Nikon COOLPIX S9500 Review | 108 Data compared

The PCMag review highlights the Nikon Coolpix S9500 as a highly capable travel superzoom, praising its versatile 22x optical zoom lens as exceptionally sharp and its quick 0.1-second shutter lag. Key features include a vibrant 3-inch OLED display, integrated Wi-Fi, and GPS tracking. However, the camera suffers from significant image noise at high ISO settings, with noticeable detail loss starting at ISO 800. Additionally, it lacks manual shooting controls and features an off-center tripod socket, along with requiring in-camera battery charging.

The Nikon Coolpix S9500 is a compact, user-friendly megazoom point-and-shoot camera engineered as a versatile travel companion for capturing distant subjects like birds and buildings. Upgraded from its predecessor with an expanded 22x optical zoom range (25mm to 550mm) and an 18-megapixel resolution sensor, it excels in portability and outdoor functionality. Its strongest pros include built-in Wi-Fi and GPS for seamless image transfer and geotagging, an array of automatic shooting modes, and a rapid full-resolution burst mode capable of shooting 9.4 frames per second. Performance is generally snappy in well-lit conditions, delivering a fast shot-to-shot time of 1.3 seconds and an improved 1.5-second recycle time when using the flash. However, the camera suffers from several notable cons, particularly regarding low-light performance and design ergonomics. Image quality degrades sharply indoors or in dim lighting, where details soften and noise spikes significantly above the base ISO, rendering photos taken at ISO 1600 or 3200 smeary and color-washed. Additionally, the autofocus becomes finicky in low light or when fully zoomed into the 550mm focal length, which can frustrate users attempting to lock onto...

The ePHOTOzine review of the Nikon Coolpix S9500 highlights a pocket-sized travel camera featuring an 18-megapixel sensor, 22x optical zoom (25-550mm), and a 3.0-inch OLED screen, along with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS for connectivity. It is praised for excellent color reproduction, fast autofocus, and 7.5 fps continuous shooting, though limited by high-ISO noise, a lack of manual modes, and poor performance in high-contrast scenes.

The Trusted Reviews evaluation of the Nikon Coolpix S9500 highlights the travel camera's sleek design, which manages to incorporate a 22x optical zoom, built-in Wi-Fi, and GPS without a bulky design. The review praises the camera’s reliable autofocus system, solid battery life, and high-quality image output for its class. Conversely, the review notes significant ergonomic flaws, specifically an awkwardly placed pop-up flash that is obstructed by the user's fingers. Additional drawbacks include the lack of a physical viewfinder, making shooting in bright sunlight difficult, and a sometimes slow Intelligent Auto (iA) mode.

The Nikon Coolpix S9500 is an automatic-focused travel compact camera designed for beginners that features a 22x optical zoom (25-550mm equivalent) and an 18.1-megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor. Priced around £299.99 / $349.95, it includes built-in Wi-Fi, GPS for geotagging, 1080p video recording, and a 614k-dot OLED screen that remains visible in bright daylight. While it delivers vibrant images and swift performance with a 7.5fps burst mode, navigating features like the panorama and 3D photography functions requires using a physical mode dial and a rotating four-way rear pad rather than a modern touch interface. The camera's primary advantages include its impressive 22x optical zoom range, highly effective image stabilisation for blur-free low-light shots, built-in GPS capabilities, and a vibrant OLED display. However, it falls short for advanced users due to a complete lack of manual exposure controls, no raw file format capture, and the omission of a touchscreen interface. Additionally, its Wi-Fi utility lacks NFC technology and requires users to manually disconnect from internet networks to transfer files to a smartphone.

The What Digital Camera review rates the Nikon Coolpix S9500 at 87%, highlighting its compact design, 22x optical zoom lens, and effective Target Finding autofocus. The camera is commended for its bright 3-inch OLED screen, reliable Wi-Fi/GPS integration, and excellent battery life, making it a capable, feature-rich travel option. However, the review points out a lack of manual controls, with operation limited to automatic and scene modes. Additionally, the camera is criticized for fiddly zoom controls, the tendency to accidentally cover the microphone, and aggressive noise reduction at ISO 800 and above.

The Dave Wegiel Photography review of the Nikon Coolpix S9500 details an everyday user's transition from high expectations to eventual disappointment. Initially purchased as a pocket-friendly alternative to a bulky dSLR for concerts and family events, the camera initially impressed the reviewer with its compact size, built-in Wi-Fi, GPS capabilities, and an 18-megapixel sensor. Its point-and-shoot "smart mode" and powerful pop-up flash delivered excellent, crisp images and video when shooting in well-lit environments, such as a brightly lit hospital delivery room or outdoor daylight settings. The long 22x optical zoom capability (550mm equivalent) also stood out as a major benefit for capturing distant subjects.

The Nikon Coolpix S9500 is a stylish, pocket-sized compact superzoom camera that packs an 18-megapixel CMOS sensor and an impressive 22x optical zoom lens (25-500mm equivalent) into a remarkably slim form factor. In lab testing, it proved to be one of the sharpest compact cameras evaluated, scoring 2,823 lines on sharpness benchmarks. It features an exceptionally sharp 3-inch OLED display with 614k-dot resolution, integrated GPS for geotagging, and built-in Wi-Fi that supports remote control capabilities via a mobile app. Performance-wise, it starts and shoots in 1.6 seconds with a minimal 0.1-second shutter lag, and records crisp 1080p30 video with a remarkably quiet zoom motor. Despite its strengths, the camera earned a "Good" 3.5-star rating because it fails to edge out top competitors due to several key design and performance limitations. Its primary drawbacks include a total lack of manual shooting controls (such as aperture or shutter priority modes), requiring users to rely on automatic or menu-diving scene modes instead. Additionally, image detail suffers significantly from smudging and noise at high ISO settings, specifically at or above ISO 800. Other design...

The Nikon Coolpix S9500 is recognized by Trusted Reviews as a feature-packed compact, boasting a versatile 22x optical zoom lens, reliable exposure metering, and solid performance within a pocketable body. Pros include high-quality, sharp imagery with minimal lens flare, alongside a fast focusing system and efficient battery life. However, the 18.1-megapixel sensor suffers from significant noise at ISO 1600 and above, with aggressive noise reduction removing fine details. Additional cons noted in the review include a lack of a viewfinder and somewhat awkward, small controls.

The Expert Reviews review of the Nikon Coolpix S9500 notes that while it is a feature-packed and stylish pocket ultra-zoom camera, its overall image quality does not particularly stand out. On the positive side, the camera boasts an elegant, curvy metal shell with a bronze finish, an effective rubberized thumb grip, and a responsive 22x optical zoom that captures sharp details at its maximum telephoto range. It is well-equipped with integrated Wi-Fi and GPS tracking, alongside a specialized Smart Portrait mode that quickly focuses and snaps photos upon detecting subtle smiles. The simple Wi-Fi companion app performs smoothly, facilitating easy image browsing, transfer of 18-megapixel files, and basic remote control functions. However, the camera falls short when it comes to raw performance and overall image output. The 18-megapixel sensor generates significant noise under low-light settings, forcing aggressive built-in noise reduction that strips away fine textures like leafy foliage and shady details. The lens struggles with heavy blooming around overexposed highlights, and the automatic exposure system frequently produces overly bright frames. For multimedia, recorded video clips suffer from coarse textures, low-light...