Nikon Coolpix S70

The Nikon Coolpix S70 earns praise for its sleek design but falls short of the competition with a subpar touch screen and average image quality. Although the S70's 3.5-inch LCD has energy-saving OLED technology, its 288,000-dot resolution pales next to the 1,152,000 dots on the Samsung DualView TL225 (*Est. $200). The S70 relies solely on the touch screen to operate; a tap releases the shutter and a swipe lets you scroll through images. There's even pinch-to-zoom functionality, which one-ups the Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS (*Est. $265). However, PJ Jacobowitz at PCMag.com says Nikon's implementation of multi-touch is "disappointing," while Adam Crawford at DigitalCamerReview.com says a boost in screen resolution would have helped him spot some out-of-focus shots, and the inconsistent responsiveness left him wanting the TL225's haptic feedback.

As a point-and-shoot camera, there's "nothing much in terms of control" on the S70, says Crawford, although Kasia Pilat at DigitalCamera-HQ.com considers menu navigation a breeze. The S70 has a 12.1-megapixel sensor and a 5x zoom, but Jacobowitz says using the touch screen to zoom is "difficult, clunky and inconsistent," whereas the SD3500 IS and the TL225 have the advantage of hardware zoom controls. A large number of users at Amazon.com complain about fuzzy photos, and expert tests report slow start-up times. HD video is average, and there's no HDMI cable for easy HDTV playback, but you can charge the camera on your computer (via USB). If a touch screen is on your "must have" list, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 (*Est. $300) and the Canon PowerShot SD980 IS are "more polished and practical" cameras, says Jacobowitz.

While a number of professional standalone reviews look at the specs and performance of the Nikon Coolpix S70, PCMag.com compares it to market contenders, while a ratings chart at ConsumerReports.org quickly shows how the S70 stacks up within the ultracompact field. Enough owner comments appear at Amazon.com to establish a user consensus.