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Nikon S30

 
Nikon Coolpix S30 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 29-87mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 214g - 102 x 65 x 40mm
  • Revealed February 2012
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
90
Imaging
33
Features
18
Overall
27

Nikon S30 overview

Nikon S30 is Nikon's Small Sensor Compact camera initially released on February of 2012. The camera includes a 10MP, CCD 1/3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The S30 stands at #216 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras and all-around #1184 out of 1465 for cameras in our collection. Remember to look at our Advanced camera search to find camera ratings based on your custom criteria.

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

Nikon S30 family

The Nikon S30 comes with a history of related cameras. Listed below, you can look at all past and newer models along with important specifications.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Nikon-Coolpix-S32 front thumbnailNikon S32
S30 vs S32
30-90mm
F3.3-5.9
13MP1/3"2014
Nikon-Coolpix-S30 front thumbnailNikon S3029-87mm
F3.3-5.9
10MP1/3"2012
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Nikon S30 Pros and Cons

Here is a selection of upsides and downsides of the Nikon S30 based on aspects which are generally viewed as important in a camera.

environment proof
good min ISO (80)
good zoom range (29-87mm 3.0 x zoom)
has built in flash
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
supports face detect focusing
cannot switch lens (fixed lens mount)
doesn't contain selfie friendly display
does not have HDMI support
does not have headphone jack
does not have mic jack
does not have Time Lapse mode
heavier than average in class (214g)
lack of image stabilization
lack of manual exposure
lack of manual focus
lack of phase detect AF
lack of RAW files
MP count low (10MP)
no aperture priority mode
no external flash support
no moving screen
no shutter priority
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dot)
slow continuous shooting (1.5 frames/s)
sluggish at long end (f5.9)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
small sensor size (1/3")
tiny screen (2.7")
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
wide angle not great (29mm)
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Nikon S30 Sensor information

The sensor measurement on the Nikon S30 is 4.8mm x 3.6mm (1/3"). The 17 mm² sensor can resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels with aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9.

Photography Glossary

The CCD sensor boasts 10MP and features a native ISO range of 80 to 1600. Sadly, RAW photos are not saved which means that the user has less margin for error.

The image underneath illustrates the S30's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The S30 sensor comes with a crop factor of 7.5 and is pointed out in green.

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

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Nikon S30 dimensions

Nikon S30 weighs around 0.47 pounds (214 gr / 7.55 oz) and the overall size of the camera is 102mm x 65mm x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 gr and the Nikon S30 is heavier than various competitors.

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Here is a image of the Nikon S30 besides a soda to help you to have a sense of its size.

Nikon Coolpix S30 dimensions scale

The top view underneath will illustrate the button design on the S30.

Nikon Coolpix S30 topview buttons dials

Nikon S30 Lens information

The S30 provides an inbuilt lens with a focal range of 29-87mm making it a 3.0 x zoom which is not at all perfect however it might be valuable in certain scenarios.

At it's widest 29mm, it offers an aperture of f3.3 and that is really sluggish and not the best in low light events and you will likely find it difficult to capture a shallow depth of field. You could also have to raise your ISO setting causing noisy files. With the long end, 87mm comes with f5.9 which is fairly slow and you may have to use slow shutter speeds.

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Nikon S30 Connectivity

The S30 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras which include NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can easily be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You can easily send photos and in some cases adjust camera settings with no need to connect physically with the camera.

A few apps also allow a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it could be hooked up to an external display. A good number of cameras enable you to recharge the battery with the USB socket.

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Nikon S30 Video information

The maximum video quality on the Nikon S30 is 1280 x 720 and it can save in MPEG-4 format. 720p is low by today's standards. You really should try to get at least 1080p quality for decent video. The body doesn't feature a mic and headphone socket which means you get zero control over your audio. It is perhaps a better idea to have a look at an alternative model should you need better audio in your video clips.

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Nikon S30 Weather Sealing

Nikon S30 provides environment sealing which makes it a excellent candidate to use during tricky environments. This can be especially useful when you are uncertain about the conditions you might face during outdoor photography.

Nikon S30 Display and Viewfinder

The Nikon S30 includes a 2.7 inch fixed display screen with a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Sadly the display screen is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specifications regarding Nikon S30 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

In those sunny outdoor conditions that make the camera screens washed out and challenging to view, viewfinders are particularly helpful.

Nikon S30 Shutter information

Nikon S30 continuous shooting rate is 1.5 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/8000 seconds.

Photography Glossary

Nikon S30 Flash and Hot shoe information

Nikon S30 includes just built in flash lacking external flash ability.

Nikon S30 Autofocus information

Nikon S30 includes only Contrast Detect Auto Focus and does not have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster & exact than Contrast Detect focusing. The camera includes Face detect making it useful for people photography.

Nikon S30 lacks manual focus. Manual focus option can be good during low light conditions or you want more exact depth of field control.

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Nikon S30 Battery life

The battery (2 x AA) on the Nikon S30 is built to last for 240 photographs according to the CIPA specifications which is comparable with its rivals. The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has got the highest possible (470) battery life within this type of cameras.

Listed below is a collection of Small Sensor Compact cameras that have the highest battery life:

Nikon S30 for specific forms of photography

The following illustration gives a analysis of the Nikon S30 for specific forms of photography. To see more, browse to the specific section underneath.

Nikon S30 Portrait photography info

The Nikon S30 gets a points tally of 25 which is really bad, and means the camera is not really acceptable for portrait photography. Shooting portraits leans greatly towards sensor specs, support for RAW photos in addition to the option to work with off-camera flash.

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offers face detect focusing
focusing manually not possible
manual mode not possible
cannot use external flash
resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is tiny (1/3")
does not have RAW support

Nikon S30 Street photography highlights

Getting a average rating of 51, the Nikon S30 is fairly appropriate for street photography. A very good street photography camera gives a fine balance of picture quality plus portability.

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weather proof
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
sensor is small (1/3")
lacks RAW files
more heavy than competition (214g)

Sports photography with Nikon S30

A really bad sports photography points tally of 29 means the Nikon S30 is not really acceptable for taking photos of sports. A camera needs to have great autofocus and continuous shooting for sports photography.

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maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
environment proof
slow continuous shooting (1.5 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
low megapixels (10MP)
small sensor size (1/3")
lacks phase detect auto focus

Nikon S30 as a Travel photography camera

Size is extremely critical when selecting a camera for travel. All round, the Nikon S30 gets a modest 52 as a travel camera which is somewhat adequate to buy for your holidays.

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environment sealing
flash built-in
does not have Time Lapse recording
heavier than competition in class (214g)
megapixel count low (10MP)
screen is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (29mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)

Nikon S30 Landscape photography info

For anybody planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photographs, the biggest factor will be image quality. The Nikon S30 at it's really bad rating of 26 as a landscape camera is not really acceptable in the current marketplace.

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weather proofing
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (29mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
screen is somewhat small (2.7")
lack of manual mode
does not have image stabilization
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
small sensor (1/3")
lack of RAW files
lack of Time Lapse function

Nikon S30 Vlogging highlights

A camera for vlogging really should come with a articulating screen, microphone port and preferably IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Nikon S30 is not really acceptable for vlogging as it comes to a really bad score of 23.

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provides face detect autofocus
wide angle not great (29mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.3)
doesn't have selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
missing mic jack
heavier than competition in class (214g)

Nikon S30 Alternatives

If you are interested in alternatives to the S30, here is a range of the highest rated cameras which fall under the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The line graph just below offers you an overview of the S30 vs it's top scoring rivals listed above.

Here are a few more cameras you might check out as alternative options. To see a full comparison, simply click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Nikon
Model
Nikon Coolpix S30
Type
Small Sensor Compact
Revealed
2012-02-01
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/3"
Sensor dimensions
4.8 x 3.6mm
Sensor surface area
17.3mm²
Sensor resolution
10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW photos
Highest native ISO
1600
Lowest native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Cross focus points
0
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
29-87mm (3.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.3-5.9
Macro focus distance
5cm
Focal length multiplier
7.5
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
2.7"
Resolution of display
230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology
TFT-LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
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
Slowest shutter speed
30s
Maximum shutter speed
1/8000s
Continuous shooting speed
1.5 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow-sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30fps)
Highest video resolution
1280x720
Video data format
MPEG-4
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
214 grams (0.47 pounds)
Physical dimensions
102 x 65 x 40mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.6")
Other
Battery life
240 images
Type of battery
AA
Battery model
2 x AA
Self timer
Yes
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots
1
Retail cost
$119