NIKON COOLPIX L28 Digital Camera

NIKON COOLPIX L28 DIGITAL CAMERA

VERDICT: A good looking point-and-shoot camera with average performance.

FOR: Very easy to use; wide angle lens; 20 MP sensor.

AGAINST: No image stabilization; average photo quality; slow initialization.

 

The L28 isn’t larger than a pack of cards. Weighting 164gm, it’s quite portable and doesn’t feel too heavy in the pocket. The lens of the L28 starts from 26 mm and extends to 130 mm ( 5x optical zoom). The zoom comes in handy for shooting close-ups from short distances. However, the lack of optical image stabilization makes it challenging to get blur-free handled shots in low light.

 The rear is dominated by a 3-inch LCD monitor and the control panel to its right. The control panel comprises a 5-way D-pad and a dedicated button for video recording. The D-pad has shortcuts to the functions you would use the most- flash settings, EV, macro mode and self-timer. The L28 is powered by a pair of AA batteries, which is an advantage. If the camera runs out of juice, simply use spare batteries.

   The photo quality of the L28 just about average. Even 20-megapixel shots taken in board daylight are noisy. The nose is in the form of coarse grains, especially in dark areas. To top this, colour noise and chromatic aberration results in colour deviation and undesirable fringing against backlight and light colours. However, these flaws are only noticeable when you view the photos at 100 percent zoom. They look pretty good when you view them rescaled to your monitor’s resolution. The quality of video recording is also average.

  The price may sound attractive for a 20-megapixel camera, but it isn’t. We suggest you consider other options such as Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W710 or Canon PowerShot A2500, which boast of almost the same price tags.