Perfect Point and Shoot

I bought the Nikon Coolpix S550 in September 2008 to replace a faulty Canon Powershot A620. I wanted a camera that was reliable, portable, and easy to use - the S550 has been that and more.

I have taken the camera to Europe and China; and have used it to photograph roadtrips in a variety of settings around the western United States. This is a great all-purpose camera when you need portability and don't have a ton of cash to spend.

The camera fits easily in most pockets (guy's clothes - most women will find the camera too bulky for tight pockets); and when that fails, a $3 generic belt case will hold the camera and a spare battery nicely. The camera screen has held up well, with no scratches despite many, many hours of close proximity to coins, keys, and sand; this is a camera I can pack anywhere, and take anywhere.

The battery life is sufficient for day trips, but continual camera use (especially with flash, digital zoom, etc.) will take a rapid toll. A spare battery is a must for week-long vacation plans; and bring the charger with you! No outlets nearby? Better purchase a car charger. You will need it.

I've been impressed with the image quality, even on default settings. This camera is wonderful in Macro and Portrait modes; sometimes rivalling a DSLR for quality close-up shots. Indoor shots will suffer graininess with this camera - users need to familiarize themselves with the Indoor and Party settings, and if knowledgeable about basic photography settings, may prefer to use the camera in Manual. I was wary of the face recognition software at first, but it has helped greatly in preventing closed-eye shots. The tough display screen is sufficiently bright and large to clearly see and evaluate photo quality. No blurry disappointments later!

In my opinion, the settings are very intuitive, and the camera responds quickly when toggling between capture and display modes. The S550 is not a great camera for action or small, scurrying critters - if you foresee taking pictures of running children or jumping pets, save up for a DSLR.

Summary: this is a great camera for the price, and for its portability. One of few products I have purchased that have met and exceeded expectations, in almost a year of hard use.