The point-and-shoot digicam market has grown by leaps and bounds over the last five years, to the point where annual sales for 2005 are estimated at 23.5 million units and valued at 5 billion dollars. This huge market has attracted both traditional camera makers such as Kodak, Canon, and Nikon as well as mainstream electronics giants such as Sony and Panasonic. At this point, the development of basic digicam technology seems to have plateaued out so that most offerings at similar price points offer similar features and very good to excellent image quality at very reasonable prices. With competition so fierce, manufacturers are looking for new ways to distinguish their offerings from all the other products out there.

Nikon’s Coolpix digital camera line has been well-regarded since its earliest days, and now includes a wide range of 17 models from entry-level to prosumer cameras. The Coolpix S3 fits in the middle of the range and is aimed at the user seeking style combined with ease of use. In the Coolpix S3, Nikon offers a subcompact design with great looks, a generous 6 megapixel imager, a 3X optical zoom lens, a large 2.5 inch LCD screen, and a feature set designed to make it easy to use, even for the beginner. Some of its features lead the user gently in the direction of better picture composition; others are designed to save images which would otherwise be unacceptable. A docking station makes recharging and image transfer to a computer or printer simple and foolproof. All in all, the Coolpix S3 offers a lot of value for its price - $379 list/$280 street.