Digital-Camera Reviews

Yes, this is an accessory kit for the Nikon Coolpix cameras but give us the particulars, please! I ordered this after making a guess from the picture as to what it contained. The kit comes with a CompactFlash card reader (plus software), a black camera case made of PVC/vinyl (it's soft and flexible, though), a nice little "wallet" for extra memory cards, a lens cloth, and an AC adapter. A nice kit for at a good price! I'm glad I took a chance.

I have the Nikon Coolpix 4500 camera and I recently purchased this accessory kit for it. I have nothing but good things to say about it!!!
-The camera case is of very high quality and not only does it fit the 4500 camera, but there's also room for other accessories, such as the AC adapter, compact flash cards, etc.
-The AC adapter is very useful because it does NOT come with the camera (at least not with the Coolpix 4500).
-The compact flash card reader, lens cloth, and card wallet are other nice things to have.

If all of these items were purchased separately, the grand total of all of them combined would have been well over [$]. Thus, this kit is a very good buy and very complementary to the camera.

After I had purchased this kit, I read the reviews by other users and they seem to be misleading. But once I received the kit, I was pleasantly surprised by its contents and I discounted the misleading information supplied by some of the reviews.

The case fits very well with my Coolpix 5700 camera. The EH-52 AC adaptor's output rating on the product label is 8.4V/1.3A Max, which is the same as the EH-53. I tested it, worked fine. My PC running Window XP detected the memory card reader automatically and showed it as another removable drive. Transfering pictures without any problem. I can also use the card reader like a USB drive with the Flash memory plugged in.

Don't buy this if you are buying a 8700 - the filters are the wrong size and your left with a very expensive bag. The bag seems to be a good quality. The card reader is average. I can't comment on the filters (the primary reason I purchased this) because they don't fit. So, if your dropping the cash for the 8700 (I love it by the way), save about $50 and pick up a LowePro bag instead.

A good value if you need the filters and the USB compactflash reader/Writer. The filters must used with a UR-E6 adapter (around [good price]) if you want to use them on a Coolpix 5000. The USB compactflash reader/writer works fine, but a FireWire reader/writer is even quicker(around [a good price])The small leather case for Coolpix 5000(around [a little less]) fits in the large adjustable divider compartment very comfortably. There is room remaining for 2 or 3 lenses and a mini tripod in the large adjustable divider compartment. 2 fair sized latching side pockets and thin zippered divided front pocket can be used for whatever else you may like to have with your camera. I still suggest carrying your camera and case in a ugly worn Gym bag or something less attractive to deter theft.

First, the bag is ok to put all the lenses, camera. The bag for the 28mm lenses are pretty bad.
This pack is ok for regular user. If you are a new user in coolpix, you can put this to your future shop list. Not recommend to people who has SK-E900 and additional flash.

Strengths:

1. 4x optical zoom. Most digicams in this price range only have 3x, and most lower-priced cameras only have a 2x or no zoom at all.

2. Pop-up flash. Many owners of the Coolpix 990 and 950 have significant red-eye trouble. Popping up the flash on the 995 gets it far enough away from the lens to eliminate most red-eye troubles.

3. High resolution. 3.3 megapixels in a quality camera like this is more than enough for most serious amateurs. The only time this will become a limitation is if you want to make obscenely large prints (probably 16" x 20" or larger, and even then I don't think it would be a significant degradation) or if you want to crop significantly and make an 8" x 10" or something in that range. I have been very pleased with my results, even in...

4. Auto mode. The 995 has a steep learning curve if you want to really take advantage of its full feature set. But its auto mode is intuitive enough that you can take the camera out of the box and start taking quality shots immediately. The auto mode is no more complicated than any point-and-shoot camera. Excellent feature.

Weaknesses:

1. 16 mb CompactFlash card. This one is really a joke. Nikon should have included at least a 32mb card and probably a 128. I strongly suggest purchasing a larger CF card immediately. Most CF cards have fallen to the 50 cents per meg range now (January 2002), so you should be able to get a good name-brand 128mb CF card for $60 or so. Do it. Now.

2. Digital zoom. Worthless. The pixellization is horrendous, and unless you have a huge amount of light the lens speed is such that you really need a tripod to avoid camera shake.

3. Lens speed. With no zoom the aperture is f/2.6. The further you zoom, the worse it gets. If you don't have a tripod, I strongly suggest one (the 995's mount is sturdy and well-made, by the way).

4. No case included. Again, something you definitely need. I've had very good luck with LowePro, and they're reasonably priced.

5. Complicated menu system. To take advantage of all the features of this excellent camera, you really need to spend significant time reading the manual and exploring the extensive menu system. Not for the faint of heart.

I've given 4 out of 5 stars, with one star removed due to the above weaknesses. But this is a fantastic camera. I've had mine for only about three weeks and I've already taken more than 300 shots, many of them excellent. I highly recommend it.

I have owned 2 or three 35mm SLR cameras and based on
reputation, decided to go with the Nikon 995 for digital photography. I could not be more pleased with this purchase. Whether you point and shoot with the auto mode or
go for controlled effects with manual, this thing makes wonderful pictures. The 995 has it all--the pixels, the zoom, the monitor, the close-ups, the convenience AND simple to use. Like the camera, accessories are precision made albeit somewhat pricey, but hey--you're getting the quality of a Nikon.
Every conceivable option is available including telephoto
lense, wide-angle, fisheye, and assorted filters to name a few. The camera design allows 360 degree vertical rotation so
one can look into the monitor AND shoot the photographer.
The location of the built-in flash reduces redeye over prior models. I have read a few reviews where someone had trouble loading onto their computer. I am a computer neandrethal and this puppy was up and running in a few minutes without a single hassle. Color is fantastic, but it helps to orchestrate your lighting for professional results. I could go rambling on,
but let's keep it succinct, "you get what you pay for" has
never been more true than with the Nikon 995.

I have been using the 995 since 2001, I am a medical Radiologist, in my field everybody needs a high quality digital camara aid for storing cases. The results using my Nikon 995 compared to other cameras (from my collegues) in the same range are breath taking!! You a get a great Nikor lens, with a very convenient Makro and so many manual options that makes it impossible to need another camera.
Plus you can have add-ons that the others don't have like the slide reproducer that lets you digitize all the old slides!!. I have literaly taken thousands of pictures and works as good as new. The 995 lets you take charge when you need to, but also has the automatic ¨SNAPPY¨ mode for easier shots. It's a must have. After comparing I can't imagine 3 years later why would I want to change it for another.

This camera is great. For those of you who are new to photography, it operates as a point-and-shoot. If you are looking to advance your skills, it offers manual ability (apeture, shutter speed and focus). This camera has all the features of a Nikon SLR. This camera takes sharp and clear pictures, and is definately worth the price!

The only downfall to the camera is that is is prone for causing redeye due the close proximity of the lens and the flash. Nikon just introduced the Nikon Coolpix 995 that is essentialy the same as the 990 but with a pop-up flash. That should eliminate the red eye.

I would expect the 995 to drive down the price of the 990. If the price between the two camerasis incidental, go for the pop-up flash to elimate the red eye. If the price difference is alot, stick with the 990 - you won't be disappointed, and editing software makes it super easy to remove redeye.

I upload my images to photoworks.com. Their software allow you to edit the picture before you send it - their red eye reduction is a snap. The quality of the pictures is tremendous - noone ever knows the image is digital!

Good luck with the camera - you are guarenteed to love it!

I am semi-retired, my background was commercial photography for about thirty years. I now have a furniture store which both my wife and I own. We also have a crew that builds custom furniture. For our web site we needed good photos. We have designated an area in the store mainly for photography. We chose the Nikon 990 coolpix digital camera because of the 3.34 megapixels and the reputation of the Nikon name. We purchased the camera when it first became available,I have had it since sometime in July 2000. It took me several weeks to learn the camera. The documentation is very difficult to follow. However I feel that I know the camera well enough now to use it to its fullest extent, we are getting incredible results. The Express photo program that comes with the camera is very good. I am able to correct the flower pot shape from looking down on the subject and crop for the desired results. In one previous ratings red eye was mentioned, and I also found that no matter what you do you get some serious red eye problems. In another program (Adobi Photo Shop) I zoom in on an eye so that the eye fills the entire monitor screen then I take all the red squares and turn them into the color I want, with amazing results. If anyone wants to know more detail of how I do it please feel free to email me.

I've had mine for 3 years and it's just what I wanted for what I use it for. If anyone wants a great camera to use for just about any task or just fun? Buy it. Buy it now!

I entered the world of digital photography with a Fuji DS-7. Cheap, it provided a 640x480 introduction to the fun you can have with a computer camera. I love the immediate feedback you get when you download the pictures to your computer and see them pop up! I shoot many, many more pictures now that I have a digital camera.

If my old Fuji was a nifty PT Boat, then my Nikon Coolpix 950 is an aircraft carrier. The high 1600x1200 resolution mode is stunning to view on my PC. I find myself wondering if my HP color printer is now the weak link in producing the best quality shots.

I find I don't use the middle 1024x768 resolution at all. I either go 640x480 for pictures to email my friends, or 1600x1200 for ones to keep and print.

I haven't discarded my film camera yet, but I'm taking far fewer film pictures. This camera is amazing techology. Even with better CCD sensors in the future, I don't see this camera being dated soon. Its high-res picture quality is amazing. The controls can be a bit confusing at first, but you can do just about anything with this camera that you can with a film 35mm.

Well, I would probably be reviewing the 990 or D1 if I could have paid their high sticker prices, but I wanted to give my 2 cents on this exceptional camera from NIKON. I searched and searched for the perfect camera before I settled on the Coolpix 950. I wanted at least 2.1 megapixels and could have gotten other brand 3.3 cameras for the list price of the 950, but the features of this camera are what sold me. The additional lens and flash options make this a photographers dream. The point and click options make my non-photographer wife very happy. The Good: 1. Picture quality excellent! 2. Exposure and composition excellent! 3. Very easy to use 4. Lots of picture (size) options 10 different picture formats for storage purposes 5. Battery Life not all that bad if you do not use the LCD screen as your viewfinder The Bad: 1. Nikon photo software is kinda crappy (I now use Adobe Photoshop) 2. The serial connection is really slow...I bought a (lexar 8x) 32 meg memory card and a usb card reader for $50 bucks 3. The 8 meg card is kinda small if you want high res shots 4. No lens cover (so I bought a UV filter lens cover) to protect the expensive Nikon lens $5. Overall, I am extemely please with this camera....the price was too good to pass-up...I used a $50 dollar off online coupon from Amazon which brought the price down to $706 and then Nikon had a $150 dollar rebate on the Coolpix 950. I have not gotten that money yet, but when I do $556 for this camera is a steal. Good luck buying your camera, and I hope this review was helpful.

I am taking picture 3,901 and have never had a problem, other than trying to remember how to use the endless settings in the m mode. I just downloaded bios update to 1.3 and had no problem. Of course, I carefully followed all the directions. I had been at 1.2.

I purchased a Coolpix 885 in April 2002. Within a few weeks I encountered a "SYSTEM ERROR" message. I got the camera replaced because it was under new camera warranty. I recently tried to use the custom settings to take pictures in poor light and encountered the "SYSTEM ERROR" message again. I believe there is a problem with using this mode. Based on other reviews and given the lack of positive action to address this issue I could not recommend this camera. I have given it 1 star because I have taken around 950 good pictures using the auto modes only.

I loved the camera when it arrived. The first "serious brand" camera I've ever purchased (my prior Kodak DC200 digital had serious design flaws in the battery compartment, causing power "dropout" problems) and I really liked the compact size and the flawless optics.

But, I'm now about to ship the camera back FOR THE THIRD TIME for repairs for the exact same problem. The zoom lens assembly has a recurring problem that causes the auto-focus to "lose it" after several zoom-in/zoom-out shots in sequence, and then all it'll do is say "SYSTEM ERROR" on-screen and refuses to power up.

Needless to say, this has (Murphy's Law) happened during:

1. A wedding;

2. A 50th Anniversary;

3. 5 birthday parties;

4. A Christmas family reunion, some relatives arriving from Australia.

It's also got a very disappointing power management issue. Well before the "low battery" icon appears, the camera will sporadically power down/reboot upon shooting a picture that requires the flash unit. Yes, it DOES flash, and yes it DOES store the picture. But then you miss the next 2-3 shots because the camera is busy rebooting. Really annoying.

I am DEFINITELY unhappy with Nikon, and I receive no response whatsoever to my letters. My next camera will NOT be a Nikon. Plus, now I have to sell nearly a thousand dollars worth of accessories and batteries on eBay.

Nikon's lost a customer for life here...

I have searched for several weeks for a digital camera, and although I own a Canon Elan 7e conventional SLR, I went ahead with Nikon and I am very pleased for having made this choice.
If you want to get a 3-4 MP camera, I would like to tell you why you should consider this camera:
1. Excellent optics. Very crisp pictures, good color adjustment. (you can always depend on Nikon because the commpany is dedicated to optical instruments in contrast to some other companies who produce digital cameras, speakers, PDAs, TVs, radios, keyboards etc at the same time! Makes sense?).
2. Size: It is compact and light but at the same time gives you the feeling of holding a camera and not some nonspecific electronic rectangular object (which I value very much).
3. The zoom: 3x optical zoom is not provided by other brands with similar value and MP. They all offer digital zoom and all of us know what that means!
4. Software: Very intuitive and easy to learn. I did not have to read the manual to understand the menus and that is a great plus. The Custom mode offers several settings from room lighting type to bracketing, and several other stuff that you will enjoy using. But the bottom line is, you actually can get to use the camera the way you want to just by the click of a single button.
5. The Macro mode: Fantastic! You can get close up from 1.6 inches and this is real. Try the other cameras and get a close up at that distance. I have tried but could not succeed. If you are going to use the Macro mode, be sure to try all the brands but when you try, you will see that Nikon has an excellent macro mode.
One problem I have encountered is the focusing sound the camera produces when it focuses. However, at day 2, I realized that it was due to the default continuous AF mode and when I switched it to single AF, there was virtually no sound. If that sound had persisted, the camera rating would have been 4 stars and I am so glad that you can actually get rid of that sound. Some people may not find it bothering but I did!
Amazon offered it at a great price when I bought it and I don't know if they will continue selling it because it is so good you don't need any better (unless you want to print pictures with sizes > 11x14 inches, where Coolpix 4300 or 4500 would be better suited to your intentions. However, for that paper size, remember that each shot will be of about 2 MB size)
I definitely recommend this camera to people looking for 3-4 MB range. Just try it before buying any digital camera. You will notice the difference.

I just got the CoolPix 885. I bought it unseen off of Amazon. I was suprised that is is so small. The quality is supurb, as you would expect from Nikon. The camera is not as intuitive as I would like, but I am not unhappy with the camera. I am getting used to the new world of digital pictures and I have some more learning to do.

I would recommend that anyone getting a digital camera (especially if it has movie mode) upgrade to at least a 128MB memory card. I just ordered a 256MB memory card. The 32MB that comes with the camera fills up fast if you take lots of photos.

I just purchase a Nikon 885 and I'm really happy with it, I bought it at Best buy for 599.00 and they give you 64meg card for free. You can get the camera cheaper online but I prefer to buy items like this site on seen. It's very easy to use the menus are user friendly and the pictures come out great. It's definately a lot smaller than it looks in the picture. I definately would recommend using rechargeable batteries and have a few set aside if you plan on taking a lot of picutures. The 16 meg card is pretty much useless so I would recommend at least 64 megs. I would definately recommend this camera to the person who want's to take quality pictures..........

This is my first Digital Camera and I am glad I got this after doing a lot of Digtial Camera Research. The clarity and color balance of the pictures are really good.
The only annoying fact was that I have to reset the date everytime I change the battery.

Dont misunderstand, this is no dought a wonderful Camera, but I have to compare these Images to My Sony 5meg all the time and this camera is just not as easy and doesnt take photos of people as well. I have studied the Manual since day one, and have taken over a thousand pics...The Sony has Very rich fleshtones, Nikon is Blue, thats the only way I can describe it, I have to Import alot of the images into photoshop to get rid of the Blueish cast, probably my fault and need to study the book more but why should I have to?..The Sony has much better AUTO features, and way better focusing abilities...I bought this camera because of the power and size of the lens...It will fit through a chain link fence, where as the Sony will not, and I am constantly behind fences at sporting events, The Size of the Sony 8meg was just too big to throw into my pack, the Nikon is easier to carry and has an unbelievable lens range for a camera of this size...35-280 is the best of the bunch in the 8meg range...So..my humble opinion, if you want a compact 8meg...this camera is a good tool, just be ready to study and practice with it...If you want 8megs and an easy auto camera, with better focus and much better pictures of people then get the Sony8meg...This Nikon has frustrated me from day one and I am pretty good at photography...I own six digital cameras and this is my first Nikon...Nikon does have an incredible range of accesories for this camera and it is a keeper, I will just have to keep practicing with it and try to figure out why the Hue seems too blue for me...It takes incredible photos of landscapes and the outdoor shots are wonderfull, the lens range is worth keeping it alone...It is so much smaller than my Sony F717...8megs is better for printing 13x19 high quality...No pixelation with my Canon S9000...So...Nikon=serious tool and learning curve....Sony=Auto mode point and shoot with not much study/practice...I now own both so I know...If you aint gonna practice with the Nikon then Get the Sony 8meg or 5meg...Hope this is helpful...cause these are thousand dollar choices.

Okay, I tested all the 8MP out there and so far this is the one I have to say is the best. It is a little bit harder to get used too, but believe me. Once you get the hang of it, there is no going wrong. I do recommend getting the fastest memory card there is. I am shooting "raw images" and the faster the card the faster you get the picture. It is a NIKON.

I upgraded to a Coolpix 8700 from a old Kodak DX3500, now my kodak took wonderful pictures, and continued to amaze me. But after download the first pictures I took with this camera in their eye popping glory I was caught, hook, line, sinker.

While this camera is perfect for an amateur aspiring professional it would probably be lacking to any real professional, and I plan to compliment it with a 35mm SLR.

The learning curve on this camera can be quite high, with alot of features and buttons to learn, but after a few hours of playing I managed to get most of the features down. The button layout is also nicely placed, I find it easy to navigate the buttons by touch while using the view finder.

But why talk when you can show! Here are some pictures I took the day I received this camera not 20 minutes after the battery finished charging! No special lighting, in fact it was overcast and raining and sorta dark the day these were taken. (...)Simply amazing! (...)

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.