Nikon Coolpix L100 Mega Zoom Camera Review

The L100 is designed to be an easy-to-use, point-and-shoot digital camera with some attractive features, such as a 15x optical zoom lens with an equivalent focal length range of 28-420mm. The camera’s high speed burst shooting mode at 13fps for up to 30 images is certainly appealing as well, even if these images are limited to 3MP shots.


Overall, the camera was very comfortable to hold and to use. Although we prefer more manual control options, there are plenty of users who prefer a no-frills model that does the work for them. The L100 is designed to meet the needs of this latter bunch of users.

We were somewhat disappointed with the amount of noise and the sharpness of some of our test images. The lack of ISO controls contributes to some of this noise and can mean that image quality suffers even when it shouldn’t, such as when you’re using a tripod.

 

It’s worth noting that the L100 has a lower price tag than some of its competitors. Certainly there’s a bit of the “you get what you pay for” mentality going on here, but that’s not necessarily all bad. The L100 offers some very respectable features and cuts out other features that some users would never use anyway.

If you’re expecting the performance of a DSLR simply because the camera vaguely resembles one, you’re going to be disappointed. This isn’t the batch of users Nikon is targeting with the L100 though. If, however, you’re looking for a basic point-and-shoot with a wide-angle lens and a 15x zoom, then Nikon had you in mind when they created the L100.

Relatively inexpensive Fast burst speed 15x zoom lens	Almost no control over ISO Cannot use standard rechargeable batteries Picture quality is a bit soft