Nikon Coolpix S640

Design

Featuring a flat front panel and a boxy countenance, the S640 doesn't scream anything in particular when you take it out of the box. There are no dangerous curves, no odd protrusions or quirky exterior additions. It's a lightweight, pocket-sized camera that houses a 5x optical zoom, with a wide-angle 28mm lens. It weighs 110g without a battery or memory card which is very light indeed, and it certainly feels dainty as it sits in your hand.

Around the back are standard controls, including a scroll wheel that also acts as a four-way directional pad for choosing shooting options, a playback button and a mode button to switch between shooting modes. By pressing the mode button a whole world of opportunities opens up — full automatic is the first one, followed by scene modes which cover the standard portrait/sports/flowers/food options, and then comes Smart Portrait. Blemishes be gone, with the skin softening effect provided in this mode. Next up comes subject tracking, and finally movie mode (though not HD, unfortunately).

The back of the S640 features the standard Nikon controls. (Credit: Nikon)

Inside is a 12.2-megapixel sensor and the highest sensitivity is ISO 6400. Given the poor track record of previous compact cameras which claim to be able to deliver images at this high level, we won't be holding our breath in regards to the quality of the images at the aforementioned sensitivity. The 2.7-inch screen completes the noteworthy specifications.

The S640 uses SD or SDHC memory cards which slot in alongside the battery at the base of the camera. There's also a tripod mount located underneath as well.

In terms of where the S640 sits in regards to its competitors, we decided to test it head-to-head with the Editors' Choice-winning Canon IXUS 120 IS, a camera that retails for the same price (AU$499) and has a similar feature set, as well as being similarly sized.