Nikon's touchscreen style compact of 2009 — 10MP CCD, 3x 35-105mm equiv zoom, 3in touch LCD
The Coolpix S230 was a slim style compact in Nikon's S series, announced in February 2009 as one of a quartet of new S-models that season. Its selling point was a touch-panel interface, still a novelty on budget compacts at the time.
It carries a 10-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD and a 3x Zoom-Nikkor equivalent to 35-105mm, with a 3.0-inch 230,000-dot touchscreen LCD as the only means of framing. Sensitivity spans ISO 80-2000, and the body measures just 20mm thick and 115g. It launched in five colours including Plum and Jet Black.
Touch control handles focus point selection, on-screen settings and playback extras, which made it a fashionable gift camera; photographers who prefer buttons may find the interface fiddly. It suits casual snapshooters and collectors of late-2000s touchscreen compacts.
On used examples, test the touch panel across its whole surface, as worn or scratched screens make the camera hard to operate since nearly everything runs through it. Confirm the battery holds charge and a charger or USB lead is present, and check the lens extends without grinding.