The S02 features a fixed lens offering a focal range of 30-90mm making it a 3.0 x zoom which is not very good however it might be handy in some scenarios.

At it's widest 30mm, it comes with an aperture of f3.3 making it somewhat sluggish and not very good for low light occasions and you will struggle to get good bokeh. You could also have to increase your ISO setting producing noisy pictures. With the long end, 90mm comes at f5.9 making it very sluggish and you would have to choose slow shutter speeds.

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Nikon S02 Connectivity

The S02 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Cameras which include NFC and / or Bluetooth support are able to be used wirelessly through smartphones. You will be able to copy pictures and at times alter settings without the hassle of connecting directly with the camera.

Some apps also stream a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can easily be hooked up to an external screen. Virtually all cameras enable you to charge the battery through the USB socket.

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Nikon S02 Video information

The maximum video resolution on the Nikon S02 is 1920 x 1080 and you can record in MPEG-4 format. 1080p resolution can provide a good balance for quality and file size but FULL HD will not give you any room to downsample. The body doesn't feature a microphone and / or headphone socket so you have absolutely no control over the audio. It is probably a better idea to take a look at an alternative model if you require decent audio for your video clips.

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Nikon S02 Weather Sealing

There is no weather proofing on the Nikon S02 so you have to be cautious in wet and dusty situations.

Nikon S02 Display and Viewfinder

The Nikon S02 comes with a 2.7" fixed display screen having a resolution of 230k dots.

Additionally the display screen is touch friendly so you are able to set focus points and adjust settings using your fingers.

Nikon Coolpix S02 screen and viewfinder Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The View Finder specifications for Nikon S02 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

For sunny outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and hard to see, viewfinders can be very helpful.

Nikon S02 Shutter information

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Nikon S02 Flash and Hot shoe information

Nikon S02 comes with just in-built flash without external flash ability.

Nikon S02 Autofocus information

Nikon S02 comes with only Contrast Detect Auto Focus & is missing Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more quicker and accurate as compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera comes with Face detect which makes it helpful for people photography.

Nikon S02 lacks manual focus. Manual focus can be good for low light or you want more accurate focus control.

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Nikon S02 Battery life

The battery (Built-in) on the Nikon S02 is designed to last for 210 photos according to the CIPA specifications which is about the same as it's competition. The general Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 offers the highest possible (320) battery life for this group of cameras.

Below is a list of Ultracompact cameras having the strongest battery life:

Nikon S02 for specific kinds of photography

The following graph gives a overview of the Nikon S02 for specific kinds of photography. To understand more, browse to the specific section underneath.

Portrait photography with Nikon S02

The Nikon S02 gets a points tally of 33 which is low, meaning that it is simply not appropriate to use for portrait photography. Photographing portrait photos leans heavily to sensor dimension, RAW support together with the flexibility to work with off-camera lighting.

Photography Glossary
resolution is good (13 megapixels)
provides face detection focus
manual focus not available
manual exposure not available
cannot use external flash
sensor size is tiny (1/3")
lacks RAW support

Nikon S02 Street photography features

With a reasonable points total of 58, the Nikon S02 is somewhat suited to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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image stabilization (Digital)
screen does not articulate
tiny sensor size (1/3")
lack of RAW format

Nikon S02 as a Sports photography camera

A low sports photography points total of 38 indicates the Nikon S02 is simply not appropriate for shooting sports. A camera must have good tracking plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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image stabilization (Digital)
decent sensor resolution (13MP)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor size is very small (1/3")
no phase detect autofocus

Travel photography with Nikon S02

Portability is very crucial in getting a travel camera. All things considered, the Nikon S02 gets a modest 59 for a travel camera which makes it somewhat acceptable for your vacations.

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good MP (13 megapixels)
flash built-in
lack of Time Lapse recording
display isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not good (30mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)

Nikon S02 as a Landscape photography camera

For anyone planning to choose a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most important factor will be image quality. The Nikon S02 with it's low rating of 33 for a landscape camera is simply not appropriate among it's competitors.

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image stabilization (Digital)
megapixel count decent (13 megapixels)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (30mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is somewhat small (2.7")
lack of manual exposure
tiny sensor size (1/3")
lack of RAW support
missing Timelapse recording

Nikon S02 Vlogging information

A vlogging camera preferably should have a moving display, mic port and if possible image stabilization. Considering all things, the Nikon S02 is simply not appropriate as a vlog camera as it receives a low rating of 33.

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touch screen
built in image stabilization (Digital)
comes with face detection focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
wide angle not great (30mm)
slow max aperture (f3.3)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
missing external mic port

Nikon S02 Alternatives

If you are trying to find replacements to the S02, here is a collection of the top rated cameras which fall into the class of Ultracompact.

The chart just below gives you a summary of the S02 vs it's highest scored rivals shown earlier.

There are a bunch of cameras you might regard as alternatives. To browse through a extensive comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Make
Nikon
Model
Nikon Coolpix S02
Type
Ultracompact
Announced
2013-09-05
Body design
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Sensor size
1/3"
Sensor measurements
4.8 x 3.6mm
Sensor surface area
17.3mm²
Sensor resolution
13MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
4:3
Full resolution
4160 x 3120
RAW format
Max native ISO
1600
Lowest native ISO
125
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Cross focus points
0
Lens
Lens mounting type
fixed lens
Lens focal range
30-90mm (3.0x)
Maximum aperture
f/3.3-5.9
Macro focus range
5cm
Crop factor
7.5
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
2.7"
Display resolution
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display tech
TFT-LCD with Anti-reflection coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range
1.40 m
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps); High-speed: 1920 x 1080 (15 fps), 1280 x 720 (60 fps)
Max video resolution
1920x1080
Video data format
MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
100g (0.22 lbs)
Dimensions
77 x 51 x 18mm (3.0" x 2.0" x 0.7")
Other
Battery life
210 photos
Battery form
Battery Pack
Battery model
Built-in
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse shooting
Storage slots
0
Cost at launch
$177