Bewitching - that is how I would describe the way Nikon design cameras. I, like a lot of other people, have owned Nikon digital cameras. The way that they are designed is very impressive - the thought that goes into the camera user experience and often the very clever use of components. These "fun and leisure" models (as the Nikon website describes them) are not of the highest quality though. As the website itself implies, if you want better quality components you need to pick from the "hobbyist and enthusiast" range of cameras. In their favour, these cameras are well built and the "easy to use" modes work well.
So while these cameras will attract many Nikon fans, please read on to find out what I actually thought of the pictures it took...
Appearances
The L3 and L4 come in a very attractive shell case with smooth curves and rounded corners. The CoolPix L4 comes in silver, while its higher resolution sibling comes in silver or a smart black. The shiny plastic of the case feels quite thick. This factor combined with the weight of the camera (with the 2 AA batteries loaded) gives the camera a high quality feel, unlike many of its competitors.
These two Nikons are fully automatic - everything is controlled using the screen menu and the quite small buttons beside the screen. In other words, there is no multi-mode dial at the top of the camera to change from mode to mode; instead one has to drill down into the menu using the screen. At the bottom right of the camera screen is the main mode switch, which gives the user the choice of scene mode, still picture mode (manual) and movie mode.
Features and Advantages
The L4 digital camera has 4 mega pixels and the L3 has 5 mega pixels plus the ability to take audio clips and movies with sound (the L4 just takes movies without sound). These are the main differences between the two models, so from now on we will talk about the L4. It is a fully automatic camera and most functions are controlled using the screen displaying the menu and the "compass" control beside the screen. In camera automatic mode (as opposed to "scene" mode) we are actually offered a lot of different settings. These settings include, best shot mode, different colour modes, 5 different resolutions, 6 white balance settings, exposure compensation up to plus or minus EV 2 and 5 different resolutions. The colour modes which are interesting are standard colour, vivid colour, black and white, sepia and cyanotype (a blueish monotone). The shot modes include single shot and 16 multishot (with continuous shooting mode on the L3 only). So this is really a simple camera. There is no separate control over aperture (the size of the hole), shutter speed or ISO film speed.
However, switch to "scene" mode and these settings are cancelled out and the camera does all the settings for you. There are 15 different scene modes - 4 with scene assist. These include everything from firework to macro to the most popular modes such as landscape and portrait, which have scene assist. For example, portrait mode allows the user drill down further to select where the people are in the frame.
The good thing about these user modes is that they engage the user of the camera and make one think about the type of picture they are taking. In other words, because the menu is designed in a simple and fun way, it encourages the user to play around with the features. Indeed, once the setting has been set in "scene" mode it takes this one step further where grid lines or people shaped outlines are transposed onto the viewing screen, making it easy for the user to think about composition.
Some other features which I thought were good included multishot mode, which puts a sequence of 16 shots onto one photo. The 16 shots are taken over about 2 or 3 seconds so they are great for action sequences. Likewise, panoramic mode works well and the macro mode also gives the user satisfactory results.
Disadvantages
What I did not like in landscape scene mode was the quality of the colours, which seemed too bright. There was also very little definition in the highlights. The bright colours combined with the lack of detail in the highlights, gave a washed out effect. Indoors the white balance setting for indoor light produced an exaggerated blue or purple tinge. There was also a significant shutter lag. Generally, for landscape shots I found the photos slightly out of focus. Although the camera, may have taken better photos in "sunny" mode, it did seem to be struggling to keep all of the photos sharp.
Who would be interested in this camera...?
This is not a top quality camera. However, in general it does adjust well to a range of different type of photo. For landscape photos it produced the same sort of results as a disposable film camera and other digital cameras in the same price bracket. This camera would be good for a learner photographer or a young person that does not mind particularly about the quality of the photos, but would like to play around with an easy to use 'point and shoot' camera. For a traveller or backpacker it would be a good camera because of its sturdy plastic build. It would also be a handy tool for work too. The audio feature on the L3 would enable audio notes to be taken as well. Basically, this camera is designed for someone who expects to take a lot of photos and does not necessarily expect to get a great shot every time. This capability is underlined when we think about the battery life - around 300 shots from 2 Nickel Metal Hydride batteries.
Other cameras in the same general price range (£129-169) include the Canon A510; a large camera which is easy to use and has a slightly better x4 optical zoom. On the down side, it does only have 3.2 mega pixels, but will produce good photos up to 9 x 6 inches. This camera is also very good value (£99 from Boots). Also consider the Fuji FinePix A350, which is similar to the L3, with 5 mega pixels and a digital menu (£116 from Boots). The build quality and menu are not quite as good as the Nikon. The Panasonic FX8 is a great camera with an excellent lens, which takes superior landscape photos. It has features that the Nikon lacks, like slow shutter speed mode. It is very good value (Jessops, £179).
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Ease of use 
Functions 
Value for Money 
Overall 
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In conclusion, this is a neat well designed camera. This camera is not for a serious photographer though as the landscape photos were washed out. Macro and people shots produced better results. The Nikon L3 and L4 are neat little gadgets and in general most amateur users will not be disappointed.
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