Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj

Nikon’s 2009 COOLPIX S1000pj turns into a tiny projector. Its 12.1-megapixel CCD camera sits alongside a built-in projector that can throw photos and video onto a wall, from 5 to 40 inches across. In Warm Silver, the body has the tidy, polished look of a conventional pocket camera until you spot that second optical window above the lens. It launched in the US at $429.95, priced as much for its share-anywhere trick as for its photographs.

THE LOOKS

Nikon called this finish Warm Silver: a pale silver with a slight champagne cast. Its front has two optical windows: the main 5× NIKKOR lens below, and a small dark projector panel above it beside the flash. The lens cover slides shut, returning the camera to a smooth, mostly silver face. A 2.7-inch screen and compact control pad occupy the rear, while a projector-focus slider sits on top. Other official colour: black.

THE SPECS

The S1000pj uses a 12.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor — an older-style sensor for a warm, slightly soft look — with a 5× NIKKOR zoom. It covers 28–140mm, wide enough for groups but with only modest reach. The f/3.9–5.8 lens is not especially bright, so it prefers good light. Lens-shift and electronic VR work together to reduce blur. Its projector is rated up to 10 lumens, projects a VGA-equivalent image from 5 to 40 inches at 26cm to 2m, and runs for about an hour per charge. Movies record at VGA. 99.5 × 62.5 × 23.0mm; 155g body only.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• A camera with a second eye: Above the main NIKKOR lens sits a separate dark projector window, making the S1000pj visibly different from every ordinary compact around it.

• A sliding front cover: Close the lens cover and the silver face becomes almost smooth again, disguising a camera-and-projector hybrid in a tidy pocket-camera silhouette.

• Projector controls on top: A dedicated focus slider along the top edge gives the projector a physical control of its own, separate from the camera’s compact rear pad.

THE VERDICT

The S1000pj is for someone who values a camera as an experience, not just a way to make files. Its projector is modest by modern standards, but special: point it at a wall and sharing becomes a communal event instead of passing around a screen. The 5× lens and CCD are straightforward, and the projector works best in a dark room. Still, few compacts turn an evening with friends into something this playful and immediate.