I like the camera and the photos. The zoom is good and unheard of for a camera this size. easy to use even without reading the manual. One problem, it comes with a rechargeable battery# Li-ion EN-EL11 but...I can't find anyone who sells it yet (I like a backup battery). The screen is large but I do miss the option of using a view finder, which helps in bright light. Photo colors look real.

this camera is the best camera i have ever owned. i love it, but i do feel the picture does not do it justice. the blue nikon s550 is not dark blue like in the picture. it is more sapphire. i love the color. i think it is better than the dark blue of the one in the picture. it is gorgeous. the camera is easy to use. it has a 5X optical zoom, but is also has a 4X digital zoom. that means the picture you are taking is 20X closer than without a zoom. the camera does terrific close-ups, has clear shots, and has awesome color options. you can change the color of your shots to black-and-white, sepia, cyanotype, vivid color, and standard color. it shoots unlimited video (it will film until your card is full). the camera without a card holds about 30 pictures! the camera feels sturdy but is very sleek. the black version is more of a gray-black, so i find the blue or plum much prettier, but i like colors. the camera warns you before the battery is dead. it warns you with enough time to finish what you're doing. one of my only criticisms is that the camera will take a little bit to focus if you are shooting a close-up. i'm only talking maybe 5 seconds, but it is totally worth it. the camera does pretty well in low lighting, you just have to make sure your hand stays still, so the picture is clear. i am in love with this camera. it is amazing! :)

The camera is small, light, highly portable and easy to use. It takes nice pictures under good lighting situations, and particularly outdoor situations. However, I've found a few issues with it:

1. ISO noise seems excessive. The noise at ISO levels 400+ is really among the worst I have seen, even for a point and shoot. As a result, it's really not my first (or second) choice for low lighting (often indoor) shots without using a flash. It works well enough with a flash, but so do most cameras. Trying to take non-flash pictures indoors with this camera is a chore because of the high level of noise at even moderate ISO settings.

2. Odd juxtapositions in the design. For example, the camera cannot both date stamp and use its electronic vibration reduction function at once -- that's a very odd trade-off, and smacks of some very odd engineering decision.

3. Limited on-screen information. While shooting it will at least provide your aperture and shutter speed, but it doesn't on playback, and there is no option for controlling that display information. Other cameras (like Panasonic's DMC-FS3) display aperture, shutter speed, ISO and WB all on the playback screen. I like to review these things when looking at an exposure to determine whether I want to adjust anything for the next one, and not being able to see this information on the review display is quite annoying on a camera that has been recently released.

In all, this is a fine camera for quick outdoor shooting. For virtually anything else I plan to do with a point and shoot, my first choice is Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FS3. I'm not happy to say that, because I am generally a fan of Nikon equipment, and my digital SLR equipment is all Nikon ... but the Panasonic beats this camera pretty much across the board, I'm afraid, while also being slightly cheaper.

I bought this to replace my Lumix DMC-LZ7 (horrible) which replaced a Sony DSC-W55 (great camera). I wanted something with a decent zoom, that was small. This camera has not disappointed. It is sturdy, weighs nothing, tiny, and fast. It starts fast, and there is very little lag between shots. Picture quality is excellent. I would agree with the comment about the battery door, it can be difficult to close. The macro modes are a little hard to find too, but then I haven't read the manual yet..

I absolutely love this camera. It is my first (personal) digital camera. I got the plum as pictured above. It's absolutely beautiful!!! It is so sleek and small. It could fit in your pocket. It's very easy to use. The controls are simple and straight forward.

The camera takes great pictures. I especially love the "macro mode", which allows you take pics as close as 3.9" from your object. The zoom is great as well. The color is great. Pics are very very clear. I've only had it a few days, so I haven't really tested how long the battery lasts. My mom loved mine so much, she got her own.

I am very please with this purchase.

I bought this camera to use as an inexpensive back up to my Nikon D80. It
is pocket sized and is 10MP, same as the $1,000 D80. The only two criticisms I have are that it doesn't shoot in RAW (not important to most folks) and it is difficult to see the viewing screen if you're wearing polarized glasses. Other than that, I love it. Simple to use and really handy. You can't beat the price for Nikon quality! We used it indoors at the Johnson Space Center and got great results with the flash. We took it on our boat while doing some salt water fishing (that's where I don't take the D80) and got the same great results! Image stabilization was a big plus on a rocking boat. Rechargeable battery lasts quite a long time. I'm glad I bought it.

Pros: Tiny, light, has lots of features, but easy enough for my mother to use.
Cons: No rechargeing cradle (yet?)

"I've been using digital camera's since many years ago when Apple made a ginormous creation that was just the most awesome thing ever. I've passed for years (about 12 of them now) on buying a digital camera as I have a very nice SLR 35mm, and wanted a camera with high quality, good durability, but be tiny, light and offer me a lot of the macro's I enjoy on my SLR.
Nikon has created (at last!) the camera that meets my demands. Additionally, it is idiot-proof (turn on, push button, camera will handle everything else in basic mode), has built-in red-eye reduction, blink indicator (yes it tells you if your subject blinked!), a respectable LiIon battery, and besides its 50-some meg of on board memory, it has a SDIO slot for memory cards. For those who don't chase technology like others of us, SDIO is a newer-faster version of SD-card. SDIO is backward compatible with SD, mini-sd and micro-sd (if you have the necessary size-changing adapters). SDIO is FAST, and allows for much larger storage capacities than SD. Don't cheat yourself, buy a SDIO card to go with the camera. The camera is already fast enough, and doesn't lag from button to shutter, so give it the memory speed it is designed for!! My 4gb SDIO card gives the camera capacity for just over 800 pictures, but more importantly, I can fire off those pictures faster than I could with my SLR.
The ONLY thing this camera doesn't have (or maybe I've just not found it yet!) is a recharging cradle. To recharge the battery, it has to be removed and placed in a charger. I'd rather have a nice cradle that charges the camera while downloading my pictures to my PC.
Even with that one missing feature, the camera is a super-hit in my book. I paid street-price for the camera, which was a good deal to me. It can ONLY get better in price! But why wait, the camera is worth its MSRP...if you are in the market go grab one before the store sells out!"

I bought this camera to replace my Panosonic and I am not satisfied.

It takes great pics outside, but in my house (lighting ist good) the pictures come out blurry. It has a hard time focusing on objects and when you press the button all the way it loses the focus (if you actually got a focus)

I wanted a simple point and shoot and this is far from it. All the shots in my apt come out blurry. My Panasonic did not have this problem.

I will be returning this,

I love the nikon coolpix s550. It's very user friendly, and the 10 megapixel does make a difference. It's got a long battery life and has a very convenient size. I always carry it with me where ever I go.

Excellent photos, clear and crisp imagines. Better pictures in better light, naturally. Digital zoom is unneeded, optical zoom is great. Pictures are very good on 5mb size to save space. Easy to get going and use.

I have been on the prowl for a digital camera for some time now. This camera is exactly what I have been looking for. I couldn't believe the price was so low because it has so many noteworthy features. I simply love this camera. The color is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. The pictures are amazing, and the size of the camera itself is so convenient. The only downside is the process of charging the battery but honestly it is definitely worth the compromise.

Nikon Coolpix S51 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Matte Black)
great camera-best price-immediate delivery
TOTAL SATISFACTION!!!!!!

I purchased this camera to take on vacation because 1) it was small and light weight, 2) it had a 5x optical zoom, and 3) it had a high ISO option that should allow it to take photos in less than perfect light.
I found that yes, it was small and light weight; yes, it would zoom in closer than my old camera; but no, it did not take better photos in less than perfect light.

NONE of the photos taken with this camera are as clear and sharp as those I took with my old Kodak point-and-shoot. Maybe I just got a lemon, but I could not get a clear, sharp photo with this camera no matter what I tried. They all looked something like an impressionistic painting -- not what I was going for. Can I return it?

I bought this camera so that I could take pics at my nephew's wedding where my 3 granddaughters were flower girls. Out of the over 200 pics I took that week-end, I only had to trash 5 of them. This camera is IDIOT proof, small, cute and takes terrific photos. There is very little lag time between takes, and it lets you know if someone is NOT smiling. (Do you hear me Mom)?? If I ever take the time to read the directions, I'm sure there will be much more I can do with the cute new blue camera.

I've always been a fan of Nikon, actually their the only brand camera I'll buy. I owned a lower grade coolpix camera that had a larger screen and wifi to send my pics to my computer if need be. I then replaced it with this one and realized I didn't need those bells and whistles. This camera definitely gets the job done, never had a problem with it or my last one. If your considering this camera, consider no further.

I recently bought this camera for a special trip to New York and was very disappointed with it. It is small, fast and convenient which are big pluses. However, almost all of my pictures that had any straight lines like buildings were all distorted no matter what zoom I used or whether the straight lines were on the sides or closer to the center of the picture. This essentially makes the camera useless hence the 1 star rating. Every straight line was bowed and thus does not look natural.

In short, I love this camera. One reviewer mentioned blurry pictures taken inside his house. I haven't experienced that at all. In fact, I recently bought a FujiFinepix as well, but this little camera put the Fuji to shame. The colors were much brighter and more vivid than those of the Fuji. It's the lightest camera I own, and it's very sleek and easy to use (the EASIEST to use). It's the smallest 10 MP camera on the market right now, and I highly recommend it!

I bought this, because I have always loved Nikons, and my DSLR is a nikon, and I absolutely love it! SO I bought this, because of the reviews, but I must say that I was extremely disappointed! All the pictured I took in the house were either badly out of focus, or VERY grainy. I am sending it back to Amazon, and hope to find something that takes good pictured inside and outside.

This camera is everything I was looking for. It takes very good quality pictures! Even on a moving train, it was able to capture scenery and animals. The only reason I only gave it four stars is because it does take a little while to snap the picture, so you might miss it. Also, it's makes too much noise when taking the picture. You definately can't be sneaky. But all in all, I'm thrilled with this camera and will highly recommend it.

It's cute, it's sleek, it's small, it's blue, a 5x zoom, plus 10mp and it even blinks if you smile; you get it all for 200 bucks. The only thing you don't get are quality pictures.

Outside exposure and color are quite good, unfortunately the pictures are soft; however the average person who moves from a disposable 35mm camera to the S550 should be quite impressed. Pictures taken in doors are another matter. In moderate to low light, the camera can't seem to get the focus right even with center weighted focus. Not enough flash so you end up with a well exposed, blurred subject and a dark background. Setting the camera to auto iso helps some with the background however noise becomes apparent and the subject is still out of focus.

I'm not an expert but te quality of the picture, the color and definition wasn't good, thanks god I bought this in amazon, and got my refound!

This camera is more than you can imagine packed in a small package. I love the features I have used and let 3 people hold it that ending up purchasing this camera. My only drawback is the size. It is small and handles well, but I am so afraid of missing the case or my pocket and losing it. The optical Zoom is a bomb. I have a popular digital SLR, but I am hooked on this camera for performance and convenience. I recommend for beginners or pros.

Anyone tried an 8GB card in this camera? It looks like from the Nikon site that 4GB is the max but on some of the card sites they seem to say it will take an 8GB card. Can't find any concrete info.

I bought the Nikon Coolpix S550 after doing fairly extensive research online and talking to multiple salespeople at camera stores. I had narrowed my selection down to the Nikon or a Canon Powershot Elph. When I walked in to the store and asked the salesman what point and shoot digital camera he would recommend, he immediately said "Nikon", so I bought it. Thank goodness the store has a 10 day return policy. If you use the camera for a few days and do not like it, you can return it (along with the box and everything that came in it) for a full refund within 10 days of the date of purchase. There is no restocking fee like many of the other local retailers.

After using the Nikon Coolpix S550 for one day, I knew I hated it. The shutter speed was slow, especially when using it indoors with a flash. The red eye reduction flash was even worse...it flashed about 12 times before taking the picture and then would not focus (or didn't think it was focused), so it would flash and beep at me before the shutter would actually go off. That made for a good 5 - 10 second lag between pushing the shutter and actually capturing the image. Meanwhile, because the flash went off so many times, people were moving or talking by the time the picture was actually taken. I really didn't want to have to say "this is going to flash a bunch of times before the picture is taken, so just stay still and I'll tell you when the picture is done" for the rest of the camera's life ( I had to do that with an old film camera of mine for years, it's not fun!). The camera is equipped with red eye recognition and will supposedly correct red eye within the digital image after the picture is taken...doesn't that eliminate the need for the crazy multi flash? It was bad enough that I hated that aspect of it, but the subjects who I was taking pictures of complained as well.

Not only was the shutter speed slow, but the recovery time between pictures was long. I knew going into it that the Nikon shutter speed was a bit slower than other digital cameras, but that in addition to the long lag time between pictures is unbearable.

As for the facial recognition, it is non-existent. Not once in all the pictures I took did the camera recognize and lock onto anybody's face. I was taking pictures of people facing fully toward the camera too. Now, I don't need facial recognition, but if the camera has it, it certainly should work.

Also, the menus on this camera are difficult to maneuver through. I think I would have had to carry the instruction book along with me at all times just in case I ever wanted to do anything other than auto focus! The good news is the instruction book is very informative and easy to follow.

I really wanted to like the Nikon, but I knew after that first night that I would be miserable with it. I brought the camera back and purchased the Panasonic Lumix DCM-TZ4. The Lumix is 200x better than the Nikon Coolpix! It has 8MP, 10x optical zoom and up to 40x digital zoom. It always recognizes faces even if it is only a picture of a face. The images are sharp and beautiful! The camera is a little larger and heavier than other compact digitals but I am thrilled with it. I am sad to say that this experience with the Nikon has turned me off to their product completely. It would take some major improvements in their product line to make me try a Nikon again.

Best relation price/product excellent focus and pictures.Nikon is not disappoint with this camera.Small,ligth and powerfull.

Besides the technical features it is a great camera for this price.
Speed, and quality of images is as it should be and as I expected ít to be with a NIKON camera. My personal recommendation.

I like this camera very much. It is easy to use and small enough to take anywhere. I also bought the accesory to reduce red eye and give me more light in low light areas. It was possible for me to take pictures of my dog who is all black and actually see her.

Everything you would want from a small camera EXCEPT it does not give you instructions to download and print a panoramic picture.Nikon Coolpix S550 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Cool Blue)

I recently bought this camera to replace my older digital. I currently have had it for a few months and I can't say much more then I love it! I have found it easy to use and it takes great crisp pictures. It also has some great features on it. I would highly reccomend this product to anyone looking for a fun camera. :-)

Of course with the 10mp the battery runs out of life faster, so if you plan on taking tons of pictures at an event, bring an extra battery with you. However, I have used this at both weddings and other parties and taken tons of pics without any battery problems. The clarity of the pictures definitely are worth the lowered battery life.

This camera is great! It is well worth the price. It's so easy and fun to use. The picture menus are so intuitive and easy to catch on. The camera automatically adjusts depending on the lighting and the flash is very powerful. After taking a few pictures at night, I wondered if I could take a picture in the dark and to my surprise this baby didn't let me down. I turned off all the lights and took a picture and everything came out clear. Only downside is that you can't tell what the camera is focusing on until after the picture has been taken. A lot of the features are automatic and do not require a lot of thinking from the user. It has a blink feature that tells you when someone blinks. When in smile mode, the camera automatically snaps when the subject smiles (perfect for capturing hard to catch baby pics.) Just be careful, because it will snap a picture a soon as it recognizes a smile so I wouldn't use it on a group photo. Oh and the zoom is superb! The pictures come out clear and crisp even when you zoom all the way in! However, I did get some pics that looked dim when I was too far away, you just have to play with it to see what's a reasonable distance. It fell out of my purse (while in a nylon case with minimal padding) onto the pavement and it is still kicking and snapping photos. I bought this camera because it was cute, powerful, and within my budget, and after reading others reviews before I purchased it I decided I would give it a shot and I was not let down. The only downside is that there is a lag between when you press the button and when it actually takes the picture.

I purchased this camera beacause of its 5x zoom yet compact size, and it has delivered on both aspects very well. The camera fits into any purse or back pcket, the start up is incredibly quick, and the zoom is better than any of the other compacts on the market. (Be aware however that you cant zoom to the maximum when in camera mode.) The camera is also pretty much ready to use out of the box and rather self explanatory, although navigating the different menus at first may be a little confusing. The image stabilization is really effective, and the battery life is also fine.

I just purchased the Nikon Coolpix S550 today. I was excited reading several reviews and listening to the salesperson rave about this product. I currently shoot with a Nikon D80 and my spare is a D40. These are amazing cameras in the DSLR category. I figured I should buy a Nikon point-and-shoot to bring along when I am at Disneyland or other places a full size DSLR would not be so convenient. I was frustrated right off the bat when I was taking sample shots of my child. The time it took to take a single photo seemed to take 5 seconds. I made all the in-camera adjustments and it seemed to get worse. The quality was simply horrible no matter what lighting I used and no matter which ISO setting I set. The VR feature was nonexistent when activated. I bought this setting my expectations low compared to the DSLR. But these photos should have some decent quality to them. It had none. Sorry Nikon, this one didn't cut it. Not sure what I will buy to replace this one

I bought the S550 to replace my old Nikon 7600, because I liked the features of the 7600 but I wanted something smaller and a camera that had a higher ISO (the 7600 was really bad with indoor pictures without the flash--like in museums where it is bright, but you can't use flash).

Maybe I got a lemon S550 because the photos don't seem very sharp--even the outdoor ones. I went back and looked at the photos I took with my 7600 and noticed that, overall, they all weren't very crisp. But it seemed that in most of them _something_ was in focus. But I never really noticed the overall blurriness of the photos in my 2 years of using it (and I used it a lot!).

But the blurriness of the S550 was the first thing I noticed when I saw the photos I was taking. I have both cameras set on 5MP (that gives me the best quality/size ratio for normal photos) so it's not a resolution issue. It just seems like there is nothing in crisp focus on the S550. If I run the 'sharpen' filter on the photos in Photoshop, they seem fine, but I shouldn't have to do that.

I see that others have complained about the blurriness/softness of the photos, and others haven't. So maybe the particular camera I got was bad. I will try to get a replacement and see if the results are better. But so far, I am very disappointed--I won't give up on Nikon quite yet...

One big attraction of this camera is its size, making it easier to take it anywhere.
One drawback of the camera is that its lens is not wide enough, an important feature.
The lens is not as sharp as those of previous models.
There are other cameras in this price range that have better features. The money Nikon has recently spent on advertising this camera, with highly paid celebrities, could have been used to lower the selling price of the cameras.

I'm very satisfied with my camera. I was reading all these reviews on this website about it the good and the bad, which started to freak me out. But I bought the camera anyway .. and the little I've used it, it's been great. I took this amazing picture of a flower one day and I just can't believe how clear and crisp the picture is. All the features are fun trying to figure out. I haven't really done much with them, but I'm excited to. The camera is so much smaller than my older one that I'm afraid I'm going to break it and it usually falls out of my hand easily so I always wear the wrist band. Very happy with my camera. Just still unsure about the battery because my other camera used regular batteries. That's all. Yay.

I am very pleased with our decision to purchase this Camera. It was the best price we found anywhere and arrived sooner than we thought.

After seven years of using a Nikon Coolpix 3500, I could not have made a better choice in buying the S550. The ease of operation and quality of the photos is very impressive for someone with limited photographic knowledge. The size and weight of the camera makes it ideal for slipping into your pocket or a carrying case on your belt loop when not in use.

I purchased the S550 a few weeks ago and so far, I like it very much. It is small, fits in your pocket and takes great photo's. The extra 2X optical zoom, 5X total, (most camera's of this size are 3X), really makes a difference. It has a variety of modes for different shooting and lighting conditions. For the price, it's a great value.

I finally got around to buying myself a digital camera and after doing some research online I decided on the Nikon Coolpix S550. This was at the end of March 2008. I've loved the size and the functions. The photos mostly came out looking great with some low light exceptions. But then 3 months later, June, I took the camera with me to a girls night where it worked perfectly. The next morning I turned the camera on and the LCD screen showed me nothing. I charged the battery just incase that was the problem but still nothing. I'm still able to take pictures and I can hear the beeping of menu changes but it does me no good because I can't see anything I'm doing. I have never dropped the camera and I KNOW nothing happened to it the night before it stopped working.

I called about having it fixed by Nikon since it's still under warranty and they said the only problem might be because I purchased it online through Amazon and don't have a store receipt. They say I need the receipt just for date verification and will "probably" take the email conformations I got but it's not guaranteed. If they fix it under warranty, great no problems. If they are going to try and charge me because of where I legally purchased it, I will no longer buy any Nikon products and I will no longer buy any type of electronics through Amazon.

I purchased the Nikon Coolpix s550 a few days before a vacation trip, so did not have time to read the manual. It takes great pictures. I tried a few of moving objects at a distance just for fun and they come out very clear. I highly recommend this camera.

I read several reviews and found many of them very helpful. I do not think the "ISO noise" is valid for a regular joe photographer also battery loading difficulty is not valid battery loads easy and charges quickly.

This is a great little camera, the battery lasts a long time between charges & with a 4 gig SD (add separately) it holds a buttload of pictures. I like it & in fact it fits so well in my pocket I have taken it with me the last few days of a trade show - got some pics I would not have gotten with a bulkier camera because I would not have wanted to lug a big camera.
V

I had this camera for slightly over a month and have been satisfied based on its class and compact size. The zoom lens is great, but I feel as though some reviewers may have used the zoom when not necessary and with a shaky hand, created some blurry photos. Compact cameras with weak flashes never perform well indoors, that's a known fact, and I did not expect DSLR quality with this little guy. All cameras work great outdoors, in natural lighting, though.

It may be helpful if some users play with the "Scenes" and find appropriate settings for the indoor subjects. I did not use the Smile features as I thought they were not necessary in producing good photos, but the variety of "Scenes" did make taking photos during Dawn/Dusk a bit easier.

Pros:
1. Great price, terrific build quality
2. Easy to use menu system
3. 5x zoom when needed

Cons:
1. Slow writing to SDHC Card
2. Not wide angle

I purchased this item because I saw it in action when my adult daughter purchased one. When I saw a camera that could recognize a "smile" and also recognize "closed eyes", I knew I had to have this smart device. I haven't yet mastered all the possibilities, but it is easy to get started and take pictures, review them, delete if necessary. I'm enjoying it!!!

As a fairly cheap point-and-shoot camera, the Nikon Coolpix S550 is a pretty neat piece of hardware. It's certainly not a high-end DSLR, but it's good at what it does, and it offers some nice pluses over other cameras in its price range.

The good:
-5x optical zoom is very good for a little camera like this, and is tops in this camera's class. I would like to remind readers that "digital zoom" really just crops out part of a picture to make it look bigger in the viewfinder while destroying actual shot quality, so please disregard the "digital zoom" on this or any camera.
-10megapixel resolution is pretty phenominal, especially in this camera's price range, especially coupled with the 5x zoom. Dollar-for-dollar, you're getting a lot.
-Shutter and record speeds seem great. Note that with megapixels this high, you're going to need a high-speed SDHC memory card if you don't want to see too much of the hourglass.
-The high resolution and zoom really combine for wow power when you take movies with the camera. Although the mic is terrible and you'll probably just want to mute it, you can take movies of a pet where you can see every individual hair from a respectable distance if you so choose. On a one-gig card, I can shoot a half-hour of movies at this quality.
-The camera's overall size is very comfortable. Not much taller and wider than a credit card, not much thicker than a thin paperback, and compeletely flat when it's powered down. Yet it's still roomy- I'm a 6'+ guy with stubby fingers, and I've never fumbled a button yet.
-Tons of modes. The camera can take widescreen pictures or regular format, PAL or NTSC, and resolutions from standard tv (640x480) through the roof (over 3,000 vertical pixels). It has smile recognition, stabilization, various compensation filters including red-eye. It has Portrait, Outdoor, Indoor, and even Copy for taking pictures of documents just in case you're a secret agent on a budget. The basic Shoot and Smile modes seem wholly satisfactory, but this camera offers plenty of room to grow. Yesterday I took some very clear photos of moths in flight, with no adjustments other than setting the camera to high ISO.

The not-so-good:
-No optical viewfinder, only the digital screen. It's a very good and very big screen though, so this is mostly just for nostalgia's sake.
-The camera doesn't have a dial for the various settings. Instead of just clicking over to Portrait or Outdoor, you have to hit a menu button and look around. This is a pretty small complaint overall, but I would have still preferred a wheel.
-I've noticed that with a lot of low-end digital cameras like this, you can see that as the camera auto-adjusts it will show a perfectly sharp picture in the viewfinder, but keep adjusting until the picture becomes a bit blurry. Maybe this is just something about the way I take pictures, but I know this camera is capable of clearer shots. This is especially evident in extreme close-ups, such as under a foot away. The camera will adjust right up to a perfectly crisp photo for a moment, then keep going to a blurry mess before it snaps the shot. If I could just cut out the last few moments of zooming, I'd have gotten a perfect photo. I saw this same thing with a number of comparable cameras while doing in-store tests, and I'm puzzled as to what causes it (maybe I need to turn off the assist beam sometimes, I don't know). I'll have to check the camera's official site and such to see if I can find tips.
-5x zoom, while really wonderful for the price range, still seems a bit stifling. Maybe I'm just at the point in my life where I need to own up to the truth and save up for a high-end SLR. 5x optical is certainly much better than the 3x zoom that comes with most comparable cameras.

Overall, I really got this camera because it was time to upgrade from my old Canon A60. The A60 took really great photos in the right conditions, but it couldn't adapt to conditions well, and it had a very big delay between pressing the button and getting a shot. The Coolpix has already paid for itself with smile recognition- I'm a "psychic blinker" who manages to always shut his eyes the moment a photo is taken, and I haven't gotten a single photo of myself with my eyes closed, even doing close-ups with flash.

If you're just starting out in the digital world, this camera has all the best features with a clear interface and instant point-and-shoot modes that require no calibration. If you're like me and you just need to find a smarter digital camera, you could do a lot worse than this one for the same money. If this camera suits your price range, you simply must put it at the top of your list. The only reason I'd suggest passing on this camera is if you've got significantly more money to spend on a higher class of camera.

I am so glad I got this camera before my vacation to Maine. This camera far exceeds my expectations. I bought a memory card that holds over 500 pictures. Great quality. All the pictures turned out terrific. No red eye, no bad flash, no problems at all!!! My old kodak had worn out and I was amazed at how great these pictures turned out. Great value for the price. I highly recommend.

Great product. Small size, Easy buttons, quality pictures. Make sure you get a charger that can run on 120-240 V anywhere in the world, since the product only comes with one that runs in the US (120V).

My new Coolpix S550 does everything I expect it to do. Foremost, it is very compact and fits into my pants or coat pocket so I can get shots when opportunities come up without the bother of lugging a bigger camera and also people are not put off by my looking like a dogged camera man. It takes great pictures. I still do not really like the new approach to photography using the little screen on the back of the camera instead of a traditional viewer. However, I have two other digital cameras that fulfill the rest of my needs. Nothing beats a nice Nikon or Cannon SLR. But, they do not fit in my pocket and will do me no good if they are at home and I am out somewhere wishing I had my camera for that great unexpected opportunity shot.

I have been looking for a small, light, GOOD camera to take on an extensive backpacking trip. This camera fits that criteria well. The 5X zoom lets you reach out and get pictures that a 3X zoom just doesn't do well.

The only negative I have found is that it uses a proprietary battery instead of something readily available (like AAs).

La calidad de las fotos es muy pero muy buena. Esperaba que el sistema antivibracion (VR) fuera un poco mas efectivo pero funciona bien, quizás lo único que no me convence es que es un poco lenta para procesar la fotografía tomada y eso que uso una tarjeta SD-HC

Great Pictures!. I highly recommend buying from a local dealer. My camera stop working within 30 days and I had to ship it to Nikon for repair. Saved a little money on the purchase but just spent $13.00 packaging and shipping for the repair.

I have to agree with other reviewers who said there were too many blurry pictures. I took over 70 pictures on the day I received this camera. Only five or six turned out good. My last digital camera was a Canon PowerShot A510 with 3.2 mp. I have many hundreds (maybe thousands) of excellent pictures from that camera. The Coolpix was very disappointing. What good is 10 mp when the pictures are blurred? Right away I boxed up the Coolpix and returned it to Amazon. I ordered the Canon PowerShot SX100 IS and received it today. Took about 30 pictures and only had a couple of blurry ones. OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZER IS VERY IMPORTANT! This camera is not small and sleek but the weight and contour make picture taking very much more stable and comfortable. This 8 mp is the camera I'm going to keep and enjoy. And the 10x optical zoom is fantastic.

Pros: Besides the color is very beautiful is a camera that meets all the requirements for a good photo.
Cons: Penalty that the loading of the battery is not the USB.

I bought this for my husband but he does not like it because of the time it takes for the lens to come out and take a picture.

I am not satisfied with this product.Before i used Nikon8.1MP.That was great.This is not that much giving qualified pictures.

I did quite a bit of research before deciding on this camera. The majority of the reviews were excellent. There were a few that were scary. Now i realize why. This camera is a great camera if you are willing to put the time in to learn all it has to offer and how to use it. It comes in cool, fresh colors which may be one of the reasons that people felt mislead. Although cool looking this camera is a sophisticated piece of equiptment capable of producing some great pictures for the average person, but it does require you to read certain portions of the manual or you will not be satisfied with the results.
One criticism i read related to the fact that it did not take great low light pictures. Well if you don't adjust the camera to suit those lighting conditions then you won't be happy. However push two buttons and get into the right mode and you will find that you can take some of the best low light pictures around. You can't just drag the camera from the beach, to the museum and then to a house party and expect that the one setting is going to give great all around pictures. Although it's cool looking it is not an instamatic!!
This is a great camera if you are willing to learn, otherwise you won't be happy.
I am not a professional photographer and I found it very easy to go through the manual and learn what I needed to get great pictures all the time.
This is a great camera, just not for everyone.

My first digital camera. Wish I had bought it sooner. Love the look. Easy to use all the cool features. I am having so much fun with it that it has become my constant companion, at home and on trips.

This camera just arrived and I took some great shots of my neighbors cat on a hot summer day in July here on the island. Salmon (the cat) was walking across the lawn and did not see me, so I wanted to test out the features a.k.a. the response time, the zoom, vibration reduction, clear visibility 5x Zoom, and I felt as if I were on a safari. Every shot was incredibly clear and still. Armed with 10 mega pixels, a camera this compact with so many cool features, and very simple to use, not complex at all, wins all five stars!

Wow. This was by far the best purchase I have ever made on this site.

I got this camera Brand new, No defects for 30$ cheaper than everywhere else sells it. Plus it was applicable to my Amazon Prime so I got it the day after I ordered it. :3

Nikon Coolpix S550 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Cool Blue)

Hi All,

Myself a new user in case of digital cameras, I got a good deal on Amazon, I was looking for small handy digital camera with better resoultion, better optical zoom and I found it.

I am using it and tried it lot, thereafter I recommend this product to all.

I went to an event, where I was not to far from the stage, but when I tried the zoom in this camera to take the pictures, all of them were of a very distortioned quality image... For this to be a 10 MP camera... you would expect excellent quality image... by the way, I had it in 10 MP. When I saw the pictures in my computer I was really disappointed, because they are not worth printing. I used to have a Nikon 8MP P1, which a thief stole from my brother and so I bought this one to replace it, but there is definitely no comparison. I do not recommend this camera.

I recently bought this Nikon S550 from Amazon for under $200 with free shipping and no tax to California. If everyone read its specs., and compare price with other brands you could tell this is a good choice for camera under $200. The only cons. about this camera it only takes up to 4gb SDHC card.

Bought this camera for a vacation trip that we took a month ago, very pleased with the picture quality and battery life. It also could read SDHC. I would have given it a 5 if it could show the battery indicator on the display and come with a camera case.

This little camera can handle all your photo needs, making it a great buy for anyone who only wants to point and shoot as well as those who desire more control over camera effects. It is surprisingly small, actually pocket-size, but with a nice large viewer. I especially appreciate the automatic lens cover. Photos and videos are of excellent quality, and the camera is easy to use. The sleek design is eyecatching and makes toting a camera around much less of a burden! They chose an appropriate name for this gem of a camera ~ it's really very cool!

The Nikon Coolpix S550 10MP digital camera I purchased a couple of weeks ago has worked just as advertised, takes great photos, and is actually smaller than expected. We are very pleased.

The camera was for my boyfriends birthday. This camera comes in a few different colors which I love because I'm all about variety and details (and his favorite color is blue so go me). When it arrived it came with everything it was suppose to, the color of the camera was what I expected, operating it is basic(it has a great feature similar to a cell phone that lets you pick any photo as a welcome screen, which is what i used so when he turned it on hee sees me holding a paper saying happy birthday). The dementions were good. It's maybe a fourth thicker than our old cam. However still a great compact size- but not so small that sausage like finger couldnt use it. Were having some flash-no flash/anti shake issues with it currently but im pretty sure it's because were too damn lazy to read the manuel. But the quality is great and i recommend it since the price isn't outrageous, if you need something even MORE basic, try my gay cam which has a total of 4 button, finepix A345. It sucks for those whos expectations for electronics are much higher for the technology we have today.

I was tired of lugging around my bigger digital camera so I chose this one. Great pictures, great zoom, great features. This was a great purchase. Highly recommend.

I purchased this camera to replace an older model Nikon coolpix camera. Its features and performance are comparable or better. the only drawback [which some see as an improvement] is the size. This model is barely larger than a pack of cards. that makes it convenient to carry but a bit more difficult to use when taking photos using the zoom feature. A camera with a bit more heft is better for holding steady when taking such shots. If you are a picture taker that likes to customize shots more often than the average point & shoot tourist, a larger model may be more to your liking.

Nevertheless, the camera performs very well and the variety of features available through a relatively easy to use menu format is great. Storage media available for the camera make use of the 10MP option convenient. processing time for photos, even at the 10MP setting, has not seemed long or inconvenient.

My wife loves this camera. It fits in her purse and take fantastic pictures.

This camera is a very convenient size to carry around in my pocket and takes really nice pictures. It has lots of features. I like it.

I was disappointed in the picture quality and the video qulaity. I recommend the Canon SD1100 -- way better quality picture and video at about the same price.

Was looking for an efficient camera with a broad range of capabilities. This camera did the job.

The strap for carrying the camera should be used all the time because it can easily slip out of hand without it.
My first CoolPix had a strap that was long enough to carry around the neck.

That was a much more secure method of safety from dropping the camera. I tucked it into a pocket, or belt and never had to worry if it slipped out of place. (I purchased a case but it is a pain to be taking it in and out). Other than that, - it is great! I plan to purchase an extra battery as an emergency backup.

A very good point and shoot camera. I have had several different Nikons cameras and I have enjoyed them all. This one takes really high quality pictures. The menu system is a little different than my Nikon L5 but I am able to adapt. So far the battery has been able to meet my needs. I may have to buy a second battery when I take it on travel. Overall I am very pleased with the camera. Nikon makes a very good product.