This is my blog post about the Nikon Coolpix L29 camera.
Introduction
I will start this blog post by writing that I prefer using the camera on a Samsung S5 G900F or Apple iPhone 6s mobile phone. That being said I can imagine others wishing to use the Nikon Coolpix L29 instead.
I think the L29 originally came out sometime in 2014. In this blog post I will look at the pros and cons of the L29 from a 2019 point of view and provide some tips on using the camera.
Please note: Other than the photos of the camera, all other photos in this blog post were taken using the Nikon Coolpix L29 camera and the only editing I’ve done, is to resize them and add a watermark.
Nikon Coolpix L29 camera
- 16.1 MP
- 5x optical zoom
- 1280×720 (720p) pixel 30fps 16:9 video recording
- Face detection
- Timer option
- Requires 2xAA batteries
- Requires sd card *
* I used a SanDisk SDHC 16GB sd card.
First impressions
Whilst the camera looks good, my first impressions were mixed after taking some photos. I know the L29 has a big lens and flash compared to a mobile phone, but I prefer the focus and quality from a Samsung S5 G900F or iPhone 6s.
However, the L29 cost me just £3 GBP at a second-hand car boot sale, whilst the two mobile phones I’ve mentioned are old, they still cost considerably more.
If you want to save a mobile phone’s battery for calls or want something for a kid to play around with, then the L29 might be of interest. Though many people today just want to take a photo, edit and upload to Facebook or Twitter and for those people, the L29 is probably best avoided.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed using the L29 and looking at the manual enabled me to maximise the use of the camera. Paying just £3 for the L29 meant I wasn’t as cautious using the camera, which was good.
Taking photos
Obviously good light and the use of a tripod can greatly improve photographs. I felt the photos came out darker than they should when using the auto options. However there is a scene select and the exposure compensation is easy to use, as there is a +/- button on the rear of the camera.
I was satisfied with the close up photos I took when I didn’t use a tripod.
I do recommend choosing the scene type and taking into account lighting.
You can review a photo by selecting the play button and then zoom in on the photo you’ve taken to review the result.
After taking the photos, I then connected the camera to a PC using a cable and transferred the photos.
So what is the competition for a Nikon Coolpix L29?
I would say some of the old Fujifilm Finepix range of cameras, such as the AV250 are comparable. Like the L29, the AV250 also takes AA batteries and they’re both easy to use.
If you want more from a point and click old pocket camera, then perhaps consider some of the Canon cameras that can use the CHDK (Canon Hack Development Kit), which can add features and I found it fun to use CHDK on an old Canon A490, but the A490 is a lower megapixel camera.
I own a FujiFilm Finepix AV250, JV250, XP70, XP80 and previously owned a Canon A490. I think for basic photography the Nikon L29 is good and feels most similar to the AV250.
Like the AV250 and A490, the L29 takes two AA batteries, which I think is important. Whilst you can’t charge the batteries via the camera (which a XP70 & XP80 can), not being reliant on bespoke batteries is nice. In the UK you can still buy AA batteries in shops and that does make a difference.
The video quality is probably the worse thing about the camera as it’s only 720p. If you want a cheap pocket camera that can also record 1080p videos, then perhaps see if a Fujifilm XP70 or XP80 is available for a cheap price.
The XP70 and XP80 don’t have lens that move in and out of the camera when switched on, which mean they’re more ideal for beaches.
So there are pros and cons to using the L29 and there is a lot of competition.
Batteries
Personally I used two Duracell rechargeable HR6/NiMH2500mAh batteries whilst testing this camera. If I was going away for a week, I would probably take two or four additional spare batteries.
What feature did I hate?
I think it has to be the video quality only being 720p as I would have preferred 1080p. I regularly record videos, so for me, the lack of 1080p is an issue.
Conclusion
I purchased this camera as a gift for my Mum at a second-hand car boot sale. The gift isn’t for a special occasion, as my Mum temporarily needs a camera and for £3 it will be fine for my Mum’s requirements.
This wasn’t a thorough blog post as I didn’t cover all the features. If you’re already using a L29 or about to, then I hope you have some fun with it. Perhaps get a little tripod, use the timer and try out the different scene options.
If you’ve not purchased this camera yet and you own a phone that is capable of taking a 14MP photo and recording 1080p, then perhaps reconsider the purchase.
Whilst preparing for this blog post, I enjoyed using the Nikon Coolpix L29. The camera is easy to use, easy to obtain batteries or a memory card for and should be easy to carry around.