Nikon Reviews

Let's see, Buy 2 sets of NIMH and charger for 20 bucks or so or 50 bucks for an AC adapter only. Hummm.
Ever hear of Radio Shack?

this item costs too much. it is only a AC adapter. Come on! i spent 500 bucks on a digital camara and now i have to buy this if i don't want to use batteries. don't waste your cash

I use my ac adapter all the time - I primarily use the camera on a copy stand. Silly to use batteries in my case. Excellent product; I only wish I hadn't misplaced mine. I'm here to buy a replacement.

I'm very happy with my new Nikon Coolpix 800 camera. First of all the body is a nice size and shape. It's very easy to carry around and fits in even small purses, and feels quite durable. Second, it takes very good pictures! The quality of my prints from Amazon.com Photo Services by Ofoto is excellent. I take the pictures with the camera resolution set to "fine" and the 4x6 and 5x7 prints are excellent. Third, the automatic settings are smart enough to do the work for you, and it's fun to play with the self metering also. Fifth, it's cool to have Nikon brand camera. The only things I wish this camera had are a stronger zoom lens and a stronger flash for indoors. I'm very happy with this camera and feel I got a good deal for my first digital camera.

this is the first serious digital camera i got, and i've been pretty hapy with it. great macro, decent zoom, and fair response time. the other complaints you hear, including how it chews batteries and the like, are generally true. still, given a pocket full of batteries, i'd take this with me when i go places.

my biggest complaint is the size, it doesn't travel super well (i like to keep my hands free, i'm forgetful and often misplace things). i like to stick my camera in my pocket, and it just doesn't fit.

still, its plusses make it a decent camera. i'd check out some of the newer coolpix cameras if you were buying new and had the budget for it, they're a great line.

I've had my Coolpix 800 for about a month now, and I can still say that I'm one proud Papa. Yeah, they eat batteries like candy, but so do most cameras with any kahonna's. Buy rechargable! The biggest drawback to this camera is the serial port issue. There's a way around that, though. Buy a SanDisk (they manufacture Nikon memory cards) drive and USB...uploadin' quicker than spit. Well, now that we've bought a CompactFlash drive, some Nickle Metal-Hydride rechargable batteries, an AC adapter, and another 48mb of memory(or you'll be reminded of that time when you ran out of film), we've just added about $250 to an already pricey camera. Not to fear folks. If your reading this review, that means you have internet access. Shop around for the best price. On-line prices will, without a doubt, beat the human factor. Try, Buy .com for the camera and Spotshop.com for the other goodies. I saved a couple hundred easily. Oh and lastly, I wouldn't have a digital camera without at least 2 megapixels, built in flash, optical and LCD viewfinder, and CompactFlash(most common). There's lots of other goodies with this one, and that's why I think this is the most camera for it's price range.

... I'll start with an overview of the case. I'll follow that with my opinion.

The case is the size of the Coolpix 775 camera (about 4" high and 3" wide). It is made of soft grey material with a metal Nikon logo on the front. There is a two sided zipper coming up from both sides, allowing the camera to be inserted from the top. The zippers go down to about 1" from the bottom. The camera's lanyard can be left protruding through the zipper, or tucked inside. On the back is a strap that filts over your belt. On top is a detachable 2 ft lanyard (a 1/4" thick string) with an adjustable stop that can be moved up and down (shortening the loop, but leaving the rest of the lanyard hanging out.

My opinion--the good:

A small camera deserves a small case. This one fits the bill. The soft sides, both inside and out, make it less likely to scratch the LCD panel. Wearing it on my belt (with the lanyard detached), I found it very easy to get the camera in and out of its case in seconds. There was no fumbling involved. Having the lanyard detachable is a real plus when wearing the camera on my belt.

The not so good:

While the small case is nice, it would be nice to have a small pocket to store a spare battery, CF card, or even the lanyard when detached. Also, I find the two foot lanyard awkward. It is a bit long. I would much prefer a somewhat shorter and flattened shoulder strap; I think it would be easier to carry on my shoulder. (There is also the option of carrying the case around by the camera's lanyard protruding from the zipper.)

You bought the Nikon 775 because it's small, light and will fit anywhere. This custom Nikon case fits the bill. It has one small storage pocket for a CF card and that's it. 775 fits snuggly inside and maintains the small size and light weight of this camera. The removable carrying cord can be trimmed to a shorter length. If you want a carrying case with lots of pckets etc this case is not for you.

I considered generic "made for digital" camera cases from lowepro or tamrac; these are very well padded, have gorgeous fluffy linings and so offer excellent protection. BUT they are relatively large and the main reason I chose the Coolpix was its size - the Nikon case fits snuggly and adds little bulk.

The case is a stretchy wetsuit type material that offers moderate protection and is robustly constructed. The lining is a nylon type fabric - not fuzzy but perfectly adequate.

There is a simple pocket in the inside that will take a compact flash card (naked, without plastic case or a tight squeeze with a case). Room for a spare battery would be nice.

The cord is a long 2 feet which allows the camera to be carried around the neck but also unclips easily, and could easily be replaced or shortened if the length bothers you.

The 2 zippers open the case wide for easy access.

Overall, perfect fit, sturdy and functional. Buy it if you want a compact case for your compact camera at a good price.

The Coolpix 775 is geared toward the casual photographer that is looking for convenience and compactness in a digital camera. The camera is light and tiny but still very comfortable to hold with the built in grip on the side of the camera (unlike Canon's Elph cameras). The 3x zoom range on the lens is unheard of in a camera this small!

What sets the camera apart is Nikon's exposure metering system and the scene modes. It uses Nikon's renowned sophisticated metering system to get the perfect exposure for nearly every shot. In addition, it has seven scene modes for common situations where the metering may be fooled (backlight, landscape, beach/snow, sunset, portrait, party/indoor, and night portraits). This is great for the novice that doesn't want to mess around with complicated manual exposure adjustments.

The 2-megapixel CCD is plenty for getting great 8x10 prints. You'll want to purchase a larger compactflash card because the included 8 MB card will definitely be too small to take more than 15 photos at the highest quality and resolution.

It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and battery charger which many other digital cameras in this price range leave out.

Compared to the Canon cameras I have used, the colors are much more natural, especially for skin tones. The Nikons seem to go for the more natural colors as opposed to many cameras that go for more saturated and punchy colors

If you're looking for a camera with a ton of manual features (saturation control, aperture and shutter priority, full manual control, etc.) then you need to step up to the Coolpix 995, which costs twice as much.

I would definitely recommend the camera to the user that is looking for a great, easy-to-use, point and shoot digital camera that takes awesome photos for printing up to 8x10 photos or just digital photos to share.

I've been using the Coolpix 775 for a few weeks now and absolutely love it!

The different settings make it really easy to get the shot just right and of course it also works well on the Auto setting. There's a delay between pressing the button and actually taking the picture but I've noticed that with all digital cameras (the Elph S110 seems even slower).

An extra battery pack is nice to have, but I have to say that the one that comes with the camera lasts fairly long. Of course, you will have to buy an extra memory card unless you intend to take low-quality photos (i.e. for websites and e-mails) only. My 128MB card gives me 133 shots on highest quality.

When I picked up 10x5 prints today I couldn't tell a difference between them and 'normal' photos taken with a 35mm camera.

The only dissapointment is the software that comes with it... it is really bad! I've been uploding photos in Windows Explorer, then I copy them into My Documents for storage. I am thinking about buying a card reader to make it even easier and to save battery power.

Even though the software is bad, I still rate the camera 5 stars!

The quality of images are very good and the color reproduction is excellent (blues ARE blue). It is easy to use and have a good "get started" guide which literally have you taking your first picture in 30 seconds. The manual, however, is messy, confusing and poorly written (should be better).

The grip is very comfortable and it's light weight makes it easy to handle (you don't get tired). It just fit very nicely in your hand. Very good job by Nikon here..

The quality of the pictures for 2 m.pixel cameras is excellent and when printed in 4x6 and 5x7 size prints it looks like real fotos. My 8x10 are acceptable, but if you usually print this size I recommend buying a 3 or 4 mega pixel camera.

The 3xZoom is good, the macro feature fantastic (you can get REALLY close), but I have a small problem with the lcd monitor. It is very dark and does not accurately show what your picture will look like untill it has been taken (colors and light). At least the refresh rate is fast.

The auto setting produces very good results. There are 7 "program" modes which can be used, but in most of the cases "auto" get the best results. Excellent control of white balance in auto mode. It really covers all possible scenarios.

The movie mode is ok, but I dont recommend selecting a camera based on it's ability to play movies.

I simply love the 'play back' functions. You can make a still picture slide show in the build in lcd monitor, or through a supplied cable get the output on TV (pal or ntsc as you like). It is fantastic to see your pictures in 36" size .. what an impact. The TV out feature is really good and usefull.

I recommend you buy an extra battery as the lithium-ion battery supplied last about 1-2 hours of shooting depending on use.
Unfortunatly you can not use the battery charger as an AC adapter so unless you buy one at an additional expense you will be using battery when transferring files to your computer. In emergency cases a disposable lithium ion 2crv5 battery (from the supermarket) can be used.

Conclusion: the main objective we had when buying this camera was to capture pictures which looked "right" (color,light etc) and which would allow us to print in 4x6 size with occational 5x7 and 8x10 prints without it screems DIGITAL.. the camera more than satisfied our expectations.

Note: we have not used the enclosed software, but bought a compactFlash reader (to save battery) and it works wonderfully.

I own the Nikon Coolpix 775 for almost two years now. It's a great camera with great picture quality for a limited budget. It is working flawlessly, except a problem that persisted, where the date was reset everytime i turn off the camera (without even removing the battery. My friend who also bought the 775, had the same problem with his cam. But the picture quality prevails and my next digital will surely be a Nikon.

What's impressed me the most about this camera is the quality of the pictures, which, after all, is what you buy a camera for in the first place (unless all you want is snapshots). Spectacular resolution--on a good monitor, virtually indistinguishable from that of a printed photo. Not so hot for moodily lit shots--keep your SLR for that. The camera fits into the hand well (though it's shaped for right-handers only) and is fairly easy to use. It really eats batteries, though, so buy an AC adapter for it. Also, the included software is somewhat weak and buggy. Download Cameraid from the Net, and use that, instead. Happy shutterbuggin'!

Thoroughly pleased with the Nikon Coolpix 700. I was shooting within minutes of taking it out of the box. More features and effects than I will ever need and the photos are great. At just under 10 ounces, this camera is a pleasure to hold and use. I highly recommend it, particularly for not so serious camera buffs or for family use.

I received this camera as a gift. It's my first experience with a digital camera, and it's been great! The reference manual (provided on CD) is easy to follow and extremely helpful. The camera also comes with HotShots, software for importing and editing pictures. The camera is lightweight and easy to use. My only complaint is how quickly the batteries die, but from what I understand, this happens with most digital cameras. A great camera all around!

Although I am pretty familiar with Nikon's digital controls having owned a Coolpix 880, I recommend spending some time with the instruction manual: Not because I think the camera is that complicated, but so that you can fully appreciate what the 5700 can do! This is an excellent camera if you really want a digital SLR but can't justify the cost; the 5700's electronic viewfinder behaves like a true SLR while the 8x optical zoom (not digital, which is nearly worthless) covers most lens focal lengths.

I love my film cameras (also Nikon), but there are many advantages to owning a digital camera. Not only can you see your results right away, but the digital nature has some cool advantages - want to shoot in B&W? Don't change film, just change a camera setting. The viewfinder in the 5700 will also show in B&W! That's pretty cool. At a decent resolution with moderate compression, I can get 1,100 images on a ... 256 MB card. Yes, that's one thousand one hundred - at a quality that will produce a very decent 8x10 print. How many rolls of film is that?

Of course the Nikon quality is exceptional, from the ED glass in the optics to the very strong alloy body. I do not feel that the size is too small, but I do find the positioning of the right camera strap a wee bit awkward.

If you do consider digital, with the 5700 or not, I do recommend buying extra memory cards - the prices are low and the 16 to 32 MB cards that usually come with the camera will fill too quickly, especially if you want to use the full 5 MP resolution. Also, battery life is a problem. Buying those ... lithium batteries for the 880 (same battery as the 5700) nearly bankrupted me until I bought Nikon's rechargable battery system (which the 5700 comes with - kudos to Nikon). Buy an extra battery or two - you will not regret it! Indeed, shell out the bucks for the 5700, you won't regret that either.

This camera rivals the [$] pro cameras on the market. Add a 1 Gig IBM Microdrive and you can take 134 photos in the high res. Raw format which will easily make a perfect 13x19 print that is true photo quality. The minimum density is fantastic so skin tones are beautiful, I was shooting with a Nikon N80 and scanning the transparencies with a Canon 4000 DPI scanner. That is both expensive and time consuming. This camera is about 80% as sharp as that combo...but with a better contrast range! My average session with a model is 6-8 rolls. With 2 microdrives I can achieve that quaintly with no computer necessary! And the cost of a single drive is recouped in 3 sessions (Film and processing costs eliminated).
Cons: Horrible low light sensitivity...Slow saving in the HiRes modes and the camera controls TOTALLY lock up while the cache is written to the disk/drive (after 3 consecutive shots in HiRes ONLY). You can shoot, but not change ANYTHING manually. This problem disappears in the JPEG modes which are fine for many applications. Autofocus is slow at extreme telephoto setting and in low light. AND the shutter release button delay is intolerable when using flash or in low light.
So if you want to do a lot of action photography pick another camera. If however, you want the sharpest image for the least money then buy the Nikon Coolpix 5700. And buy several extra batteries and as large a storage device as you can afford.

This is my second digital camera and it is the best. My mom has the 35mm Nikon and she loves it. Nikon is the best name in photagraphy and it shows. I just printed out my first photos and i am so impressed with the quality. I will never buy an other brand of cameras.

the nikon coolpix 5400 is a solid 5MP, 4x zoom camera with a strong feature set. but it has a few shortcomings so make sure to consider its competition.

pros:
- 5MP and 4x optical zoom.
- good color response, average resolution for 5MP.
- photos have very low noise.
- allows a great deal of manual control.
- macro mode better than most.
- low redeye occurrence.
- virtually free of chromatic aberrations.
- shadow highlights maintained.
- timed exposures up to 10 minutes.
- expandable with a boatload of lenses, flashes, and other accessories from nikon.
- wider lens than most.
- supports CF card types I and II.
- flip-out LCD display - protects LCD when not in use.
- high resolution LCD with anti-reflective coating that actually works.
- very comfortable to hold with a deep hand grip made of soft rubber.
- compact body feels solid.
- reprogrammable FUNC button, and initial record menu.
- above average battery life (i still recommend getting a spare though).

cons:
- some lens distortion, especially at maximum zoom.
- images occasionally appear soft around corners.
- slow response interface, non-intuitive menus.
- no AF assist light - very puzzling why nikon doesn't provide this.
- to add insult to injury, this camera has a hard time focusing in low light so an AF assist light would really come in handy.
- average auto focus speed.
- buffering issue? the camera locks towards the end of write process.
- slow CF write speed / processing.
- you're on your own when using manual focus - it doesn't show focus distance.
- LCD smaller than competition.
- RAW mode not supported.
- flimsy cover for CF slot.
- no live histogram in record mode.
- no support for external Speedlight features such as AF assist or flash zoom.
- connectivity options all over the place rather than in a central location.
- uses proprietary battery so make sure you add some $$ to your budget to get a spare.
- the supplied 16MB CF card is inadequate - again, more $$ for more memory.

the coolpix 5400 is a solid camera from nikon with a very strong feature set. it will produce very good pics in point and shoot mode but still has full manual control if you want to be more creative with your shots. i've given this a 4-star rating because of two important factors for me: the lack of an AF assist light and the dead time at the end of write process. i would suggest that you consider the canon g5 and the sony dsc-v1 before committing to the nikon 5400.

i hope this helps with your buying decision. peace.

Finally decided to get the Nikon 5400 from Amazon at the regular Nikon suggested price, because I have grown to trust Amazon, and my impression is that the "lower priced" 5400's out there are mostly gray market. This made-in-Japan wonder, has not let me down. Have been using the 5400 about 10 days now. I took camera and manual up to a lean-to in the Adirondacks for an overnight, and had a great time trying the various features. I took pictures in the deep forest in a misty rain, using a Leki Photo walking stick as a monopod and got great results. I set the white balance for "cloudy" and colors were rendered accurately. Subsequently, on a clear day in the shade, with white balance set to "shade", greens were nice and warm - not blue as with slide film (unless you put on a filter.) You can even bring along a piece of white paper, aim the camera at it, and set the white balance precisely for any lighting situation. I have methodically plodded through the manual, and pleasant surprises abound. The camera is a joy to use, controls are well deployed. And with battery, it only weighs 13 oz - a backpacker's dream camera, with 28 - 116 zoom. This is possibly the only 5 MP camera on the market with a 28mm equivalent wide angle lens integral to the camera. In macro, it will focus as close as 1/2 inch! If you are into scenics and nature, this is the camera to own. The only down side so far is the viewfinder (the glass one you look through) which has a somewhat restricted view.

Having had some doubt about the ability to get high performance from a digital camera (below stratospheric costs), I decide to try the Nikon 5400. It has delivered consistent, fine images and allows many pre-set modes to shoot as well as manual control. A top piece of equipment with Nikon know-how.

I really wanted to love this camera - but alas, it was not to be. The ability to capture video with sound at VGA was a real big selling point for me, but of course, it is primarily a still camera....which is where it falls terribly short.

The first one I bought I had to return because the focus was defective. I called Nikon and they said to take it back. The second one took decent quality photos, but not only was there a pixel out on the display (which would be okay if the camera wasn't $525), but there was also a defect on the ocular viewfinder which showed as a "warped" area in the form of a line right across the center.

I have a Kodak DC290 2.1 MP that is about six years old and it takes much sharper pictures that this Nikon. I was really shocked by the lack of overall quality control (two cameras defective) and the lack of sharp images. For now, I will stick with my old Kodak until something with all the features that are in this Nikon comes along --- and works.

***UPDATE***
I returned this and got the Sony Cybershot DSCP100 instead. WOW! What a difference! With the Sony, all of the same horrible test photos I took with the Nikon came out excellent! Not only that, but I saved $100. Thank you Sony...

This one is indeed stylish in design. An excellent camera in the 5.1MP, compact Range. Small but big on features. With such wide range of features, I am surprised how very intuitive the user interface is. You really dont need the manual. You will be up and running in minutes.

Picture quality is excellent in all its modes. The Nikkor Lens with its ED & Aspherical elements, provides an impeccable quality of pictures. Sharp, crisp and vibrant colours. Low light focussing is fast. Interface to the computer? You dont need any driver software if you are on XP, 2000 or Mac. All USB. Just Plug it and you see a drive configured on your windows explorer which you can manage it just like a hard disk. Pictures in seconds!! The 1"X1" 256 MB SD memory card can store 270, 6"X4" high quality images. Movie recording is smooth, not at all jumpy, very powerful microphone. Treats it just like a picture. Make movie in seconds and send it...

I indeed recommend that you look at this one before you make a decision.

I really like my new 5200. I am new to the digital camera scene but I'm glad I bought the Nikon. The salesman explained the diferences between the many 5 Meg cameras in stock and I found the Nikon to be the easiest to learn to operate. My wife is usually the camera person in the house but I believe this camera will be much more fun than a regular film camera. I love the idea of snapping loads of shots, looking at them on the computer, and THEN deciding which ones to keep. Digital is the way to go and this Nikon is the way to get there.