The Coolpix S1, although very
compact, benefits from a 2.5 inch monitor. Camera settings
are shown on the periphery of the monitor, using a mix of
icons and text and the 110,000 pixel resolution of the monitor
is sufficient to make the information quite legible. As decided
by a setting in the Setup menu (see further) the normally
displayed parameters can be limited, showing only the capture
mode in use, and the memory — internal or memory card
— in use. However, whatever the display format, or the
shooting mode in use, the camera's selection for aperture
and shutter speed is never displayed, even when the shutter
release is pressed halfway.
Generally, menus are clear and their presentation on a uniformly
coloured background improves their legibility. Options are
few, and only available when the camera is set to the Auto
Shooting mode. All menus on the Coolpix S1 — shooting,
scene, Movie or playback — start out with an access
to the Setup menu which contains the options that are
directly related to the basic configuration of the camera:
Shooting/Scene/Movie/Playback Menu: returns to
the previous menu.
Welcome Screen: this option serves to select whether
a personal photo, the Nikon Coolpix logo, an animation,
or nothing is displayed when the camera is turned on.
Date: allows setting the time and date on the Coolpix
S1. An additional option allows setting a destination time
zone while travelling.
Monitor Settings allows setting the monitor for:
Photo Info: controls the information superimposed
on the monitor, Show Info, superimposes some
of the basic camera settings; Hide Info, shows
only the capture mode in use.
Brightness: allows adjusting the brightness
of the monitor over 5 levels.
Date Imprint: serves to select whether or not the
date, or date and time will be imprinted on the image permanently.
The options available are: Off (default), Date, Date and
Time and Date counter which shows the number of days separating
the shooting date and a selected date.
Sound Settings controls the sounds produced by
the camera for operation sounds (Button sounds); shutter
sound; Start up sound; and volume.
Blur Warning: controls the display of a warning
symbol when the shutter speed is slow enough that there
is a risk of camera shake causing a blurred image.
Auto Off allows choosing the time delay before
the monitor automatically shuts off to conserve power: 30
seconds (default), 1, 5 or 30 minutes.
Format Memory/Format Card: serves to format the
memory card or the S1's internal memory.
Language selects the interface language: English,
French, German, Italian, Danish, Swedish, Spanish, Japanese,
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese or Korean.
Interface provides 3 sub-options:
USB serves to select the USB protocol, PTP
(for use with PictBridge compliant devices), or Mass
Storage (to have the camera recognized as a removable
mass storage device).
Video Mode: to select the video signal output
by the Coolpix S1 (NTSC or PAL).
Auto Transfer: On or Off. To decide whether
all images marked for transfer are automatically uploaded
to the computer when the camera is placed in its dock.
AF Assist: decides whether or not the camera will
automatically use its AF assist lamp when there is insufficient
light for the autofocus to operate reliably.
Reset All: returns all camera settings to their
default values.
Menus: selects whether menu options are presented
as text or icons.
Firmware Version: displays the current version
number of the firmware (v. 1.0 for the camera tested here).
Nikon includes two printed manuals with the Coolpix S1: one
is a quick start booklet, that provides basic information
so that the camera can be used immediately, the other a more
in-depth manual that details all the camera functions.
Software
(Note that the software included with any camera
can vary from country to country)
The Canadian version of the Coolpix S1 contains 2 CDs: Picture
Project 1.5 for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh on one,
and on the other, the reference manual for the software in a
variety of languages.
In addition, the software disk also provides Arcsoft Panorama
Maker 3.5, QuickTime 6, and Microsoft DirectX
9. If desired, each component can be selected individually
for installation.
Picture Project presents images
as a film strip at the top of one window with the currently
selected image at a large size below, while the right window
pane lists the image's properties including its shooting data.
Meanwhile, the right side window pane provides links to import
images either from folders on the hard drive, a memory card
in a card reader or the camera itself, into the program's
database.
A number of tools are made available
to the user, accessed through a button labelled Edit
at the the top of the main window pane. With these tools,
an image's brightness, colour, and sharpness can be adjusted.
Moreover, images can be converted to black and white or sepia.
Any editing done to the image can be seen immediately.
Beyond these tools, the program also provides procedures
to reduce or eliminate the red-eye effect automatically, change
the orientation of an image, or even apply the software version
of D-Lighting — called D-Lighting HS in Picture Project
— which brings out details in any under exposed area
of an image.
Picture Project can also be used to create
slide shows, prepare photos so that a copy can be used as
an e-mail attachment, see videos captured with the camera,
and burn compilations of photos and/or videos onto a CD or
DVD.
Panorama Maker 3.5, also included, is specifically
designed to assemble a series of photos, captured with the
S1's Panorama mode, into large panoramic images.
And finally, Apple's QuickTime 6 can be used to view
the movies captured with the camera.
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Interface & Software
