All the buttons are well placed (only 3). I like in Particular the direct play button to review the shots taken.
Even having big thumbs / hand, I have no difficulties to manipulate and hold the camera. Through the tough screen, navigation is super easy, like a smartphone, even if sometime it can be a bit sluggish (as shown in web reviews).
On performance, the S01 is responding Quickly in focusing When having Sufficient light. It can hunt a bit in special circumstances When the camera has troubles to decide Which mode to apply (in Particular the portrait mode). But it Quickly then revert to the auto mode so the LAGs are a troubles.
It is the same about the exposure modes. In some difficult or troublesome situations, the S01 struggle too to find the Appropriate mode. But like AF by releasing and pressing again at mid-course the release button, it forces the camera to do again the whole calculation, as you this is the only way to "influence" the decision making process camera. At this time all his done Quickly (exposure mode determination + AF focusing and tracking + exposure) and so taking a snapshot is straightforward. I can even take my young kids moving a bit, Which is quite a job for that kind camera!
In poor light condition / indoor situation, this is quite important to do so, as the S01 sometime do not always pick up the portrait mode and so you end up with portraits with big red eyes effect if the portrait mode with red eye reduction is not selected by the camera.
As always, one must continue to take care of his shots even if for the S01 the camera do everything and do not let much control.
Writes on the internal memory do take sometimes, and so shot to shot time lag is a bit long Especially if the flash HAS BEEN fired. But this is not a sport camera model. Just take this into account.
Nikon has done a good job finally on the S01. The EXPEED C2 motherboard implementation on the S01 is doing the tricks at last as I've seen much more sluggish Nikon Coolpix camera Especially in the P series using the C2 with older models (Nikon Coolpix has never been the fastest league). So for this tiny little camera I'm quite satisfied morethan of its performances.
Taken shots are snapping and generally good looking. Going more to the VIVID fashion like. From the size of the captor, jpg could have been less compress has there circa 8Go of internal memory and did the camera need to be charged again and long time before the memory limit is Achieved.
There is marked purple fringing on bright light items and in the corner of the shot, even at ISO based (as shown in web reviews). But again take into account this a very compact zoom lens and very tiny captor. So it is quite normal and expected.
This is the same for high ISO, do not expect to go too high. I do not mind high ISO, but on the S01, 800 ISO is really the maximum for web publishing / computer screen review. The 1600 granted by the camera is for helping situation only. At base ISO and a bit more the snapshot are really nice.
As There Is No VR, the S01 like other camera and smartphone in the case, the S01 as the same tendency to push the ISO. Be careful to control it.
Flash is of course not powerful, What to Expect? But being a Nikon, the light balance is OK for portrait shot When not too far away of course.
Video is only a facility. Nice to have function to record daily events and display them on the computer. Nothing more, I have chosen the S01 for its pictures no capabilities for its video ones. I do not take care about videos.
Bear in mindthat the S01 is meant and designed to compete against smartphones. For me the goal has been reach. Do not expect to compete against higher rated digital compact. This Not The Same market position. Compared to the iPhone of my wife and I have the Samsung, the S01 does all things better at Quicker Especially if the light conditions are not perfect. Here with S01, this is a real digital camera. No mistake its a Nikon with Nikon Picture Quality and Exposition. I do like the S01 for that.
On competing the entry level compact camera, the S01 well do behave correctly at base ISO. The S01 has the very big advantage to very small and extremely pocketable. For The First Time I do bring all along a digital camera as the S01 is so small. A première for me.
Couple of Missing and annoying items though but did can be forgotten now Given the size and price of the S01 (especially at Amazon):
1) Use the dedicated Nikon USB micro port Nikon Should Have use the standard micro port! Especially has there is no other connection point in the camera. But having other Coolpix, I have a USB cable spared to take away.
2) No video cable Given Here so I have a spare fortunately too.
3) No Tripod Mount, but at least there tiny spot to rest the camera on a quiet position.
4) No rotation facility in the jpg produced. So in ViewNX or else you have to rotate the shot yourself Which of course modified the file in doing that. This is for me lastpoint of the most annoying one, as this camera is Aimed to take snapshot and display them immediately. Of course this a normal behavior has the S01 has been stripped of all no essential facilities so to be so tiny as it does not come with gyro sensing device.
5) touch screen very keen to scratches.
For my red Coolpix S01, I have pick up the red leather-case Nikon CS-CP 4-1 Which is very well made and fit perfectly (see my comment of it). I also add a dedicated Screen Protection That do not impair the touch screen usage, a Guarmor, found on Amazon UK (see my comment so there).
So as a conclusion, in taking into account the tiny sensor of this camera and its limitations, the ratio between its pocketable size and its global performance, I find the S01 to be an excellent all-purpose day-to-day snapshot digital camera. It Behaves like a standard smartphone but takes a lot less space and produce better pics at 10M pixels. Of course it will be pretty soon be out-classed by high-end smartphones, but Those ones will sell not at all at the same price! Even it is lacking the immediate social sharing facility of a smartphone (I do not use search facilities neither), Hence I prefer to use the S01 for its good picture capabilities (knowing its limitations) and benefit from a very small package. I'm satisfied of this purchase at Amazon.
