Nikon Coolpix S6200 review

A stylish 16MP compact with a 10x zoom lens, 720p video and choice of five colours

Nikon Coolpix S6200
A stylish camera with a 10x zoom lens built-in

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    10x zoom range

  • +

    Durable body

  • +

    Colourful, well exposed images

  • +

    720p HD video

Cons

  • -

    Slow autofocus

  • -

    Unreliable autofocus

  • -

    A finger grip on the front would've made the camera easier to hold steady

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The Nikon Coolpix S6200 sits near the top of the brand's Style range of digital cameras - between the Coolpix S6150 and the Coolpix S8100 - that aims to combine ease of use with compact, stylish designs.

Headline features include the 10x zoom lens, which has been squeezed into a body just 25.4mm deep, weighing just 160g. Behind this lens lies a 16MP CCD sensor, which feeds image information into a Nikon Expeed C2 image processing chip. This chip promises responsive handling, low noise at high ISO sensitivities and smoother 720p video recording than previous versions.

For low-light picture taking and action stopping high shutter speeds, the ISO can be raised as high as ISO 3200, although at this setting, there will be a loss of detail and colour saturation due to noise reduction.

Being aimed at consumers who prefer ease of use to manual operation, this camera comes equipped with a vast array of automatic scene modes. If choosing the appropriate scene mode sounds like a burden, then an automatic scene mode selector will take care of the hard work for you.

Additional modes for creating selective colour, high key and sepia effect photos are also included.

Nikon coolpix s6200

A smart portrait system aims to take the hassle out of shooting portrait images with blink detection, smile detection and skin softening features.

With such a large zoom range - equivalent to 25-250mm on a 35mm camera - on offer in a compact body, Vibration Reduction (VR) is an obligatory feature. The lens shift VR system is backed up by the high ISO and two additional modes for low-light shooting. The Best Shot Selector and Night Landscape modes both promise to aid achieving sharp shots in low lighting conditions.

The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR TEAM'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.