The Nikon CoolPix L22 is one of Nikon’s entries to the compact budget digital camera market. But don’t let the budget part fool you. While its price is indeed affordable, it comes packed with enough features that make it feel like it was a pricier camera.

The body of the camera is made mostly of plastic but it’s well built that it doesn’t feel cheap and flimsy. It feels solid in your hands and it should withstand the daily abuse that goes with using consumer digital cameras.

Measuring approx. 97.7 x 60.5 x 28.3 mm (3.9 x 2.4 x 1.2 in.), the L22 won’t have trouble fitting in most pockets and handbags. It’s also light enough that you won’t be bothersome to have it in your pocket or bag the whole day.

The L22 starts up pretty quickly and in less than 10 seconds you’re ready to shoot. The 12MP 1/2.3-in. CCD sensor produces good images. Better than the 8MP of the CoolPix L21. Having tried both cameras the L22 produces superior pictures to that of the L21. It’s sharper with less noise.

The 3 inch LCD produces vibrant color but can be a bit misleading because it differs when you actually transfer your pictures to the computer. This is not a deal breaker though. In time you learn to compensate for this.

What’s good about modern compact digital cameras nowadays is the fact that their preset modes are actually quite usable. The L22 is no exception. I found that the scene modes produced great results albeit sometimes I had to use a different scene mode than what was recommended. Experimenting with the presets will help you produce pictures will make your Facebook pictures more attractive.

The Nikon Electronic VR image stabilization as well as motion detection help achieve sharper image. Another feature worth noting is the BSS or Best Shot Selector that aides in achieving better quality pictures.

There’s a movie mode that takes 640×480 videos at 30fps. Enough to get some precious moments up to sites like YouTube.

The L22 uses AA batteries that are readily available at almost any corner store.

The CoolPix L22 has a suggested retail price of Php 5,990 ($140).  Arguably this camera offers a little more bang-for-buck than the cheaper CoolPix L21.

If you have a little more to spend on a budget compact digital camera, I would definitely suggest giving the L22 consideration.

Key Features (from Nikon.com) view complete specs here.

• 1/2.3-in. CCD; total pixels: approx. 12.39 million
• 3.6x zoom NIKKOR; 6.7-24.0mm (35mm [135] format picture angle: 37-134mm); f/3.1-6.7; Digital zoom: up to 4x (35mm [135] format picture angle: Approx. 536mm)
• 7.5cm(3-in.), approx. 230k-dot, TFT LCD
• Internal memory (approx. 19 MB), SD memory cards
• Electronic VR
• ISO sensitivity Auto (auto gain ISO 80-1600)
• Hi-Speed USB Interface
• Dimensions – Approx. 97.7 x 60.5 x 28.3 mm (3.9 x 2.4 x 1.2 in.) excluding projections
• Weight – Approx. 183 g (6.5 oz.) with battery and SD memory card

Likes

• Decent build quality
• 12MP image sensor produces good images
• Affordable price

Dislikes

• LCD color doesn’t reflect true image colors

Philippine SRP Php 5,990

Dickoy

Writer by day and web developer by night. Dickoy loves all things Apple and can't stand to be away from his MacBook Pro or iPhone. He's written for several magazines and blogs over the past few years. He's still amazed that people actually pay him to write. His favorite noodles: macaroni.

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