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.
