Review A touchscreen camera for just £120? Well, if it was a dodgy brand you’d never heard of, you might not be surprised, but no one would describe Nikon in such terms.

According to retailers selling the Coolpix S4000, it’s going for half the suggested retail price, which either means Christmas has come early or they have a turkey on their hands.

In fact, the S4000 is not a bad little camera, although it does have its foibles. It’s very compact and light, and the button count is kept to a minimum. The 3in screen is pretty sharp and quite clear in sunlight.

However, it is a little cluttered with icons, although you can remove most of them. The touchscreen is highly responsive and the menu system is good, with go-back and exit icons on offer.

Sample Shots

Click for a full-resolution crop

Click for a full-resolution crop

Click for a full-resolution crop

Click for a full-resolution crop

Click for a full-resolution crop

You can also use touch-shutter, touch-focus and touch-subject tracking modes, and even write or draw over images using a paint function.

The Coolpix S4000 is easy to use, although I found the zoom lever a little sticky – and you have to wait several seconds while data is being written to memory card. Picture quality was also a little disappointing, with noise apparent at low ISO settings.

Verdict

It doesn’t offer the best performance around, but it is highly affordable. If you fancy a compact, touchscreen camera for casual shooting, then it’s well worth considering. ®

Next: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX70