Electronics and Gadgets : Brands : Nikon : Digital Cameras & Accessories : Digital Cameras : 5-plus Megapixel

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Electronics and Gadgets : Brands : Nikon : Digital Cameras & Accessories : Digital Cameras : 5-plus Megapixel

• Nikon COOLPIX 5700 Digital Camera [5MP 8xOptical]

  Nikon

  
  Building on the success of the amateur range of Coolpix cameras, Nikon has introduced the Coolpix 5700 in an attempt to bridge the gap between the amateur and professional markets. This time around Nikon has gone for a semi compact feel, combining an almost palm sized unit with a powerful feature set one would expect to find on a high specification mid-range digital camera.

  The Coolpix 5700 comes equipped with an automatic pop-up flash, plus a hot shoe for additional flash units. The bundled NikonView 5 browser software makes it simple to download, organise and print images. The package includes a lens cap, camera strap, 32 MB CompactFlash card, AV cable, USB cable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery and battery charger. It is compatible with CompactFlash memory cards, as well as IBM Microdrives.

  The 5700 allows the use of the viewfinder or the LCD monitor (which rotates through 180 degrees after it's opened out) for framing a picture giving full freedom of movement and allowing the photographer to capture a picture at any angle--no matter how obtuse. Zoom capability has been increased on the 5700, and the camera features an impressive 8x optical zoom, the results from which are good at all levels and distances. Supporting a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1920 (4.91 megapixels), an ISO range of 100 to 800 and a top shutter speed of 1/4000, this camera is definitely a good all rounder, providing you with great flexibility under different conditions.

  The 5700 performs admirably producing results way above expectation. Colour balance is good, and the overall results are of a very high quality. If there are any criticisms that can be raised against this camera, it's in its size that the 5700 gives rise for (small) complaint. An extra couple of centimetres all round to the body work would have made it easier to handle and control in everyday usage. The position of the camera strap attachment seems awkward, being as it is located on the upper right quadrant of the lens housing, making it sometimes difficult to gain a good grip when in use. This criticism aside, the Coolpix 5700 is bound to be another sure fire hit for Nikon, balancing the huge five-megapixel image size against a competitive pricepoint. For those not yet ready to move up to the professional level of 35 mm digital SLRs such as the Nikon D100, the Coolpix 5700 proves to be a worthy alternative. --Elly Russell

  
   

• Nikon Coolpix S1 5.1 MP Digital Camera

  Nikon

  
  
   

• Nikon Coolpix L3 - Digital camera - compact - 5.1 Mpix - optical zoom: 3 x - supported memory: MMC, SD - black

  Nikon

  
  
   

• Nikon COOLPIX 5000 Digital Camera [5MP 3xOptical]

  Nikon

  
  The Nikon COOLPIX 5000 digital camera offers a good mix of superb image quality, robust and innovative design plus incredible flexibility. The COOLPIX 5000 is one of the first 5 megapixel digital cameras available and marks a strong style departure from earlier COOLPIX models. Instead of the familiar split body design, Nikon has moved to a more familiar single body construction, but has enhanced this with an unusual 1.8-inch backlit screen that can either face the camera body for protection, be flipped over to use in the normal way or swivelled away from the camera as you would do with a camcorder. This gives maximum flexibility, especially for both portrait and nature shots. Nikon has worked hard on the ergonomics of this camera--its strong but light magnesium alloy body fits snugly in the hand and is never fiddly to use. Our key criticism of the overall design is that a 3x zoom lens (28-85mm equivalent) doesn’t do the 5 megapixel CCD justice--up against the likes of the Minolta DiMage 7 and Sony DSC-F707, this offering seems weak. However, Nikon compensate for this with a huge array of optional accessories including tele and wide converters.

  The user interface is clear and easy to use, and will be familiar to anyone who has used the COOLPIX 995. Users can set shutter speeds from 1/4000 to 8 sec, ISO from 100 to 800, exposure compensation of +-2EV in 1/3EV steps and apertures from F2.8 to F8. We would have liked to see a broader range of ISO settings--especially an ISO50 and a faster lens. A key feature of the interface is the ability to store custom settings for quick recall later, although this is comfortably beaten by the infinitely configurable Casio QV-4000. It’s worth noting that the Nikon supports the Speedlight flash with integral hotshoe although there is no mechanism for altering the flash intensity.

  Images are clear, bright and at full resolution, offer near-print quality results. Extensive control over white balance, use of Nikon’s Best Shot Selector and extremely flexible bracketing options offer every opportunity to get the right shot. The Nikon View software supplied is easy to use and sets up the camera as a standard USB mass storage device--far preferable to TWAIN image transfer. The COOLPIX 5000 is also compatible with both 512MB and 1GB IBM Microdrives. The camera is supplied with lens cap, camera strap, AV cable, 32MB CompactFlash card, USB cable, rechargeable Li-ion Battery, battery charger, Nikon View 4 CD-ROM and an above average manual. --Paul Keene FRPS