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Nikon S2900

 
Nikon Coolpix S2900 front
 
  • 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F3.2-6.5) lens
  • 119g - 95 x 59 x 20mm
  • Launched January 2015
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
96
Imaging
45
Features
32
Overall
39

Nikon S2900 overview

Nikon S2900 is Nikon's Ultracompact camera initially released on January of 2015. It comes with a 20 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a peak resolution of 5152 x 3864.

The S2900 places at #17 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras and all around #720 out of 1465 for cameras in our list. You can try our Smart camera filter to get camera listings based on your personalized factors.

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Here is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Nikon S2900 family

The Nikon S2900 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can see the full list below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Nikon-Coolpix-S7000 front thumbnailNikon S7000
S2900 vs S7000
25-500mm
F3.4-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2015
Nikon-Coolpix-S6900 front thumbnailNikon S6900
S2900 vs S6900
25-300mm
F3.3-6.3
16MP1/2.3"2015
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Nikon-Coolpix-S2900 front thumbnailNikon S290026-130mm
F3.2-6.5
20MP1/2.3"2015
Nikon-Coolpix-S3700 front thumbnailNikon S3700
S2900 vs S3700
25-200mm
F3.7-6.6
20MP1/2.3"2015
Nikon-Coolpix-S6400 front thumbnailNikon S6400
S2900 vs S6400
25-300mm
F3.1-6.5
16MP1/2.3"2012
Nikon-Coolpix-S1200pj front thumbnailNikon S1200pj
S2900 vs S1200pj
28-140mm
F3.9-5.8
14MP1/2.3"2011
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Nikon-Coolpix-S4100 front thumbnailNikon S4100
S2900 vs S4100
26-130mm
F3.2-6.5
14MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon-Coolpix-S3100 front thumbnailNikon S3100
S2900 vs S3100
26-130mm
F3.2-6.5
14MP1/2.3"2011
Nikon-Coolpix-S80 front thumbnailNikon S80
S2900 vs S80
35-175mm
F3.6-4.8
14MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S1100pj front thumbnailNikon S1100pj
S2900 vs S1100pj
28-140mm
F3.9-5.8
14MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S4000 front thumbnailNikon S4000
S2900 vs S4000
27-108mm
F3.2-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
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Nikon-Coolpix-S3000 front thumbnailNikon S3000
S2900 vs S3000
27-108mm
F3.2-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
Nikon-Coolpix-S70 front thumbnailNikon S70
S2900 vs S70
28-140mm
F3.9-5.8
12MP1/2.3"2009
Nikon-Coolpix-S220 front thumbnailNikon S220
S2900 vs S220
35-105mm
F3.1-5.9
10MP1/2.3"2009
Nikon-Coolpix-S230 front thumbnailNikon S230
S2900 vs S230
35-105mm
F3.1-5.9
10MP1/2.3"2009

Nikon S2900 Pros and Cons

Here is a shortlist of upsides and downsides of the Nikon S2900 based on things that are usually seen as essential in a camera.

good megapixels (20 megapixels)
great battery power (250 CIPA)
has built in flash
image stabilization (Digital)
in built zoom lens (26-130mm 5.0 x zoom)
includes face detection autofocus
includes tracking autofocus
NFC connectivity
relatively wide (26mm)
very good min ISO (80)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
fixed screen
lack of phase detect autofocus
lack of RAW format
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
manual focus not available
no aperture priority
no external flash support
no external microphone port
no HDMI port
no headphone port
no manual mode
no shutter priority
no Timelapse function
screen has low resolution (230 k dot)
screen is small (2.7")
sluggish at full zoom (f6.5)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.2)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
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Nikon S2900 Sensor features

The Nikon S2900 is run by the Expeed C2 processor. The specification of the sensor on the Nikon S2900 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to resolve 5152 x 3864 pixels using aspect ratios of 1:1, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Digital). Optical stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter can easily produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 20 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 80 to 3200. Sadly, RAW format is not supported so you have less margin for error.

The image below displays the S2900's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The S2900 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is outlined in green.

Nikon Coolpix S2900 sensor size Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon S2900 dimensions

Nikon S2900 weighs about 0.26 lbs (119g or 4.20 oz) and features external measurements of 95mm x 59mm x 20mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.8"). The weight of general Ultracompact camera is 121g and the Nikon S2900 is very similar in comparison with its rivals.

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Listed below is a photo of the Nikon S2900 beside a softdrink so you can have a feel for its size.

Nikon Coolpix S2900 dimensions scale

The top view below will provide the button design on the S2900.

Nikon Coolpix S2900 topview buttons dials

Nikon S2900 Lens features

The S2900 features a built-in lens having a focal range of 26-130mm making it a 5.0 x zoom which may not be great nevertheless it may be very helpful in a few cases.

At it's widest 26mm, it will have an aperture of f3.2 which will be kind of sluggish and not very good in low light situations and you will likely struggle to capture good bokeh. You will probably also have to up your ISO setting resulting in noisy photographs. Towards the long end, 130mm comes at f6.5 making it fairly sluggish and you may have to go with slow shutter speeds.

Photography Glossary

Nikon S2900 Connectivity

The S2900 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • Wireless Yes
  • NFC Yes

Cameras that consist of NFC or Bluetooth connectivity are able to be used wirelessly by smartphones. You can copy pictures and in some cases change settings without the hassle of connecting straight with the camera.

Some apps also give a Liveview and press the shutter if you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external display. Many cameras will allow you to charge the battery through the USB socket.

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Nikon S2900 Video features

The highest video resolution on the Nikon S2900 is 1280 x 720 and it can record in Motion JPEG format. 720p is low by today's requirements. You should really try to get a minimum FUll HD resolution for good video. The body doesn't include a mic or headphone socket so you get absolutely no control over your sound. It is probably a better idea to have a look at an alternative camera should you require good sound in your video clips.

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Nikon S2900 Weather Sealing

Nikon S2900 doesn't have weather proofing so damp conditions could ruin the camera.

Nikon S2900 Display and Viewfinder

The Nikon S2900 comes with a 2.7" fixed display screen having a resolution of 230k dots.

Please note that the display offers no touch support.

Nikon Coolpix S2900 screen and viewfinder Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The View Finder details regarding Nikon S2900 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor situations that make the camera screens washed out and challenging to view, viewfinders are particularly valuable.

Nikon S2900 Shutter features

The max shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Nikon S2900 Flash and Hot shoe features

Nikon S2900 boasts just inbuilt flash with missing external flash ability.

Nikon S2900 Autofocusing features

Nikon S2900 boasts only Contrast Based Auto Focus and doesn't have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier and exact as compared with Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera comes with Face detect which can be handy for portrait photography.

It also has Tracking Auto Focus for moving objects. Nikon S2900 has no manual focusing. Manual focusing can be good for low light situations or you need to have more accurate focus control.

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Nikon S2900 Battery life

The battery power (EN-EL19) on the Nikon S2900 is fashioned to last for 250 shutters as per the CIPA specifications making it above the usual when compared to its category. The typical Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the highest (320) battery life for this group of cameras.

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

Nikon S2900 for various categories of photography

The following graph provides a summation of the Nikon S2900 for various categories of photography. To view more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Nikon S2900 Portrait photography highlights

The Nikon S2900 has a score of 38 which is really bad, meaning that it is not really very good to use for portrait photography. Photographing portrait photos leans heavily to sensor size, RAW support and flexibility to use external lighting.

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MP count good (20 megapixels)
provides face detection focus
no manual focus
no manual exposure
can't use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format

Street photography with Nikon S2900

With a moderate rating of 59, the Nikon S2900 is relatively suitable to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera comes with a fine balance of picture quality and portability.

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image stabilization (Digital)
screen does not articulate
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format

Nikon S2900 Sports photography details

A reasonable sports photography points total of 51 means the Nikon S2900 is reasonably adequate for taking photos of sports. A camera must have fantastic focusing and fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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built in image stabilization (Digital)
good resolution (20 megapixels)
comes with tracking focus
great battery pack (250 per charge)
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect AF

Nikon S2900 Travel photography advice

Size is really crucial when picking a camera for travel. Over-all, the Nikon S2900 gets a nice 70 as a travel camera which is a respectable pick to buy for your travels.

Photography Glossary
better than average battery power (250 CIPA)
MP count decent (20MP)
built-in flash
rather wide (26mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
screen isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.2)

Nikon S2900 Landscape photography features

In case you're looking to purchase a camera for landscape pictures, the most important aspect is going to be image quality. The Nikon S2900 at it's really bad rating of 44 as a landscape camera is not really very good in the current market.

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decently wide (26mm)
has image stabilization (Digital)
MP count good (20 megapixels)
great battery pack (250 per charge)
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.2)
small screen (2.7")
manual exposure not available
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
missing Time Lapse function

Nikon S2900 Vlogging features

A vlogging camera preferably should have a moving screen, microphone port and preferably IBIS. Taking all things into account, the Nikon S2900 is not really very good as a vlog camera as it receives a really bad rating of 32.

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rather wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Digital)
features face detection focusing
slow maximum aperture (f3.2)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
lack of external microphone port

Nikon S2900 Alternatives

If you are in the market for replacements to the S2900, here is a number of the top placed cameras that fall into the category of Ultracompact.

The line graph down below shows you a bird's eye view of the S2900 versus it's top ranked competitors shown previously.

There are a bunch of cameras you may check out as alternative options. To browse through a full comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand Name
Nikon
Model type
Nikon Coolpix S2900
Class
Ultracompact
Launched
2015-01-14
Body design
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Chip
Expeed C2
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
5152 x 3864
RAW pictures
Maximum native ISO
3200
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
26-130mm (5.0x)
Highest aperture
f/3.2-6.5
Macro focusing range
10cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
2.7"
Display resolution
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
4s
Highest shutter speed
1/2000s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance
4.00 m
External flash
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30p)
Maximum video resolution
1280x720
Video data format
Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
119g (0.26 lb)
Physical dimensions
95 x 59 x 20mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.8")
Other
Battery life
250 shots
Battery form
Battery Pack
Battery ID
EN-EL19
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots
Single
Retail price
$117