Kate Moss, the icon of heroin chic and the feminine figurehead of felonious fun, is now the face and body in Nikon's ads for its sleek, 6-megapixel, 3X optical Coolpix S6 compact digital camera. The wireless features are sure to intrigue the tech-savvy, and the new menu system interface is easy to use. Unfortunately, however, the picture quality is disappointing. Overall, the Coolpix S6, like Ms. Moss, may have more style than substance, but at least aspiring to such style won't bankrupt you. At just $399.95 (list), the Coolpix S6 is $100 less than Canon's PowerShot SD430 Digital Elph Wireless.

Nikon continues the minimalist design approach that it began with the Coolpix S1, though the S6 is longer and not as boxy. Another very attractive element is the Coolpix S6's wave design, which gives the front of the camera a slightly uneven surface. At first glance, you might think you've got a dented camera, but it's this kind of subtle design that sets the S6 apart from the pack.

Overall, the camera is pleasant to hold and to use. Some of the buttons along the top of the camera, including the zoom control, are too tiny, though; those with large fingers might find it awkward to operate. I also thought Nikon should have put in more effort in designing the camera dock, which is flimsy and uninteresting. It has a 5.8mm-to-17.4mm zoom range (equivalent to a 35mm lens with a 35mm-105mm zoom) and corresponding maximum f-stops of f/3.0 to f/5.4. The lens doesn't telescope.

When you turn the camera over, you come face-to-face with the S6's large 3-inch LCD, which worked quite well and doesn't solarize. Also on the back of the camera is the "m" mode button, which brings up a new kind of menu structure for Nikon. When you're in the Shooting mode, you'll find nine large icons in a circle, including one for scene modes and wireless functions. To access these functions, you use an iPod-like scroll wheel found beneath the "m" mode button. I found this interface clear, simple, and easy to use. Nikon has also included valuable help info right in the camera, which you can access in menu modes by moving the zoom button.

As I found with the Coolpix P1, the S6's wireless features do indeed work, but trying to set up your camera for wireless connectivity is an exercise in frustration. In general, I've found wireless connectivity with digital cameras to be a complicated extra that most consumers will probably avoid. If you do choose to use it on the S6, you'll need to load the included Picture Project software to set up the camera profiles. In testing the camera, I was able to send images wirelessly and relatively quickly to a PC using both an infrastructure setup and an ad hoc setup.

I had lots of fun with Picmotion, the S6's in-camera slide-show function, which lets you use both still images and movies to build your presentations. Nikon partnered with muvee to create the feature, and it is pretty easy to set up. The really cool part is that you can upload your own music to accompany the slide show you created. You can also save the entire slide show in either a WMP format or MPEG-1, to your PC or to the camera itself.— Continue Reading