The big noise (pardon the pun) in compact cameras at the moment is high ISO, which in plain English means the ability to avoid using flash in low-light settings. Nikon's boxy but stylish S500 is another high-ISO shooter, going up to ISO 2,000 while squeezing 7.1 megapixels onto a compact camera...

When it's come to stylish, metal-bodied compacts, Nikon has never quite delivered cameras that match Canon's IXUS line in the ‘sexy' stakes. But will this change with the introduction of the Coolpix S500?

Great design; anti-reflection LCD; Vibration Reduction

Bland zoom range; noise above ISO 400

The Nikon Coolpix S500 delivers top-notch image quality. At $300, it may seem a little pricey for a compact camera with a relatively standard...

Optical image stabilization,

Pricey; No optical

The Nikon Coolpix S500 features a 7.1 megapixel CCD image sensor and a Nikkor-branded 3x optical zoom lens. The Coolpix S500 couples this with the company's true optical VR (Vibration Reduction) technology as well.

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In recent months Nikon has been rejuvenating its compact camera range, some parts of which had been looking a bit stale, with some interesting and adventurous new models. Perhaps the kindest thing I can say about them is that some have been more successful than others.

Nikon really shows off its style with its Coolpix S500, a sleek, compact camera that feels every bit as good as it looks. This little shooter has some of the nicest design points we've seen in a small shooter, plus a few handy features normally seen on higher-end cameras.

Small; light stainless steel body; Click wheel interface; Optical image stabilisation; Fast burst shooting

Slow performance; Way too much noise at high ISO settings

Coming into the market clearly positioned as an alternative to Canon's range of ultra compact IXUS cameras, Nikon's COOLPIX S500 is a slim 7.1 megapixel unit which offers a few nifty features such as Optical Image Stabilisation.

Small design; Low chromatic aberration; Speedy burst mode

Very slow focus; Some blurry pictures captured in low light

I love this camera very user friendly and my children like to take pictures as well. When I take a pic if I move the picture does get furry!! looking. So I just make sure I don't move too much. I have considered buying one for my sister.

When looking for a new camera, we wanted something small, easy to use, and that took good pictures.

Compact; solid; easy to use; great pictures

Proprietary battery; flimsy battery/memory card door