Silver in Pocket

In a nutshell, my digital camera history goes something like this. I got into things pretty early, writing software to interface with the early Kodak cameras in 1998 (DC120, DC210, etc.). The first camera I bought was a Kodak DC280. After that, my wife gifted me an Olympus 5060-WZ, a great point and shoot. Next, I moved up to a digital SLR, the Nikon D70. I love it, but because it's quite a bit to lug around, I decided to get another far less bulky digital camera, a relatively inexpensive ultra-compact that I can keep in a pocket so the next time I pass a barbershop with a sign reading "free mullet removal" I'll be ready to point and shoot.

So I picked up a Nikon S1. First impressions? It's compact, small enough for a coat pocket or even a pant pocket. Considering its size, I am happy with the picture quality. I am also happy with the U/I. A really nice feature is the blur detection. If the S1 thinks your picture is blurry, it will warn you and ask if you want to keep it. The LCD is spacious considering the size of the camera. It'll capture QuickTime with sound.

I've found no manual control for aperture, shutter, etc. other than the shooting modes, but that's not a problem, because when I'm concerned with such things, I'll be working with my D70 anyhow. My biggest beef is a lack of direct USB connect to the camera. If you're going to transfer with USB, it seems you have to put the cam in the docking station. This seems more of a desktop solution than a laptop solution. Given that I've relegated my desktop to server status and use my laptop exclusively, that doesn't mesh too well with my workflow. I'd prefer a straight USB connect into the camera. I'll probably wind up using a USB or PCMCIA reader with the SD card, since the right place for the docking station and the place I download my pics are different places.

Overall, I'm very happy this little cam.