Gone camera happy with my new WiFied Nikon Coolpix S7c!

I came back from a US Thanksgiving shopping marathon last weekend with a new Nikon Coolpix S7c WiFi camera, and it was definitely my best deal of the trip! I’ve been on and off about getting a new camera ever since I came back from my hiatus across Europe last summer because I couldn’t find one that really hit me with both features and sleek appeal…until I discovered the Nikon Coolpix S7c – the latest one in the stylish “S” range of Nikon Coolpix cameras.

At first I thought the Nikon S7C was just the same Nikon S6 WiFi model released last Spring, yet with an update to 7.1MP. And although I was intrigued with the handy WiFi feature of the S6, so I wouldn’t have to pull out the SD card reader every time to transfer pics to my laptop, I thought this feature alone wasn’t enough to make me buy this model. The WiFi feature was limited when it first came out because it only saved me from having to pull out my camera docking cradle or card reader for uploading pics. Yes, it was a convenient feature to have, but “ho hum” if that was all that the WiFi in the S6 allowed you to do. Then they came out with the S7C that had extra WiFi capabilities with its Coolpix Connect feature, where I could email my pictures in-camera, and also post them directly to my blog. A cool feature to have next time you’re on vacation so you can make your friends jealous by sending them pics in real-time of yourself sipping a pina colada by the spa resort

It also came with some great practical functions like:

1) Optical image stabilization with its electronic Vibration Reduction technology so my grandmother can also help take some shots.
2) ISO 1600 capability – to capture better looking pics with greater exposure in low light and clearer pics of fast-moving objects.
3) Playback of your photos and movies synched with your selected music and animated photo transitions with its Pictmotion. Plus, having a nice big 3″ LCD makes watching your customized audiovisual show really sweet!

And of course it also had to look sleek to make me buy this, and luckily the Coolpix S7C doesn’t disappoint on this front with a slim black body and curved-surface design:

Here’s a video clip I took with my new Nikon of my dog ringing the door chimes.

Before deciding on the Nikon S7C, I was also considering these other compact cameras in the $300-$500 price range because of their own special features:

1) Panasonic Lumix FX01 – For the 28mm wide angle lens (and it’s a Leica Lens!)…Panasonic was the first to launch this feature in the compact digital camera lineup, and it’s great for group shots and for those landscape scenic vacation shots. Plus, the FX01 was the only Panasonic model that came in white, which stood out and would match my other Apple-fashioned products. It retails for $400, and I actually bought it at Henry’s Digital Camera Show a few months ago because of a $50 discount offered , but soon returned it cuz was just not satisfied about the “cool factor” and thinking that there could be a better model I could get, since I didn’t need it right away. (the FX07 is the newer version, only updated from 6MP to 7.2MP, but from my research on camera reviews, the FX01 actually had better quality photos..something to do with lens distortion in the FX07)

2) Canon Powershot SD800 IS – Also considered this one because of its 28mm wide angle lens, and it’s the only Powershot model in the SD lineup that follows Panasonic in launching this feature in the compact camera category. Ok, although you’d be safe with the quality of the Canon shots, but I didn’t think it was worth shelling out the $550 while it only had the standard 2.5″ LCD, and only just some of the “practical functions” of the Nikon S7c listed above, plus no WiFi. It was over my budget, considering how quickly new models are always being released.

3) HP PhotoSmart R927 – Considered this one for its Slimming Effect feature of course, which I blogged about in my last post. Although it would have come in handy after my US Thanksgiving pigging-out ‘n shop til you drop weekend, that tiny practical side of me held me back from buying it after reading reviews of poorer photo quality, plus it is more of a gimmicky thing afterall and I could always try to adjust the photos myself with Photoshop (which i plan to buy and learn how to use at some point).

In the end, I stumbled upon the Nikon S7C while doing more research on camera review sites and on the US Black Friday sites before heading down for the shopping bonanza..and the research paid off cuz I got it for US$299 at Ritz Camera, $50 cheaper than the other big name US stores like Circuit City, and Best Buy, while it retailed here in Toronto for CDN$440. I bought the last one too, although I arrived at the store around 8am after coming back from rounds of early morning shopping madness, after heading out the night before to hit the midnight outlet sales. And was laughing to the cash register when surprisingly they piled on 1 free gift after another with my camera purchase. First, they gave me a free Samsonite camera bag, which was cool..then they put an HP Photo printer in front of me and said it’s yours too…bonus! Then they said, “oh, we ran out of the one you get for free. So, we’ve given you an upgrade that has a digital monitor”..woo hoo! And then they said “here are keys to your new car to go along with it!”…wow! Ok, i may have dreamt the last one, but it sure felt like that! I’m just glad I’m not the person going to Best Buy here in Toronto to get the Nikon S7C for $425 after a whopping $15 discount.