Nikon's new wireless compact works with just-launched online service

Coolpix Connect online service lets users download images direcly to website

24 August 2006 11:50 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Hidden in amongst Nikon’s five new compact models is a wireless compact, the Coolpix S7c, which deserves a closer look.

To support the camera’s wireless capabilities, Nikon also launched a new photo service called Coolpix Connect, designed to make sharing images straight from the camera easier.

The S7c can send images wireless to a PC instantly, and can be user programmed to recognise its own home server, so that photos can be delivered to the PC through a WEP encryption.

In Transfer mode, the camera automatically reaches out to the nearest wireless connection to see if it can beam images to Coolpix Connect.

The service lets users share up to 30 images at a time, choose the size of the images to send, and upload up to 50MB of data at a time.

The in-camera address book stores up to 30 contacts, while other email addresses can be added manually, so that friends can be notified via email when new images are online to view or download.

The camera’s picture-taking ability is not too shabby, with a 7.1MP sensor, a 35-105mm zoom lens, a 3.0-inch LCD, and High Sensitivity mode that goes up to ISO 1600.

Vibration Reduction capabilities has also been incorporated to compensate for camera shake.

Costing £299.99 and released in September 2006, the camera features One-touch portrait button, as well as 15 different Scene modes, and a Stop-motion movie function for animated movies.C