Camera test: Nikon Coolpix S1000pj, the compact video projector

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At a time when all – or almost all – compacts have a 5x zoom, a 12 Mpx sensor, a 6.9 cm (2.7”) or 7.6 cm (3”) display screen, and similar size and cost, it’s getting hard to set yourself apart from the pack. Nikon is taking a long shot – a digital camera with a built-in video projector. It’s an original solution that makes the Coolpix S1000pj unique among the hundred or so cameras released in 2009.

In reality, the S1000pj can be seen as a combined compact camera (it uses the same lens and sensor as the Coolpix S70) and mini-projector like the Aiptek Pocket Cinema. You can move between camera and projector modes with the push of a button: a white wall and a dark room and you're away for an hour of projections, an amusing feature to share with friends.

All that remains is to take nice photos and videos. A success? Answers in the test.

> Test of the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj

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