Nikon Coolpix S9500 Review

By

Review posted 06/04/2013

Quick Take
Pros
  • Large 22x optical zoom lens in a thin camera is a great feature
  • Image quality is good with sharp photos and realistic colors
  • 18MP of resolution is available
  • Plenty of aspect ratio and resolution options
  • Start-up time is very fast
  • Almost no shutter lag problems
  • Popup flash unit and CMOS image sensor provide good low light results versus other point-n-shoot cameras
  • Display screen is sharp and bright
  • Auto mode makes camera very easy to use
  • Built-in GPS and Wi-Fi are handy options to have available
  • Dedicated recording movie button
  • HDMI port included
  • Mode dial makes camera easy to use
Cons
  • No advanced manual control options
  • Very limited shooting modes
  • Uses small 1/2.3-inch image sensor
  • Menu structure is a little tough to navigate
  • Selections included on mode dial are odd
  • Battery life should be better
  • No separate battery charger included, so battery must be charged in camera
  • Although the S9500 has some interesting features, price point seems a bit high for what's basically a point-n-shoot camera
Bottom Line
The Nikon Coolpix S9500 digital camera provides a very odd configuration of features in today's marketplace. The S9500 produces good quality images, offers a large optical zoom measurement, and includes both GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities, all in a thin camera. With a suggested price of $350, you'd expect the Coolpix S9500 to have some advanced shooting features to go along with those really nice physical features, but this isn't the case. Nikon has designed the S9500 as a point-n-shoot camera with minimal manual control features. Forcing yourself to shell out $300-plus for a point-n-shoot camera may seem difficult, but this model would be one of the few with which you could justify that price tag, as long as you'll frequently use the GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities. Read more in our Full Conclusion.
S9500_BK_front_lo.jpg
Nikon's newly announced (early 2013) Coolpix S9500 is a compact pocket-sized digital camera with a 22x optical zoom lens. In 35mm terms, we're talking 25mm-550mm. The 18.1-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor is capable of shooting high quality images, even in lower lighting conditions, as well as capturing Full HD 1080p video; which will look great on the camera's bright 3.0-inch OLED display. 

Nikon has also included a few built-in effects, like Glamour Retouch and Skin Softening, to help enhance or stylize your photos. And built-in GPS and WiFi mean you can, when using Nikon's Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility app (available for iOS or Android devices), geo-tag and instantly share your latest digital pics online.

Nikon Coolpix S9500 Features
  • 22x optical zoom lens (25-550mm equivalent)
  • 18.1-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor
  • Full HD 1080p Video Recording
  • Vibration Reduction (VR)
  • 3.0-inch OLED display
  • Glamour Retouch
  • Skin Softening
  • Quick Effects
  • Built-in GPS
  • Built-in WiFi
  • Li-ion battery (good for 200+ photos)
  • SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot

With color options like silver, black, red, or orange, the Nikon Coolpix S9500 is available now with a MSRP of $349.95. See our lowest price button at the top right of this page for the most current online pricing.

What's in the box?:
  • S9500 camera body
  • AN-CP 19 Strap
  • UC-E6 USB Cable
  • EG-CP16 Audio/Video Cable
  • EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
  • EH-70P AC Adapter/Charger
  • NikonView NX2


Next: Specifications

Visitors of Steves can visit the stores below for real-time pricing and availability. You can also find hot, soon to expire online offers on a variety of cameras and accessories at our very own Camera Deals page.

Buy related cameras and accessories from Amazon.com
Related Product Description Price
Casio Exilim EX-Z110 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Casio Exilim EX-Z110 6MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom $279.95
FinePix XP60 16MP 5X Blue FinePix XP60 16MP 5X Blue FinePix XP60 16MP 5X Blue FinePix XP60 16MP 5X Blue $264.99
Canon Speedlite 320EX Flash with LED Light with (4) Batteries & Charger + Cleaning Kit for EOS 60D, 7D, 1D X, 5D Mark II III, Rebel SL1, T5i, T4i, T3i, T3 Digital SLR Camera Canon Speedlite 320EX Flash with LED Light with (4) Batteries & Charger + Cleaning Kit for EOS 60D, 7D, 1D X, 5D Mark II III, Rebel SL1, T5i, T4i, T3i, T3 Digital SLR Camera $264.95
Nikon Digital Camera COOLPIX L820 RD Red L820RD Nikon Digital Camera COOLPIX L820 RD Red L820RD $264.56
Olympus SP-820UZ iHS Digital Camera Kit (Black). Includes: 8GB Memory Card + High Speed Memory Card Reader + Table Top Tripod + LCD Screen Protectors + Cleaning Kit + Carrying Case Olympus SP-820UZ iHS Digital Camera Kit (Black). Includes: 8GB Memory Card + High Speed Memory Card Reader + Table Top Tripod + LCD Screen Protectors + Cleaning Kit + Carrying Case $264.00
STK's Nikon EN-EL12 Battery Charger - for Nikon Coolpix S9200, AW100, S9500, S9300, S800c, S6300, S8200,P310, S9100, S6200, S6100, S8100, S9050, P300, S6000, S1200pj, S8000, S70, AW110, S630, AW100s, P330, S1100pj, S31, S610, S1000pj, S9400, S620, S640, S6150, AW110s STK's Nikon EN-EL12 Battery Charger - for Nikon Coolpix S9200, AW100, S9500, S9300, S800c, S6300, S8200,P310, S9100, S6200, S6100, S8100, S9050, P300, S6000, S1200pj, S8000, S70, AW110, S630, AW100s, P330, S1100pj, S31, S610, S1000pj, S9400, S620, S640, S6150, AW110s $69.99
STK's Nikon EN-EL12 Battery - 1400mAh for Nikon Coolpix S9200, AW100, S9500, S9300, S800c, S6300, S8200,P310, S9100, S6200, S6100, S8100, S9050, P300, S6000, S1200pj, S8000, S70, AW110, S630, AW100s, P330, S1100pj, S31, S610, S1000pj, S9400, S620, S640, S6150, AW110s STK's Nikon EN-EL12 Battery - 1400mAh for Nikon Coolpix S9200, AW100, S9500, S9300, S800c, S6300, S8200,P310, S9100, S6200, S6100, S8100, S9050, P300, S6000, S1200pj, S8000, S70, AW110, S630, AW100s, P330, S1100pj, S31, S610, S1000pj, S9400, S620, S640, S6150, AW110s $49.99