If you like to shoot portraits with your digital camera, Nikon has designed its Coolpix L1 model with you in mind. The Coolpix L1 contains several built-in features designed to make portrait-type photos look as good as possible, including a face priority autofocus that automatically focuses on faces and a lighting adjustment feature that corrects over- or under-exposed images automatically.

Thanks in part to its built-in features, the Coolpix L1's image quality is above average when compared to other digital cameras in its price range. The 6.2 megapixels of resolution found with the Coolpix L1 means this digital camera can produce photo-quality prints at sizes up to 16x20 inches.

Photo quality is very good with the Coolpix L1, both indoors and outdoors. Photos taken indoors are especially impressive with well-exposed images, thanks in part to a strong built-in flash. And you will appreciate the 5X optical zoom lens on the Coolpix L1, which is a better zoom lens than is found on most consumer-level digital cameras. The Coolpix L1's lens can shoot at extremely close ranges, within a couple of inches of the subject.

When preparing to shoot a photo, you can select from 15 preset scene modes on the Coolpix L1, allowing you to match the exterior lighting to the digital camera, giving you the best possible exposure. The Coolpix L1 also can help you compose your photos for the best results.

Unfortunately, the Coolpix L1's list of impressive features ends there. The Coolpix L1's body is nearly 2 inches thick, making it much thicker than most consumer-level digital cameras. It does include a curved handgrip, which makes it comfortable to hold and use.

This digital camera has below average response times. Our testing showed that startup time took about 4-5 seconds. When using the Coolpix L1's auto-focus feature, be prepared for shutter lag of about 1 second, which will unfortunately cause you to miss some photos of moving targets. Shot-to-shot delays are below average, too, measuring anywhere from 3-10 seconds, depending on whether the flash is in use. The Coolpix L1's continuous-shot modes are extremely limited.

Finally, the Coolpix L1's 2.5-inch LCD screen is bright and easy to see in most lighting conditions, but it could have sharper images, especially because the LCD serves as this digital camera's only viewfinder.

Pros: 5X optical zoom lens is handy, camera's features yield outstanding portraits, indoor photo quality is very good
Cons: Camera's response times are below average, LCD is the camera's only viewfinder, camera body is thicker than many on the market currently

Warranty
1 year