Nikon Coolpix S70 unboxing and hands-on

Previous reviews haven't been all smiles, but we're finally able to pick up Nikon's Coolpix S70 and see for ourselves. On form factor alone, it's a pretty alluring build -- even the faux leather front is tastefully done. While the tap-to-focus feature is a nice addition, we're less enthused about the OLED screen's viewing angles when outside -- and seeing as we've go no other way to see the memories we're framing, that's pretty disappointing. We're still putting it through its paces before we dole out full impressions, but in the meantime, enjoy our unboxing and hands-on photos.

Nikon Coolpix S70 unboxing and hands-on

[Uncontrol Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:23PM]

That thing is hideous.

[Nortonmine Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:30PM]

@Uncontrol The red one is definitely more attractive...it doesn't have the leather.

[rusty Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:47PM]

@Nortonmine the black one does and theres also a silver version.

[ahmedalhani Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:32PM]

the front is ugly, but the back is nice. Leather softens the deal.

[BrianH Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:33PM]

looks pretty good to me.

[MJGAMER 1991 XBL Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:14PM]

@BrianH

It looks like your face...

[Macbeth Posted Dec 6th 2009 3:11AM]

@BrianH

Agreed, it's very nice. I like the look of leather.

The people on here have no tact or taste. If they don't like it, it's hideous, if your opinion says otherwise prepare to be insulted.

[Jamesology Posted Dec 6th 2009 5:53AM]

@Macbeth

The reason for that is because majority of the people on this blog is below 15 years of age.

[Spensar Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:33PM]

Mazingly fugly

[Wwhat Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:44PM]

OKED viewing angles? I thought OLED had no angles problems at all, only brightness issues.
So is it fake and the OLED is the backlight of a LCD or is it the screen coating or what?

[Hazdaz Posted Dec 5th 2009 7:36PM]

@Wwhat

That's the first thing that I thought of too when reading this.

I thought OLEDs didn't have any viewing angle issues because they are supposed to have less layers in which the light to create the image has to pass through.

Someone has some 'splaining to do.

[Wwhat Posted Dec 6th 2009 2:16PM]

@Hazdaz
I guess it's the touch interface that for some reason has properties that make it angle dependent, but yeah someone should be called on that, big mistake.

[SmokemeaKipper Posted Dec 5th 2009 4:51PM]

I have an S10, worst UI I've ever seen on a camera. Takes nice pics and video, but the UI is crap. A touch screen like this would have made it better.

[mikmik111 Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:03PM]

reminds me of the thing they use to know one's blood pressure.

[va jj Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:17PM]

hopefully that specs is removable.

[isotrex Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:20PM]

Wow! That looks cheap. I just freakin' hope that thing is durable and got some good result in taking photos.

[isotrex Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:23PM]

Oh and by the way, the only good thing I'm seeing in that point-and-shoot cam is the OLED. Other than that, there are many pns cam that are better.

[Wolfticket Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:21PM]

Why can't manufacturers either use real leather or no leather?

[Wwhat Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:54PM]

@Wolfticket
Because it scares the assembly robots?

[AndroidRokz Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:22PM]

Rather use my camera phone.

[N900 Posted Dec 5th 2009 7:09PM]

haha. Good one.

Try saying the same to a Pentax owner.

[Abe Posted Dec 5th 2009 5:55PM]

On looks alone, I would never buy it.

[amk29j Posted Dec 5th 2009 6:09PM]

Am I missing something? Where the hell is the lens on this camera?Oh, the little square with "COOLPIX" written on it slides down. Engadget, how about a picture of the lens? Here's one: http://bit.ly/5IZT8v

[Steve2000 Posted Dec 5th 2009 6:10PM]

Where's the lens? What am I missing here? I don't get it. There's no lens.

[ale Posted Dec 6th 2009 1:10PM]

@(Unverified)
the coolpix logo piece of plastic slides down to reveal....
t'da

[FuturePastNow Posted Dec 5th 2009 6:22PM]

I use a Nikon DSLR, but I'm not impressed at all with their CoolPix line. Canon's point-and-shoots seem to be much better.

[Gary J Posted Dec 5th 2009 8:07PM]

I love mine. Easy Auto takes care of everything, even macro. And there is no going back from flicking through pictures and all the other iPhone-like gestures.

[Exploited Posted Dec 5th 2009 10:09PM]

How come Engadget gives the small Nikon-camera's so much attention? Everyone in the industry knows the SLRs are built by a completely different company and the pocket-camera's are cheap rubbish that do not deserve the proud name of Nikon.

My personal feeling is that the Nikon-name has been squandered and the SLRs deserve to be pulled down by the awful quality of these pieces of trash. You can't have it both ways!

You are either a manufacturer of high-quality camera's or you are a manufacturer of crap. The Nikon-name sits on much more crap than high-quality by now - you decide.

[Dr Yusuf AlKindi Posted Dec 5th 2009 10:53PM]

Whoa! It actually looks nice!

[Drybones5 Posted Dec 5th 2009 11:39PM]

I like the design personally. I really think that looks slick.

[pika2000 Posted Dec 6th 2009 4:42AM]

*yawn Yet another small sensor-cramp-all-your-megapixel-to-get-noisy-picture camera. Oh, it has faux leather. Puhlease. Leather+OLED+touch screen won't mean much when your pictures are crappy. With other companies focusing on technologies to improve low-light picture quality on their consumer compacts, Nikon doesn't seem to be going anywhere (from projector to leather).

[jwhf24 Posted Dec 6th 2009 10:14AM]

I couldn't agree more pika2000.

Internet Advertising Studio
Commission Payload Bonus

[Ed T Posted Dec 6th 2009 10:36AM]

Kiddie-cam. No optical viewfinder, gimmicky touch UI, and useless resolution claims. Die evil one, die!

[Gary J Posted Dec 6th 2009 4:01PM]

My computer says the resolution is accurate. You either do not know what the words means or are talking about something else.

This camera, for the price, gets that most out of something you do not have to carry or wear around your neck.

[soupisgoodfood Posted Dec 6th 2009 4:31PM]

12MP for such a small sensor and lens? I think I'll be sticking with my plans for a Canon S90.