Others say...

"Second Purchase"
While traveling in Italy... I dropped my 6 month old Coolpix S51. I shopped around looking for a replacement, but all the newest models only had 2.5" screens...and since there is no viewfinder I really missed the 3 inch screen of my first S51. This lead me to Amazon, where they had a number of my model still available. Seems the manufacturers are going smaller and smaller...with no viewfinder you really need the bigger screen. It's amazing how much difference there is in a half inch.

"Good camera, but newer model is better"
Got this camera for my parents. Over all I was very impressed with its low light capability, it did an amazing job considering its a pocket camera.

The camera starts up very fast, but forces the user to wait for 5-8 seconds before it can be used. This does not sound like a long time, but its forever when your trying to take a quick photo.

The Focus is a little on the slow side, its good for general photography, but for quick snaps of the children, there is better choices.

Battery life is good, I have found it gets 200+ photos with ease. Considering it has the BIG 3" screen this is fairly good.

After about 4 months of us, i have noticed it seems to lock up when turning on the camera and forces you to remove the battery to reset the camera. Nikon does not know what the problem is, so it requires me to ship it in for repair. Also the spin wheel is very gritty feeling.

I personally purchased the new 52 model and have found many of the flaws have been fixed and its a much nicer camera considering they are the same, except the 52 does not have all the issues.

"Nikon Coolpix S51"
this camera is a high quality camera. It is good for action shots, events, or just a regular pictures. The sound is very good on the sound recorder and the video recorder. You will always get a clear image. The camera is one of the best that i've used. It focuses on the events happening in the image. it takes a charging battery that comes with the camera, so i suggest to buy an extra battery, just incase.if you get this camera you will not be dissapointed.It is a very good camera.
*BONUS* IT'S CUTE!!!

"A Good Camera for the first timer..."
This is a great camera! A lot of people will compare it aganist a DSLR which isnt fair. Its a great point and shoot camera which is why its so popular. The build quality is fine but its not completely metal as advertised elsewhere. I've keep the camera in an official Nikon case and i've never had a problem with the power button accidently being depressed. There are several shooting modes that lets the newbie do a little expermenting but very vew manual controls. The large LCD is great for composing and I really dont miss the absence of a viewfinder on a camera if this type. The whole reason I got it was for the price, good Nikon name, face detection and compact size. I shoot in the superfine 8 MP and can fit over 410 images on a 2GB card. Im a pro photographer but I like this little number! U can take it anywhere and it fits easily in your pocket. A good purchase!

"not as sturdy as prior nikons"
Admittedly the camera arrive broken (with some piece rattling arround inside) and was returned for refund. I didn't want a replacement because the camera felt like a plastic toy. This was my third nikon coolpix( the first I killed by going swimming with it in my pocket; the second still works well but the lcd is cracked which, without a view finder, makes for some guesswork). I'd always been pleased with the others but the S51 just wasn't the same caliber of material. Can't say how it performed, though...Still looking for another one with metal construction!