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Nikon Coolpix L31 Review

Ben Andrews reviews the Nikon Coolpix L31 - one of the cheapest Nikon Coolpix cameras currently available. But how does it perform?

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification

Highres Nikon Coolpix L31 Black 2 1424960608

At £55 the L31 is Nikon’s cheapest Coolpix camera and replaces the Coolpix L29. The new camera gets a 16.1MP CCD sensor, a 5x optical zoom range and it comes in black, silver, red and purple colour options. It’s worth noting that the outgoing L29 shares the exact same specs as the L31 and, save for some possible image processing differences, is essentially an identical camera.

Nikon Coolpix L31 Features

Highres Nikon Coolpix L31 Black 3 1424960613

Entry-level cameras tend to go easy on the frills, and the L31 is no exception. You know the marketing men are scraping the barrel when the advertised key features include an ‘Easy-hold grip’ and ‘AA batteries’.

More importantly, the L31 has a 16.1-megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom translating to a 35mm-equivalent range of 26-130mm. Proper optical image stabilisation isn’t included (only an ineffective electronic substitute), but you do get HD 720p video recording and Nikon’s Smart Portrait system that features automatic blink detection and red-eye correction, as well as a smile timer that’ll only trigger a shot when your subject smiles.

Highres Nikon Coolpix L31 Black 4 1424960616

Key Features

  • 16.1 megapixel CCD sensor
  • 5x optical zoom lens, 26-130mm equivalent, f/3.2-6.5
  • 2.7-inch touch-screen, 230k-dot
  • 720p HD video
  • ISO100 to ISO1600
  • Self Portrait system
  • Powered by AA batteries

Nikon Coolpix L31 Handling

Highres Nikon Coolpix L31 Black 5 1424960621

In a world where most compact cameras try to look super sleek and are therefore super slippery, the slightly chubby L31 is refreshingly pleasant to handle. Its pronounced finger grip and embossed thumb rest ensure the camera stays secure in the hand, yet the curvy design still slips easily into a relatively tight jeans pocket. The casing is all plastic, but it’s well put together with no flex.

Nikon is keen to spin the L31’s limited features as making the camera simple to operate, so buttons are minimal and of a fairly large size. Unfortunately, the cheap 2.7” screen is anything but easy to use, with poor viewing angles meaning image previews quickly wash out or turn black when the camera is viewed from a high or low angle. The 230k-dot resolution is also rather paltry, meaning images and menus can look pixelated.

Highres Nikon Coolpix L31 Black 6 1424960624

With so few functions, the L31’s menus are streamlined and the camera is a doddle to configure.

The Scene button provides instant access to the camera’s scene modes and colour filters, and also lets you select a regular Auto mode which offers white balance adjustment, but no manual ISO control.

All the menus and display overlays are basic but clear, and there’s an exposure compensation control which works even in the fully-automatic Scene Auto Selector mode.

Highres Nikon Coolpix L31 Black 1 1424960604

Battery life - As the L31 is powered by AA batteries, battery life is entirely dependent on the quality of fuel with which it’s loaded. Nikon claim a pair of alkaline cells will power the camera for 200 shots, whilst up to 750 photos are possible with lithium batteries. Using alkaline power we easily topped the 200 shot mark, though that was with minimal use of the flash.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter Response 0.15secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response 0.7secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response 0.95secs
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo 3.2secs
Shot to Shot without Flash 2.3secs
Shot to Shot with Flash 6.8secs
Continuous Shooting - JPEG
(shots before slow down)
1.2fps (5 shots), 0.4fps thereafter

Nikon Coolpix L31 Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Nikon Coolpix L31 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Photos from the L31 are passable when viewed at 50% image size or smaller, but zoom in and grain noise is visible even at the minimum ISO100 sensitivity setting and can mask fine detail. Colours are also slightly washed out, and though exposure metering is usually accurate, underwhelming dynamic range causes highlight details to overexpose fairly easily. Indoor and low-light shots are plagued by blur from camera shake caused by a lack of proper image stabilisation combined with the camera’s reluctance to use higher ISO sensitivities.

Nikon Coolpix L31 Lens test images

Lens Performance - The L31’s 5x optical zoom lens generates no noticeable distortion at either end of the zoom range. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is obvious on very high contrast boundaries and sharpness deteriorated towards the corners of frame, though not by much. Autofocusing is fairly rapid in good light, though can slow to over two seconds in dimmer conditions. The lens will focus down to 5cm from your subject, but only when set to maximum wide angle.

Nikon Coolpix L31 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - As the L31 doesn’t provide manual ISO adjustment, we’re unable to bring you our usual ISO test shots. General usage revealed that the camera produces noticeable grain at low ISO sensitivities, though this doesn’t increase too badly at higher sensitivities. This is likely due to aggressive image processing, which has the side effect of significantly softening detail. At no point during our testing did the camera select the topmost ISO1600 sensitivity, causing low light images to be blurred from slow shutter speeds.

Nikon Coolpix L31 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) performs well under tungsten lighting, with the tungsten preset giving an image with a yellow colour cast. AWB performs well under fluorescent lights, with the fluorescent preset giving a magenta colour cast.

Nikon Coolpix L31 Digital filters

Digital Filters - The L31 has five filter effects which preview live and are recorded at full resolution. They are: Nostalgic sepia, High-contrast monochrome, Selective color (choose from 12 colour options), Pop and Cyanotype.

Video - Videos are captured at a HD 1280x720 resolution. Optical zoom isn’t available during recording, but you can use digital zoom, however this will make the already soft detail levels even softer.

Value For Money

The Nikon Coolpix L31 is an entry-level compact camera with an RRP of around £55. Similar budget-conscious options include the Fujifilm Finepix AX650 (£60), Canon IXUS 145 (£70), Sony Cyber-shot W800 (£69) and Panasonic Lumix XS3 (£71). The Canon, Sony and Panasonic cameras will set you back more money up front, but unlike the L31, they include rechargeable batteries.

You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Nikon Coolpix L31 Verdict

The L31 is a reasonably competent camera that’s easy to use, but don’t expect to be blown away by its image quality or processing speed. Images taken in good light are passable - albeit with limited dynamic range and under-saturated colour - but indoor and low light shots are soft and susceptible to noticeable grain noise as well as blur from camera shake.

Image processing speed is also slow and the camera can be sluggish to respond to your commands, but at least this is partly compensated for by the L31’s low price. Sacrificing a rechargeable Li-ion battery for AA cells also helps cut costs, but bear in mind that cameras including a rechargeable power pack can be had for only a little more cash and could prove cheaper to run over time. Go for the Canon IXUS 145 and you’ll also get a greater zoom range, making the L31 look like even more of a false economy.

Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Car | 1/125 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Filter1 Nostalgic Sepia | 1/80 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Catapult | 1/160 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Filter2 High Contrast Mono | 1/80 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Colour1 | 1/160 sec | f/10.6 | 7.9 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Filter3 Selective Color | 1/80 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Colour2 | 1/320 sec | f/6.3 | 15.4 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Filter4 Pop | 1/80 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Detail1 | 1/200 sec | f/5.8 | 13.5 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Filter5 Cyanotype | 1/80 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Detail2 | 1/250 sec | f/8.0 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Detail3 | 1/320 sec | f/8.0 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Detail4 | 1/60 sec | f/6.5 | 23.0 mm | ISO 100 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Exposure Metering | 1/60 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Wide | 1/200 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Tele | 1/60 sec | f/6.5 | 23.0 mm | ISO 180 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Macro | 1/100 sec | f/8.0 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Fringing | 1/100 sec | f/8.6 | 5.3 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Sharpness | 1/60 sec | f/4.2 | 7.9 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Distortion1 Wide | 1/100 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 80 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Distortion2 Tele | 1/60 sec | f/6.5 | 23.0 mm | ISO 160 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
ISO200 | 1/13 sec | f/5.8 | 13.5 mm | ISO 200 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Low Light1 | 1/10 sec | f/3.2 | 4.6 mm | ISO 400 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Low Light2 | 1/13 sec | f/3.4 | 5.3 mm | ISO 400 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
Night | 1/5 sec | f/3.9 | 6.9 mm | ISO 400 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
AWB Tungsten | 1/25 sec | f/4.2 | 7.9 mm | ISO 200 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
WB Tungsten | 1/25 sec | f/4.2 | 7.9 mm | ISO 200 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
AWB Fluorescent | 1/6 sec | f/4.2 | 7.9 mm | ISO 200 | high res
Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
WB Fluorescent | 1/6 sec | f/4.2 | 7.9 mm | ISO 200 | high res
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Nikon Coolpix L31 Review
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Nikon Coolpix L31 Review

Nikon Coolpix L31 Specifications

Manufacturer
Nikon
Lens
Max Aperture
f/3.2 - f/6.5
35mm equivalent
26mm - 130mm
Optical Zoom
5x
Image Sensor
Pixels
20Mp (Megapixels)
Pixels (W)
5152
Pixels (H)
3864
Sensor Type
CCD
Sensor Size
1/2.3 inch
Sensor Size (width)
No Data
Sensor Size (height)
No Data
Aspect Ratio
4:3
16:9
LCD Monitor
LCD Monitor
3in
Screen resolution
230k dot
Touch Screen
No
Focusing
Min Focus
10cm
Focusing modes
Face Detection
Centre
Exposure Control
Shutter speeds shortest
1/2000sec
Shutter speeds longest
4sec
Bulb mode
No
Exp modes
Scene modes
Metering
Centre-weighted - Average
Spot
ISO sensitivity
80 - 1600
White balance
Auto
Manual
Outdoors/Daylight
Cloudy
Incandescent
Fluorescent
Flash
Exposure Comp
No Data
Shooting Options
Continuous shooting
1.2fps
Video
Movie mode
Yes
Video Resolution
1280x720 HD 720p
Video FPS
30fps
Stereo Sound
No
Optical Zoom with Video
No
Other Features
Image Stabilisation
No
Interface
HDMI
No
USB
USB 2
Wi-Fi
No
Storage
Card Type
SD
SDHC
SDXC
File Type
JPG
Power Source
Battery Type
2xAA
Battery Life (CIPA rating)
200shots
Box Contents
Box Contents
Camera Strap, LR6/L40 (AA-size) alkaline batteries (x2), USB Cable UC-E16, ViewNX 2 Installer CD, Reference Manual CD
Dimensions
Weight
164g
Width
96mm
Height
59.7mm
Depth
28.8mm

Nikon Coolpix L31 Verdict

Features
Handling
Performance
Value for money
Verdict
Pros
  • Comfy to hold
  • Easy to use
  • Decent optical quality
  • Accessible price
Cons
  • No image stabilisation
  • Mediocre image quality
  • Poor LCD screen
  • Slow