Nikon's 2015 entry-level AA compact — 16.1MP CCD, 26-130mm equiv 5x zoom, 720p video, replaced the L29.
The Nikon Coolpix L31 was announced on 14 January 2015 alongside the L32 as Nikon's cheapest Coolpix, replacing the L29 at the foot of the AA-powered L-series. At around £55 new it was one of the last true budget compacts Nikon sold before smartphones closed that market entirely.
It carries a 16.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD and a 5x Zoom-Nikkor of 4.6-23mm (26-130mm equivalent, f/3.2-6.5). The 2.7-inch LCD has 230,000 dots, video records at 720p in Motion JPEG format, and Nikon's Smart Portrait system adds blink detection and red-eye correction. Storage is SD, and two AA cells give roughly 200 shots on alkalines, 500 on EN-MH2 rechargeables or 750 on lithium batteries.
This is a camera for absolute simplicity: switch on, zoom, shoot. It suits children, older users, and anyone wanting a cheap CCD compact with zero battery anxiety, since AAs are available in any corner shop. Image quality is decent in daylight; the slow tele aperture and lack of optical stabilisation limit indoor and long-zoom work.
Because it sold recently and cheaply, used examples are often mint and boxed, and there is nothing obsolete about it — AA power, SD cards, USB transfer. Check the battery door latch and lens deployment, and be careful with the model number when buying: the L31 is a small 2015 compact, not the older L310 bridge camera, and listings regularly muddle the two.