The S4000 is nicely dressed for its price. The ultracompact metal

The good: Stylish ultracompact design; responsive 3-inch touch-screen display.

The bad: Inconsistent autofocus; poor low-light photos, performance.

The bottom line: Nikon's budget-friendly Coolpix S4000 offers up a large, responsive touch screen, but its performance will test your patience.

Normally when there's a performance complaint about a touch-screen camera, it's about the responsiveness of the display. That's not true for the Nikon Coolpix S4000. Its touch controls respond well to both fingertips and the included stylus. Nikon makes the screen useful, too, not just relegating it to functions that would be better suited for physical buttons. The performance problems are related to the autofocus system, which is inconsistent at best, and general shooting speeds. There is little discernible distortion when the lens is extended. Center sharpness is good, but there was visible softness in the top right corner of the lens on my review camera. This is only noticeable when photos are viewed at 100 percent, though. Purple/blue fringing on high-contrast subjects is typical of this class of camera, but the S4000 displays an above-average amount of it. It's especially visible on off-center subjects and background objects.

At sensitivities at and below ISO 200, the camera produces bright, vibrant, and reasonably accurate colors, though reds seem to blow out. Clipped highlights are a problem for this camera (as well as many point-and-shoots), however exposure is generally OK, and white balance is fairly accurate, too.

Movie quality is on par with a pocket video camera; it's good but jittery when the shooter or subject is moving. Keep the camera still and you'll get decent clips for Web sharing. You don't get use of the optical zoom while recording; only digital zoom is available.

The Nikon Coolpix S4000 is not an easy recommendation. If your endgame is great photos regardless of lighting conditions, it's definitely a pass. Its inconsistent autofocus and somewhat slow shooting performance can make it frustrating to use, too. On the other hand, the touch-screen interface is responsive, and the camera is capable of taking a decent snapshot in bright lighting. The wide-angle lens and Smart Portrait system make it an adequate choice for portraits if they're for Web use or small prints with little or no cropping. The S4000 is otherwise too much of a compromise for the money.

Great camera for the steady-handed

Overall, this is a good camera, especially for taking pictures outside. The pros are that it is small and easy to transport; battery life is good; it does a great job in macro mode if using a tripod; it produces beautiful, rich colors; screen is a nice size; and the video camera works better than expected.
Cons are that it is difficult to hold steady and thus, photos are often blurry (unless a tripod/monopod is used): this is most definitely my biggest complaint. It does not have a battery indicator that shows how much battery life is left. The indicator will appear once and show the battery to be about half used but you can easily be caught by surprise since there is no other warning before the battery is completely exhausted. If you are in a situation where you cannot use a flash inside and the lighting is not optimal, it will not take good quality pictures.

nokon s4000

The Nikon Coolpix S4000 is a 12-megapixel point-and-shoot digital camera with a large 3 inch touch-screen LCD and 720p High Definition movie recording capability. Equipped with a 4x, 27-108mm equivalent zoom lens, the S4000 features an innovative Touch Shutter function to take a picture, automatically setting the correct focus and exposure for the touched item.

Refurbished Nikon Coolpix S4000 is a winner!

I've used a Nikon Coolpix for 10+ years and it finally stopped working, so I found this refurbished S4000 and gave it a try. It arrived in a Nikon box, with all the necessary attachments and instructions, including a battery recharger. (Hooray, no more expensive lithium batteries to buy!) At 12 megapixels and 4x zoom, it provides clear and sharp photos, well beyond my everyday requirements. The touchscreen is sensitive and convenient and the camera is remarkably user-friendly. Even if you don't read the instruction manual right away, you can get the hang of things quickly. I like the framed autofocus feature, which allows you to choose a face--very good for close ups, too. Best of all, this camera is so small and lightweight, I can easily slip it in a pocket or handbag and take it everywhere. (It's lighter in weight than my cellphone.) I did buy a larger memory card (8G) for it, which holds lots of photos. Without a card, the internal memory can hold about a dozen on it's own. I've never tried a refurbished product before and now I am sold, especially since the price was only $60 and comparable cameras are 3 times that price. I didn't bother with the Nikon download software, and use the simple Picassa3 program instead. Overall, for ease of use, sharpness of photos, touch screen, size, weight and power, this little camera is a winner.

Takes great pictures and very easy to operate

I bought the Nikon Coolplex S4000 a month ago and was immediately impressed with the number of features available on this easy to operate digital camera. With the 12M-pixel and 4X Zoom capabilities it's easy to share GREAT pictures and video's of my new puppy as well as my other two dogs with friends and family.

The Nikon Coolplex S4000 size is perfect for carrying in a pocket and the battery has a pretty good lifespan. My only complaint is the cover over where the USB cable connects to the camera to charge the battery. For me, it is not that easy to open. Overall, I would highly recommend this camera as you get LOTS of bang for your money.