The fine people at imaging resource have done a review on the Nikon Coolpix L15. Here’s what they had to say:

Overall, the Nikon Coolpix L15 performed well in terms of exposure and color accuracy outdoors. However, detail definition and noise performance were disappointing when the camera needed to raise the ISO setting. Under brighter conditions, the Nikon L15 captured much better detail. You’ll get the best results when shooting in good lighting, but expect higher noise and noise suppression when shooting at lower light levels without the flash. I was also disappointed with the camera’s speed, which was on the slow side of average or worse, with a markedly slow flash recycling time of 12 seconds. That’s a lifetime when you’re waiting to photograph a group or children. By the time the flash recharges, the moment’s gone. On the upside, the Nikon L15 offers a lot of fun features like D-Lighting, Face-Priority AF, creative color modes like Cyanotype and a nice bounty of preset scene modes for a very low price. Like most things, you get what you pay for. With the Nikon Coolpix L15, you get a nice selection of features, with good exposure and color, for around $150, though you lose definition in the details in some instances. Most readers who care enough to read a review like this should probably steer clear, as there are better offerings even in this price range.

You can read Imaging Resource’s generally negative review of the camera here. 

Digital Camera Reviews thought the camera was a good deal for its price.

While the L15 is a great budget compact in many ways, I certainly came away from the review experience not knowing entirely how to accurately sum up the Coolpix’s performance – in part because holding the L15 to the standards of $200 compacts simply isn’t fair. If its performance was roughly equal to a $200 device, the L15 would be one of the most outstanding deals around. Put differently, at its current price and with its set of features, buying the L15 is less like getting a great deal on a $200 camera, and more like getting good deal on a $150 one. On the one hand, what I think should be emphasized is how much it does do as well, or nearly as well, as the $200 devices.

On the other, the L15 is also in many ways a demonstration of just how much you give up in features and performance to save $50. For less than $200 these days, Nikon’s entry-level Style series model, the S500, is in a different photographic league, as are similar offerings from Canon, Sony, and Panasonic.

The basic message, then, is this: if you have less than $150 to spend, the L15 is a solid camera and a good value. If you can afford to pay a little more, the extra features gained by moving up add some speed, some style, some ease of use, and a few headache-alleviating conveniences. That’s the bottom line. The choice is yours.

You can read the in-depth skinny on the L15 by DCR here. 

Cameras.co.uk thought that the camera was in general, a huge dissapointment.

Overall
The Nikon Coolpix L15 has been a big disappointment to me. The picture quality is just not what I would expect from a Nikon digital camera.

Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.47 seconds and five in 24.78 seconds. With flash turned on the times were 1.65 seconds for a single photo and 35.48 seconds for five. These are all very disappointing times.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: In terms of design the Coolpix L15 is a pleasant looking compact camera. It has a raised area on the front to help you get a good grip when taking a photo. It is available in black and silver.

Dimensions: 91 x 61 x 29.5mm

Weight: 125g

Batteries: 2 AA batteries. Nikon estimate that a standard pair of alkaline batteries should be able to take 160 shots.

Memory cards: 23mb of storage have been built into the camera. I was able to take 11 shots before the memory was full. It is also compatible with SD cards.

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Ease of use rating:Very Good. One of the reasons it is so easy to use is because of the relatively few features the camera has. The layout is well thought though and the menus are easy to read.

Points I like:
Ease of use

Where it could improve:
Picture quality - shutter lag

Alternatives
If you are looking for a digital camera that is very easy to use and does not cost the earth then a better bet is the Panasonic DMC LS75. You may also like to take a look at the Canon Powershot A560.

Verdict:
The Nikon Coolpix L15 has proved to be a big disappointment to me. I expect more from Nikon, but in terms of picture quality and also shutter lag this camera has not performed very well.

You can get their in-depth review here. 

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