Nikon Coolpix A review – Our verdict
Combining a small compact camera body and an APS-C-sized sensor, the Nikon Coolpix A delivers both convenience and high image quality. The camera has all the features that most enthusiast photographers would want from a fixed-lens compact camera, although there are a few quirks affecting the camera’s handling.
While the lack of a built-in viewfinder or EVF may concern some people, the trade-off is a small, genuinely pocketable camera that will serve landscape, documentary and travel photographers well.
The image quality can’t be argued with, and the amount of resolved detail and edge-to-edge sharpness of the lens equals the competition, as does the Coolpix A’s performance in low light. Images really are excellent.
At around £999, the Nikon Coolpix A is reasonably priced given the features it boasts and will be a welcome addition to many a photographer’s camera bag.
Nikon Coolpix A – Key features
Flash and hotshoe
On top of the Coolpix A is a hotshoe that is compatible with Nikon Speedlights, but there is also a small pop-up flash. This has a guide number of 6m @ ISO 100, so should be bright enough to add a touch of fill-in flash for portraits in backlit or low-light conditions.
On/Off
Instead of a switch, the Coolpix A has an on/off lever that requires only a very slight nudge to operate it. When the camera is switched on, it powers up in around 0.5sec and is ready for action.
GPS/Wi-Fi socket
This socket allows the Nikon WU-1a Wi-Fi adapter or the GP-1 GPS unit to be connected to the camera. With the WU-1a attached, images can be transferred to a smartphone or tablet, or uploaded directly online. The device also allows the camera to be controlled remotely. The Nikon GP-1 GPS allows location data to be embedded into images.
SD cards
The Coolpix A is compatible with SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards, with the card socket situated next to the battery on the bottom of the camera.
Image: The amount of fine detail that can be resolved is impressive, and very little sharpening needs to be done when processing raw images
