Nikon Coolpix S1100pj

Most of us are happy sharing and reviewing photos on our computers, but how much better would it be if you could project your pictures at poster-size onto the nearest wall?

That was the thinking behind Nikon’s S1000pj, the world’s first ‘projector camera’. The new S1100pj again combines a digital camera with a projector but projects more brightly. And it can project what’s on your PC’s screen.

Given that this is a camera and projector, it's a relief to find the metal-built device isn’t much bulkier than a standard camera. Be aware that you’re paying a premium for the S1100pj’s projector – strip that away and features are similar to Nikon’s S5100, £170 cheaper (see below).

The camera powered up in two seconds, and offers a 5x optical zoom that gives good framing options, and a resolution of 14 megapixels. A button marked ‘scene’ is used to access the 17 scene shooting modes, and there is a dedicated button to capture video.

Alongside its few buttons the S1100pj has touchscreen control so you can use either the shortcut buttons or the quick and responsive touchscreen menus.

A point to note is that although the Nikon takes 14 megapixel photos, the projected resolution is a much lower 640x480 pixels, so your shots won’t be as clear as they are on the 3in rear screen. We found we had to constantly adjust the focus wheel on the camera top when projecting, to keep the image as clear as possible. The maximum projectable image size is around three feet.

The camera is in essence a point-and-shoot snapshot model, so we weren’t expecting high quality, but we found its pictures colourful and well-exposed, and the image displayed on the screen was a fair match for how it appeared when downloaded to a computer, or projected.

The S1100pj’s projector feature does enhance the camera’s usefulness. Even if the initial wow factor may quickly diminish, Nikon’s largely successful refinement of its earlier model is a good camera, though the projector adds a lot to the price.