Nikon CoolPix S1000pj review

We have a soft spot for cameras with unusual features, and there are few more unusual – and fun – than the Nikon CoolPix S1000pj. Inside its unassuming-looking shell lurks a projector that’s capable of creating a 40in image on the nearest available surface.

We’ve seen similar technology in mobile phone-sized micro projectors, using an LED lamp with a brightness of just 10 lumens. Building it into a digital camera gives it much more of a sense of purpose. The low brightness is a limitation, though, rendering it useless in natural light and restricting the picture size to around 12 inches under household lighting.

Still, for sharing photos and videos with friends, it certainly beats huddling around the 2.7in screen. The projector’s 640x480 resolution is impressive, as is the one-hour battery life, although bear in mind that the battery has to handle photographic duties too.

Operating the projector couldn’t be easier, with a dedicated button to activate it, a slider for focus and an infrared remote to avoid wobbles as you advance to the next picture. It’s a shame there’s no orientation sensor, and portrait-shaped photos are projected on their side.

Dedicated micro projectors cost from around £200, so it’s no surprise that the S1000pj is, in other respects, an unremarkable mid-price compact camera. Its controls are basic point-and-shoot fare and video recording is at VGA resolution.

The metal body looks smart and the 5x zoom wide-angle lens is welcome, but its f/3.9 aperture struggles in low light. Photos taken at high ISO speeds were seriously blotchy, so the flash is mandatory when shooting indoors. Outdoor photography was much better, but some noise was still visible and corner focus was a little soft.

This camera will dazzle friends and family, but perhaps only once or twice. We can easily imagine S1000pj owners boring others with slideshows of photos taken just moments beforehand. We’d rather just enjoy the moment, and use Picasa or Flickr to share our photos a few days later.