Nikon COOLPIX L26 16.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens and 3-inch LCD (Red)

10 comments

1. Chris Hytrek

   January 1, 2013 at 2:16 am

   

   I got this camera because of its portability and it seemed to have some good reviews. Boy, am I disappointed! I have tried numerous setting and light condition, but half the pictures turn out blurry. Sometimes it doesn’t take a picture right away, I have to press the button several times. I am now shopping around for another portable camera.
2. Mary J. Norman

   January 3, 2013 at 5:16 pm

   

   I truly deeply LOVE this camera; it is sooo easy to use and the quality is there. It even lets you select the final size of your photos in pixels. Uploading pictures is a PLEASURE, NOTHING COMPLICATED IN USING IT, unlike other digitals. It is truly a point and shoot camera! I take photos of fast moving puppies and it keeps up with them, no blurs! I recommend it to all! The price was more than worth it without having to spend thousand(s) of dollars. It is meant for the amateur photographer and is simply an absolute VERY TRUE JOY to use! I can’t say enough about this VERY excellent camera. Wish I had had it years ago, but maybe it would not be the excellent camera it is today! This is the VERY best digital camera I have ever used and meets all my needed requirements, especially for the puppies in picture taking! It replaces the KODAK cameras I have used over the last 11 years with Kodak now going out of business in this area anyway. I recommend it to all amateurs, well worth the money which is not that much.
3. Richard

   January 3, 2013 at 7:00 pm

   

   This is my second Coolpix camera. The first one was when they first came out, so it was basic and no video capacity.
   This one has it all…interesting features…a little complex for a novice, but easy use when using the camera in default from the factory.
   It can sense pictures when you smile or have your eyes closed and compensate…really cool (you have to pre-set these features from default).
   Worth $109.00.
   It doesn’t come with rechargeable batteries and it takes 4 AA. You can buy that option.
   You can also get a generic/universal underwater kit to take underwater pix (the camera is NOT waterproof.
   Many more interesting features…good buy.
4. nick

   January 4, 2013 at 4:09 am

   

   Received this camera about a month ago, and even though it is a point and shoot camera, there are a lot of options to learn, so I am taking the time to do just that! I actually read the instructions (downnloaded the PDF manual)and fleshing it out…the 3″ screen was the main draw to this camera, as was the price-under $120.00, and the simple controls that sit just right of the screen….also the fact I can use regular AA batteries and/or rechargeable…comes in 3 choices of finish-red, black or silver. Good documentation available…Nice camera for the price!
5. apodtoo

   January 5, 2013 at 8:52 am

   

   I wanted to love this camera based on the other reviews, but it came up short for me. Because I do a lot of high-resolution scrapbooks and greeting cards featuring my kids, I needed a camera that could outshine the 8MP camera on my iPhone (and let’s face it, the iPhone’s zoom feature is a joke). 16MP was more than enough, and the pictures came out beautiful, but there’s a fatal flaw on this camera I just can’t ignore:

   It’s useless for children. My toddlers move -fast-, and the shutter speed on this camera is absolutely appalling. By the time the camera is able to capture the shot, the moment is completely lost and gone, and that’s 50% of the reason I wanted a new camera (the MP resolution being the other 50%). At least now I know when I go to buy a different camera to watch for this feature. I find it incredible that my phone captures photos more instantaneously than a Nikon.

   If all you take is still shots, this may be the camera for you. I was impressed with the photo quality, the make of the camera, the ease of use, and the controls. The zoom feature is great but again, much too slow to capture the nanosecond of time children are stationary. The 3″ LCD is also very good quality and the auto-focus works very well. The auto scene settings are really all you need to create great photos.

   All in all, this is a good, but not a great buy. I can’t overlook the Achilles’ heel of the ultra-slow shutter, but I would recommend this for someone who only needs still or landscape portraiture.

   UPDATE 4/5/12: after returning this camera (thanks Amazon), I purchased the Panasonic DMC25K. Although about $35.00 separates these cameras, I was more than satisfied with my new purchase. The Panasonic’s shutter speed, controls, and scene modes are far superior for such a small price difference. If you’re shopping around with a little flexibility in price, I can’t recommend the Panasonic DMC25K enough over this Nikon.
6. Jeff K.

   January 5, 2013 at 11:29 am

   

   There was too long of a delay between pressing the button and the picture being taken. And that was when it worked. Sometimes we had to press the button two or three times before it would take a picture. Then, when it did take a photo, it wouldn’t let us take another one right away. We had to wait several seconds before it was possible to take a second shot. Very frustrating. Picture quality wasn’t very good either. We sent our camera back to Amazon and got a refund. Yeah, Amazon. Boo, Nikon.
7. E. Chiaretti

   January 6, 2013 at 4:16 am

   

   What a great little camera. Point and shoot and the picture quality is fantastic. Large view field for those needing glasses. I love it
8. Ivan Volcof

   January 6, 2013 at 5:51 am

   

   When buying electronics on the internet you never really know what you’re getting; sure the details of the device sound impressive but are they really, and is it the best deal possible with the constant progress in technology? (Hopefully this review will answer those questions.)

   The Nikon Coolpix L26 is simply an excellent camera for an excellent price. 16 mega pixels make the photo clear and crisp; good for landscapes, amateur photography, and candid photos. The 5x Zoom is adequate and suits the camera very well. Best of all, the camera is very easy to use and because its battery operated all you need to do is insert the batteries and a memory card and you’re good to go.

   In conclusion if you want a good camera for a low price that’s pretty idiot proof this is the one for you and apparently is for me as well.
9. Cheryl

   January 6, 2013 at 8:12 pm

   

   This is a great camera, very easy to use. I am very happy with my purchase and would recommend this product.
10. phatarmywife

    January 6, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    

    I bought this camera to have something handy in my purse or pocket at all times. I food blog, I submit random shots to the local news and I like to take quick snapshots on the go when I find a cool craft or when I see a location that I might want to go back to with clients and take some REAL photos.

    All my professional gear is Canon. I have Nikon cameras but I honestly prefer Canon because I like the color and sharpness I get with Canon and it just feels good in my hand.

    Brand preference is a personal thing some people like Nikon better and I am fine with that I am not here to argue the Canon v.s. Nikon attributes.

    What I like about this camera: It uses an SD card and if you will invest in a quality SD card that has some speed to it you will be happy because the faster the photos load to the card, the shorter time you will have to wait between shots.
    It uses 2 AA batteries and they are handy, cheap and I never have to worry about forgetting to charge the batteries, (remember I want something that is ALWAYS handy and ready). This camera is very light even when the batteries are in, but it feels more substantial in my hand than the fujifilm or the sony or the samsung did, they feel “pastic-y”. I like the red color it is rich looking, I like the 3 inch viewing screen, but I hate not having a viewfinder (that is just something I am used to and will have to learn to work with) . On the plus side I can wear glasses and still take great photos. I like the one touch switch over to video, but admittedly I will probably never use the video feature. The menu and shooting modes are easy to navigate, it is very simple to change from portrait to landscape to museum and back to auto. I never even took out the instructions and I was taking photos in less than 3 minutes after opening the box. Hard to beat a 16 MP camera for $99. If you find a better one let me know I will take this one back and buy it.

    What I do NOT like about this camera: blurred and distorted photos when using the zoom. In order to get a good photo I have to zoom slowly and if I edit on screen before transferring to iPhoto, it seems to minimize the blurring.

    Indoor shots are a little disappointing unless you have time to snap, look at it to be sure, and re-take shots, in other words take several shots and try different modes I would say that 6 out of 10 indoor shots are usable.
    If you expect to take “spontaneous” snap shots quickly to catch first steps for example I am not entirely confident you will get them. The lag time is a MAJOR dislike for me, by the time It focuses and flashes my subject has moved.

    I was able to edit most pictures and they looked fine on Facebook once posted. Could I blow these up to a 24X36 and hang it on my wall? probably not it would look blurred.

    Bottom line this camera performs as expected for a basic point and shoot. I think most people who take pictures for fun, or to share with friends and family, or like me to have something acceptable for Facebook type images, you would be happy with it. If you are looking for WOW, AMAZING, PROFESSIONAL photos this is not the camera for you. I think that Fuji Finepix T400 camera with the 16MP and he 40X Zoom would blow this one away, but it is $459 so I would expect it to be better than this one.