Nikon L840 digital camera: specifications, customer and professional reviews

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:35

The Nikon Coolpix L840 digital camera has replaced the L830 model. And if their appearance is not much different, then the characteristics of the novelty have improved somewhat. This is a pseudo-reflex camera with a fairly large optical zoom and an affordable price. What else can boast of Nikon L840? Reviews of professionals and amateurs, detailed characteristics, pros and cons of the model - all this you will find in our review.

Appearance and usability

The compact camera Nikon Coolpix L840 in the manufacturer's line occupies an intermediate position between conventional digital and SLR cameras. With the latter, it has only a superficial resemblance, and from the former it has adopted ease of use.

Even the main buttons of the camera have such an arrangement as on digital cameras, and its large body fits comfortably in the hand. Rubberized grips prevent slipping, while the shutter button and zoom wheel fit comfortably under your index finger.

Shooting from multiple angles is no problem as the 3-inch screen tilts 90 degrees up or 85 degrees down. It has a high resolution - 921k dots - and very good anglesreview, which will allow you to accurately determine the color quality and exposure of the picture.

There is a tripod mount on the bottom of the case and a common cover that provides access to batteries and a memory card.

Settings

The usual wheel with different shooting scenarios is missing, so you have to press the Scene button to the right of the display to access them. You can choose between default modes, auto mode, and 18 other scenarios, including Panorama mode.

This button also gives you access to 9 electronic filters.

Auto mode is very similar to that of digital cameras. The user can adjust the white balance, ISO value and select the focus point using the Menu button.

In the menu you will also find burst mode, frame size and quality adjustment.

But the exposure compensation (exposure compensation) button on the right of the selector to control the settings. Its value can be changed to +/- 2 EV (it returns to its original value when the Nikon L840 is turned off).

The rest of the selector is used like this:

• top - flash control;
• left side - timer for delayed shooting;
• bottom - macro focusing (in auto mode).

The flash itself must be manually opened using the button, which is located just under the fingers of the left hand. This is quite handy because you can be sure that it will not work at the wrong time.

On the veryOn the left side of the lens is a slow zoom lever. Nearby is a button for setting cropping when working with lenses with a large focal length.

Specifications

Nikon L840 is not slow. It turns on and takes a picture in 1.4 seconds, focusing quickly in good light. The camera slows down a little when zooming in and when shooting in dark conditions, but overall it works quickly. Some numbers:

• shutter speed - from 1/1500 - 1 sec, up to 4 seconds for shooting at night in Fireworks mode;
• maximum image resolution is 4608 x 3456 (file size is about 7 MB);
• matrix sensitivity - 16 million colors;
• ISO range - 125-1600, in auto mode - up to 6400;
• lens - NIKKOR, 12 elements in 9 groups;
• lens focal length - 4.0-152mm;
• zoom - optical 38x, digital - 4x, Dynamic Fine Zoom 76x.

This is what is included in the basic package of Nikon L840: instructions, 4 batteries (alkaline), lens cap, USB cable, shoulder strap and the camera itself.

Battery

Power supply is an extremely important aspect for portable equipment. Nikon Coolpix L840 is powered by 4 AA batteries. This feature has its pros and cons. Obviously, batteries are much easier to find in an emergency than it is to replace a lost or damaged battery, or charge it on the go. But their price determines their quality and the number of pictures you can take, and withOver time, they will inevitably lose their characteristics. So, expensive nickel-metal hydride batteries will last longer, and with one full charge they give about 740 shots, and cheaper alkaline ones (which come with the camera) - up to 590 shots.

Also, the design of the battery compartment is a little ill-conceived, as when you open it, they can just spill out on the floor.

Wireless connection

This feature was missing from the L830 and has become one of the advantages of the Nikon Coolpix L840. The button that allows you to turn on Wi-Fi is located on the top end, after pressing it, you can easily connect to a smartphone or tablet and use them to control the camera (you will first need to install the Nikon Wireless Mobile Utility application on your mobile device).

The speed of the camera's response to commands is quite high, as well as the value of the distance from which interaction is possible (up to 10 m). The NFC communication protocol is also useful for sharing pictures between devices.

Photo and video quality

Don't expect the Nikon L840 to be as good as a DSLR. Its sensor is identical to those found on compact digital cameras, but it cannot be said that it copes poorly with its functions.

Pictures taken in good daylight are of high quality and optimally exposed when viewed at typical sizes. However, with a strong increase, the modest capabilities of the sensor make themselves felt: a stronggraininess and blurring around the edges of objects.

This feature is even more pronounced when shooting distant subjects or when using the zoom. The camera tries to increase the sensitivity of the sensor to compensate for body shake and thus only increases the degree of blur.

Shooting in low light also introduces a fair amount of noise, despite the presence of noise reduction technology. There is noticeable graininess as early as ISO 800, and raising the maximum to 6400 is more of a marketing gimmick than an advantage, as images become too saturated, grainy, and fuzzy.

But the vibration suppression system is not just a beautiful line in the description. For such a focal length of the lens, it is simply necessary and dramatically improves the quality of the photo.

The camera is good at macro photography (minimum subject distance is 1 cm) and night time photography. For the latter, there are two additional settings - manual mode and a tripod.

Features for video shooting are slightly less, but still the result is quite good. The camera can shoot it in quality up to Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) with stereo sound recording. Optical zoom as well as optical image stabilization are also available while using Movie mode.

There is an interesting Short Movie Show option in the menu, which automatically combines short video clips into a 30 second video, with the ability to set a backgroundmusic and simple special effects.

Built-in photoshop

Smart Portrait is a feature that you can open with the Scene button. "Smart Portrait" allows you to automatically even out skin tone and mask obvious imperfections, soften contrast and color saturation. The intensity of each parameter can be reduced / increased, and with a reasonable approach, they give a pretty good effect. But it is better not to abuse these settings, otherwise the result of the shooting will be unnatural.

If you want to apply these enhancements to an already captured image, you will need to select it in the gallery and press the Menu button. Then scroll down to Glamor Retouch for even more options: reduce the chin or increase the size of the eyes, eliminate oily skin, red eyes and bags under the eyes, you can even “touch up” lips, cheeks and eyelashes.

If your model was looking directly at the camera and the face fills almost the entire space of the picture, then the program will automatically distinguish between facial features and make some pretty useful changes. Either way, it's easy to have fun with this feature.

Money matters

How much will the Nikon L840 camera cost to the buyer? The price for it fluctuates between 13-13.5 thousand rubles. This is a popular and relatively new model, so it is easy to find both on the Internet and in regular stores. Accordingly, there is an opportunity to look for a better price or discounts on accessories. At a minimum, you will need a memory card(approx. RUB 1.5 thousand for a 32 GB SD card) and a battery charger (from RUB 400 or approximately RUB 1.5 thousand for a set of 4 batteries and the device itself).

What do customers say about the Nikon Coolpix L840 compact camera?

Reviews are mostly positive about this model. It is extremely easy to use and gives good results even with auto-tuning.

However, many users noted that poor lighting is a challenge that the Nikon L840 does not always cope with. Reviews claim that the flash saves the situation a little, but it is not always convenient to use it and it greatly affects the final result.

About the use of batteries, opinions are divided: someone finds it very convenient, and someone prefers the battery that is included in the kit. So here it is better to focus on your own preferences and the purposes for which you buy a camera. If you are confident that you will always find an outlet nearby, then you may be better off buying a model with a battery included, and if you travel a lot, then a pack of batteries in your backpack will guarantee the performance of your camera.

Professional opinion

More sophisticated connoisseurs of photographic equipment find other flaws that are not so noticeable at first glance.

First, the dimensions. The camera has characteristics that are quite close to conventional digital cameras, for which a 68x zoom is also possible, but in the case of the Nikon L840, you will be carrying a rather big cameraweighing a little more than 0.5 kg, which is not very convenient.

Second, price and competition. On the market, you can easily find models with the same characteristics, but cheaper or with about the same cost, but a larger zoom and touchscreen.

Summing up

Nikon L840 is a very worthy all-around camera that combines ease of use and high image quality (if you don't zoom in too much and don't pick on details). It focuses quickly and provides good color reproduction and exposure. Nice additions in the form of a swivel screen, 38x zoom and Wi-Fi only enhance the experience.

But, given the cost, size and similar performance of models from competitors, we can conclude that it is noticeably losing its appeal. Therefore, it is difficult to make a clear verdict - to buy or to refrain from buying. You can't say anything bad about the Nikon L840, but there is little good on closer inspection.