Description

Take one superior shot after another with Nikon's sharp shooting, sharp looking COOLPIX S3000. As a matter of fact, built with Smart Portrait and Auto Scene technology (i.e. fool proof), you'll have to try pretty hard to take a bad shot with this bad boy. And if looks count, well the S3000 will keep your audience captive with its sleek metal body and contemporary colors. As a matter of fact, this camera is so goodlooking, it makes Ashton look ugly. (Yeah, right.)

Customer Reviews

 Worst purchase ever!!!! - Aug 29, 2010

I got one of these as my "party cam" to take around with me everywhere. The image quality is HORRIBLE unless you have a lot of light. Useless. I had a Canon Elph (5 MP) and Exilim (8 MP) before this one and both were WAY better. I wish I didn't cheap out and buy this useless camera. Instead, I should have spent a little bit more on a Canon.

 Great litle camera for the price; perfect for my 10 yr old. - Aug 24, 2010

Has lots of features for a small camera. Not a lot of zoom ability, but there's some. Perfect camera for my daughter's use. Its a lot at first to figure out, but she loves it, and most of the time just uses it in auto mode. Nikon's Auto settings are really good, even for a small camera. But she's learned how to alter her flash and scene settings, and practices around the house in different lighting and focus points to see what the camera can do. Great for snapahots of friends, and scenery when on vacation. took some nice photos at night on vacation, but just keep people within 10-15 feet for best shots. Flash is good, but is not big, so its a recommendation to keep your subject within a decent area. Camera has settings that can shoot up to3200 ISO, and adjust white balance.

Bad thing is there's only a digital guide on CD, so everytime you need to refer to something when learning how to use it, you need your computer around to read it. You can't just keep a small copy of it on you. I had to print the basic pages so I can keep it with the camera.

Definitely do your research before buying. Buy for what you really need the camera to do. If you don't need a lot of the special features, this is a great purchase saving several dollars from the next version up. Nikon really delivers with a small camera with big camera features for less than $150, and that's with some accessories added.

 CoolPix - Aug 22, 2010

Had five similar Sony Cybershots prior to this purchase. The Cypershot is good, but the fifth one I purchased never made one good picture and I ditched it after a couple of months. I am a real estate appraiser and depend on my camera for good quiality pictures. I love the Cool Pix. It is easy to operate and takes excellent pictures.

 all that glitters ain't gold - Aug 22, 2010

I bought this affordable camera to upgrade from my 10+ year old 5mp Canon P&S. I'm an artist who uses my camera mostly to take pictures of my work to sell online. My Canon had served me well, but I figured it was time to upgrade to a higher mp for the sake of image quality. I researched several cameras in the price range, then stumbled onto this one. It had some great reviews, it was a huge leap to 12mp, and I loved the way it looked. After a little more comparison shopping, I decided to go with this model.

My first impression was that I loved the look, size, and easy to decipher buttons and menus. The camera charged quickly, and it was easy to get rolling taking pictures. I didn't have any of the battery/operational issues others had described in their reviews. Unfortunately, even with the camera in macro mode the pictures were not great quality. I decided, rather than rushing to return the camera, to take plenty of time to research and ensure that I was employing the modes and functions properly to get the best results. I tried shooting in various circumstances, including natural light and indoors with my tabletop photo studio and lighting, experimenting with different factors to try to get better shots. Time after time, old faithful outperformed this model. I hoped that if I got accustomed to how this camera worked (even though it's features and menus were almost identical to those on my old Canon), that I would see an improvement. Unfortunately, no improvement. Close-ups were often fuzzy, indoor shots often had an unattractive yellow cast, even with careful attention to camera mode and lighting. I guess my old camera had my expectations too high, but I figured going from a much older model with much lower mp to this would result in good/better results with less work.

I had fallen in love with the compact size, pretty color, and overall look of this camera, but no matter what I tried I could not make it perform well enough to warrant keeping it. :o(

 Camera Bad; Customer Service Worse - Aug 12, 2010

We bought this camera roughly 2 months ago to use in place of an HP camera we have that chews through batteries.

We have heard great things about Nikon, particularly their lenses. Good lenses should equal good, sharp pictures.

The primary issue with the camera is that it does not focus. The vast majority of pictures taken with this camera are out of focus. The camera offers multiple focal points and that may be the root cause of the problem. I often don't even click the picture because the camera chooses the oddest items it the picture to be the main focal point.

When I contacted customer service they asked me to send in sample pictures. After a couple of rounds their advice was to change the ISO settings from Auto. If I want them to check out the problems further I must send in the camera at my own expense.

I have a Digital SLR to be used in some situations and a point-and-shoot in others. One of the key features I like about a point-and-shoot is that I don't have to mess with ISO, aperture, and shutter speed settings. All I (should) have to do is point and shoot.

Version bought (through Amazon):
Nikon Coolpix S3000 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Orange)

Review also applies to:
Nikon Coolpix S3000 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Plum)
Nikon Coolpix S3000 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Green)
Nikon Coolpix S3000 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)
Nikon Coolpix S3000 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
Nikon Coolpix S3000 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Silver)

 Nikon Fail. Pick a different camera - Aug 10, 2010

Extremely disappointed in this camera. Bought it to replace another P/S camera for a weekend trip and I hate hate hate the results. Poor functionality, extremely slow to take a photo, absolutely horrible at capturing movement (not trying to photograph sports, just friends at a dinner party)and unfortunately an overall complete disappointment. Most of the photos came out a blurry mess or with awful yellow color contrast. I can always get my money back but I can't capture these memories again. Major major major Nikon fail.

 Awesome camera and great pictures! - Aug 02, 2010

I bought this camera right before my vacation. I really like the fact that it is small in size, and easy to carry in my pocket. But, it also takes great pictures. The picture quality was great, and the ability to zoom in and out is fantastic.

 Quick use :) - Aug 02, 2010

I was going on a road trip and just wanted a camera I could quickly figure out how to use. This one was it. I got amazing pictures and I'm a horrible photographer. I didn't have time to figure out the other features before the trip, so I honestly can't comment on them, but if you're looking for a durable camera (I tripped and landed on mine and it's still fine) and one that takes clear pictures on-the-go, this is the one.

 Great value for money - Jul 29, 2010

This is a great little camera that takes excellent pictures given it's compact size. The wide angle lens really comes in handy when taking shots of a beautiful landscape or say, trying to fit in lot of people in a group photo.
Considering that it's point and shoot, I wasn't expecting too many configuration options when taking a shot, but the wide range of preset modes more than makes up for it.
Like other reviewers, I am a bit concerned about the plastic flaps that cover the battery and memory card, but they should last if used carefully. All in all, a camera that's great value for money!

 SLOW - Jul 21, 2010

If you plan on taking pictures of things that move, (especially children) don't buy this camera. When you push on the shutter button, there is a delay before it takes the picture. And if you're using the flash, there is a LONG delay before it's ready for you to take another picture. Maybe I was just spoiled by my speedy, trusty old Canon, but I'm tired of missing the moments I want to capture. Here's how it usually goes: My toddler will smile and by the time the camera finally takes the picture, she turns her head and THAT is the image I'm stuck with. The picture quality is good, but I'm tired of getting the side of her face, of the dog's face, etc. I'm putting it on eBay.

 nikon coolpix s 3000 - Jul 19, 2010

nice and smal good handling only dont come with the memorycard the cannon dus. one point less for the nikon. the camara is clear with good lenses. jacob puister costa rica

 Great in everyway, except good pictures. - Jul 11, 2010

Would you go to a restaurant, where everything was great but the food? The S3000 is my 3rd Nikon and you wonder why, would "NIKON" sell a camera with lousy imaging? I read other reviews about poor images and they were right.

I thought my glasses needed cleaning when I saw my first photos.

If poor photographic results don't matter, buy the "UNCOOLPIX" S3000. It's cute and makes a wonderful paperweight. I will make I my last Nikon.

 Seems to be OK - Jul 02, 2010

Haven't used this camera too much, but it seems OK and easy to use. Compact, attractive and well made. Unfortunately, this camera did not come with a memory card, seems to me one should have been included - just another extra expense.

 Not what I expected based on reviews - Jun 25, 2010

I greatly anticipated getting this camera based on the reviews I read. I bought it for a weekend trip with a friend so I didn't have to carry around my Nikon DSLR. Unfortunately, I was disppointed in the quality of the pictures, and sadly, can't get those moments back. Many of the pictures came out pixilated, blurry and the color was not very good. I am not an amateur photographer, so this click & shoot camera should have been a cinch. I am a long-time fan of Nikon products, but I would not purchase this model again.

 Great for what it is - Jun 16, 2010

Pro: Excellent camera for the price. Beats Walmart by $20!
Was able to train non-photographer on various settings quickly.
Excellent vibration reduction and picture quality.
Works even with Class 2 cards (though I would recommend Class 4 or 6)
2GB cards are more than adequate! 505 estimated 12MP (4000ppi) photos per card.

Cons: Manual settings disable too many other features.
Like any point-and-shoot, 12MP isn't really the same as on a larger CCD.
Lack of a regular viewfinder. LCDs are what drag the battery down most.
Shutter button and tele-WA switch are loose and "rock around."
No real constant showing of remaining battery, although it lasts quite well.

This camera arrived with a totally DOA charger. The light on the charger doesn't even come on.
The LCD did not have the typical static-plastic cover, but did have a fingerprint. Makes you wonder if these are seconds or returns.

Pretty rare for a Nikon product. I guess that's the value of local purchase since returning to Amazon or Nikon is a time delay I don't have right now--and the shipping cost. The camera and cable charge fine through a computer USB port.

Fortunately, I bought the EH-63 external charger also. This is highly recommended anyway. It gives you the opportunity to buy and charge a spare to keep with you.

 Not crazy about it - May 10, 2010

I just received this camera for mother's day. It's very small and nice looking; I took a couple of pictures with it and images are pretty good. However, what has me thinking about returning it is that you have to connect the camera itself to charge the battery. What good is a spare battery (my husband bought one) if you cannot charge it while you are using your camera? With my almost 6-year-old Cannon, I was able to just insert that battery in the charger to recharge it, Nikon does it for some of its cameras (ex. D60) why couldn't they do the same with this one? In addition the tinny cover that you open to plug in the cable for the charger is pretty flimsy, I don't expect it to last if it needs to be opened every time the battery needs charging.

 Amazing image quality, especially for the price! - May 10, 2010

The pictures are phenomenal, so much better than my last camera. However, I'm still trying to figure out how to use the features on the camera, and I am disappointed that it doesn't seem to come with any sort of image editing program. Maybe it does and I just haven't found it yet . . .

 Coolpix is cool - Apr 26, 2010

For the price, this camera is great! Easy to use and takes great pix. Love it!! So small and light weight.
Outdoors it is hard to see the images on the screen in sunlight when taking pictures so just take a little more
time or take and extra shot or two.

 Not for me... - Apr 22, 2010

This little camera is cute and takes nice photos -however- it is too tiny for me.
There is just no place to grip the camera while taking a picture...It feels incredibly awkward.

 Nikon Coolpix small digital but awesome pictures - Apr 13, 2010

I had a similar digital which was very easy to use with a lot of bells and wistles. But too big when you compare it to other small digitals. My new Nikon coolpix can fit almost anywhare and ready to use with a small touch on the botton. Takes great pictures when using the auto feature. Still trying to find my way on the other options, but they easily accessed.

Wish I would have gotten this camera sooner.
Florida Native