There’s a new generation of digital cameras on the market called, aptly enough, ultra-compacts. Usually point-and-click devices with no optical viewfinder – but boasting 2.5 inches monitors on the back – they’re literally pocket-sized and deliver great photos. Nikon has just entered this niche with its Coolpix S1 model which we’re about to review.

The Coolpix S1 is a 5.1 megapixels ultra-compact digital camera with white, silver and black options for its body color. It’s extremely stylish and feels like a cigarette holder inside the pocket – being just 89.9mm wide by 57.5mm high by 19.7mm deep and weighting only 118 g. Its Nikkor ED lens (with a focal range of 5.8mm to 17.4 mm which is equivalent to 35mm to 105 mm) offers a 3x optical focus with a twist: the lens doesn’t come out but instead travels inside the length of the body, using a prism to make the light hit the CCD sensor. This system was pioneered on the Minolta Dimage-X and is responsible for the Coolpix S1 thinness. The lens is protected by a cover which opens whenever the camera is on – however the lens gets more dirty than usual and requires an antistatic flannel at hand to be kept clean. 

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Figure 1: Front of the camera and lens.