Nikon Coolpix 900 User Review

                   
Many folks have been hounding me for one of my user reviews for the new
Nikon Coolpix 900 digicam so here it is. I have been holding off doing
this as I didn't want to be another one of those people who uses a camera
for a couple of days and then writes a "glowing" review of it. I have used
the camera for about two weeks now and have shot over 500 pictures with it
before forming the following opinions.)


After having had my Agfa ePhoto1280 for the better part of a year now I
felt almost immediately at home with the Coolpix 900, its overall design
is very close to the Agfa. The first time you handle a "swiveling" lens
digicam it can be either fun or work -- I prefer the fun part!

Not only does it allow you to get shots that you could otherwise not get
without using a ladder or laying on the ground, it really helps when using
the LCD outside in the bright sunlight. You tilt the screen part back
slightly and it shades itself while you point the lens at your subject. And
for a crowd shot you simply hold the camera over your head and tilt the
screen down so it faces you and shoot. If you ever wondered what life
as a dog or a cat might be like, just hold the camera a few inches off
of the floor and tilt the LCD upwards.

The Coolpix 900 also has an optical viewfinder which is something that is
lacking in the ePhoto1280 design. Granted it isn't the greatest optical
viewfinder I've ever used but it is there and it is useable. Outside in the
bright sunlight using the optical finder not only lets you hold the camera up
to your head like a convential camera which makes it easy to follow
fast-moving action but it also saves your battery power by not running the
high-drain LCD monitor. So far the only negative that I and many other
people have found with the optical viewfinder is that setting the diopter
adjustment is a confusing thing. If you adjust the diopter at the wideangle
setting it is off when you zoom out to telephoto position and vice-versa.
Set it at the midpoint and forget it, even if the viewfinder seems to be out
of focus the camera is auto-focus and as long as the green light is steady,
the picture is properly focused.

Manuals, I don't need no stinking manuals...

Being the whiz-bang digicam pro that I (think I) am -- the first thing I do
with a new camera is load it with batteries, pop in a flash card, turn it on
and shoot! If this fails, I then (yawn) read the user manual. The Nikon
once again proved that I am incredibly smart (or is it that "damn lucky") as
it performed marvelously in the [A]REC mode without ever once looking at a
the quick start guide. I just started snapping away at anything that held
still long enough to be captured by the sharp 3x Nikkor lens. The images I
saw being previewed on the LCD looked great so I knew this was going to be a
real winner as a PnS (Point-n-Shoot) type digicam for the masses.

After rapidly filling up the included 4MB CompactFlash card I couldn't wait
to plug it into my 32" Sony TV and check out my pictures. What I saw was
incredible, the color and sharpness of the images was truly amazing. I had
even pushed the macro button and shot a closeup pic of my watch laying on the
dresser and could easily tell the time down to the sweep second hand...as
well as the tiny lettering that said "Timex" on the face. This shot had been
taken at about 8-9 inches with the telephoto out to the full position and
using the flash, it was sharp and not the least bit overexposed. To do the
same thing on the ePhoto1280 would have required that I go into the manual
override and set the aperture to minimum to avoid burning it up with the
flash.

I punched the menu button while playing back images on the TV screen and
quickly found the "slideshow" setting and then sat back and watched my
pictures pop up onscreen at 3 second intervals. Now I couldn't wait to put
the CompactFlash card in my PCMCIA reader on the desktop computer and see
what these pictures looked like on the 17" monitor. Again I was totally
thrilled by what I saw as only one picture out of 15 or 16 was a throw away
and the rest were definite keepers. The overall color saturation of the
Nikon is not as rich as the Agfa or any of the Kodak cameras I have had but
it can be easily adjusted with any good graphics program to suit your
individual tastes.

It doesn't take long using this camera before you come to the conclusion that
the Nikkor lens in combination with the 945-step autofocus system really
works. If the green light is steady and not blinking it IS correctly focused
on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder or the LCD monitor. I was
glad to see this as I had gotten very used to relying on the ePhoto1280 to
focus on what it was pointed at. This was not the case with the Olympus
D-600 or the D-500 that I had used earlier this year. And for catching
action shots - Nikon has included an infinity focus lock button. Turn it on
and the camera doesn't waste time "hunting" for the proper focus as you pan
with your subject which means the shutter goes off much faster.

If you are a fan of taking closeup/macro type shots then the Nikon 900 is
going to make you very happy. Once you learn the trick of zooming out to
full telephoto after pressing the macro button and backing away from your
subject rather than crowding it - the shots are incredible! This is the
preferred way to take macro shots if you use a 35mm SLR and a good 100mm lens
but, most digicams make you use the wideangle setting and get real close.
Two problems with this, first is that wideangle settings yield all kinds of
barrel distortion (outside edges bend inward at the top and bottom) and the
closer you get to a subject the more harsh the shadows get from the flash and
usually result in overexposures.

Framing your closeup subject or any subject in any focal setting is a breeze
on the big 2" color LCD. The update (refresh) rate of the LCD has got to be
close to 30fps as it is realtime with no jerking or smearing as you pan side
to side or up and down. I have seen some black vertical lines appear on the
LCD when used outside in bright sunlight but they do not affect the captured
image. Buyers of the new Kodak DC-260 are already finding out that their
camera's LCD refresh rate is nowhere close to realtime. There are many
reports of badly smeared LCD images and comments like "well, it's OK for
revewing pictures or selecting menu options but you can't use it as a
viewfinder."

To save battery power the Nikon goes into "sleep" mode and shuts down the LCD
and other onboard electronics after only 30 seconds. If you push a button or
tap the shutter halfway it will extend this timeout value. Many users have
already been complaining that this timeout value is too short and it is not
currently changeable in the camera's menu system. Nikon says the firmware is
upgradeable so expect this to be one of the first changes.

Buttons, Knobs and Switches...

There is a minimum of user controls on the camera itself, there's a 4-way
selector switch built around the shutter button that lets you pick the
operational mode. Choices are "Play" "Off" "[A]REC" and "[M]REC" for image
playback, camera off and record auto and manual mode. There's a small LCD
display on the top that shows vital info like the battery condition meter,
number of pictures remaining, flash setting, picture quality and the exposure
mode selected. Along the edge of the info LCD is three buttons, one sets the
image quality, one locks the focus at infinity or sets macro or self-timer
mode and the third button sets the flash modes. These same three buttons also
do double duty when the camera is in the playback mode and allow you to
delete the current image, bring up a 9-picture preview of thumbnails or
magnify the center 50% of the current image being displayed.

On the LCD side of the camera is the rocker switch to go from wideangle to
telephoto and if you hold it in the telephoto position for more than two
seconds it goes into 2x digital zoom giving you a 6x zoom equivalent. Below
the LCD is two more buttons, one controls the monitor on/off and also turns
the image information displayed on or off. The last button is the MENU
button which lets you access the manual modes during record or the playback
options if you're in the play mode.

Auto record mode...

What can I say other than the Nikon 900 is one of the easiest to use digital
cameras that acts like a PnS camera when in the auto record mode. Anybody
can pick it up, turn it on and point it in the right direction, press the
shutter button halfway, wait for a steady green light -- and take a great
picture!

In the [A]REC mode it automatically sets all the default parameters such as
auto flash and matrix metering to insure good pictures under normal
circumstances. You can still: manually select the flash mode (normal,
redeye, slow shutter, always on or always off), select between normal
autofocus, infinity-locked focus, macro focus or self-timer mode and you can
select the image quality (fine, normal or basic.) The MENU button is
non-functional, it only works in the PLAY or [M]REC modes, not while in the
[A]REC mode.

Manual record mode options...

I became a real fan of the manual override controls on the ePhoto1280 so it
wasn't long before I was digging into the menu of options that are available
in the [M]REC (manual) camera mode. Believe me when I tell you that this
camera works almost flawlessly in the [A]REC (auto) mode. The manual
overrides are like icing on the cake for the shutter bug in all of us and can
greatly expand the usefulness of this fine digicam.

Briefly, you can change the exposure metering modes between the default
matrix mode which averages the entire frame to Center-weighted which bases
the exposure on the central portion of the frame or you can choose spot
metering. Spot metering is great for backlit subjects or areas of high
contrast between light and shadows.

You can override the exposure system by +/- 2 full f/stops in one stop
increments. You can select the Exposure Lock when shooting panaromas so all
the images have the same EV. The white balance can be selected from:
sunlight, overcast, incandescent, flourescent or flash as well as automatic.
You can digitally adjust images using the Image Adjustment function which
works on all pixels in the image to either change the brightness or contrast
levels up and down. You can make the LCD screen brighter or darker or set it
to always be off when shooting in the [M]REC mode to conserve battery power.

For shooting sequence shots the Nikon 900 offers two methods, either the
Continuous mode which shoots frames as fast as the camera can go in the
currently selected 1280x960 mode (fine, normal or basic) or you can choose
the VGA Sequence mode that sets the camera to 640x480 mode and allows up to
10 frames to be shot at a speed of 2 frames per second.

Even more manual options are available by selecting the Extra Functions menu
which has the following choices: VGA Shot (640x480 mode), Black&White,
Digital Tele (camera is always in 2x digital zoom mode and the wide/tele
button now uses the 3x optical to zoom in or out - must use LCD to see what
this mode is doing and the pictures will be slightly "grainy" because of the
digital enlargement process), Fisheye & Wideadapter which are only used if
you have purchased the optional fisheye or wideangle Nikon lenses.

If you really want to know what it can do - get on the Internet and go to the
URL below and download the Advanced Reference PDF file, you'll need the Adobe
Acrobat Reader (v3.0 or newer) but it is worth it as the manual is full of
detailed pictures and screen captures of the menus as displayed on the LCD
monitor. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is freely available all over the net.

http://www.nikontechusa.com/faq/Index.htm

Besides the Advanced Reference Manual there is also a full set of FAQs
(frequently asked questions) for the Coolpix 900 too.

Playback options...

When you switch the camera into Play mode the last image taken is loaded into
memory and displayed on the LCD screen, this takes about 7 seconds if the
image is in Fine mode and slightly less if it is in VGA mode.

Once an image is played back the three buttons on the top edge of the camera
allow you to delete the current image, show a matrix of 9 images in thumbnail
size to pick one to display full screen or to digitally zoom in to the center
50% of the current picture which is ideal to check to see if the focus was
critcially right or not.

The MENU button functions in the playback mode to let you toggle through the
Slideshow, image delete or card formatting options.

The bottom line...

As of this writing (June 28, 1998) I will go out on a limb and say that the
Nikon Coolpix 900 is the best value currently for a megapixel digicam with a
3x zoom lens. The average street price is in the $760-800 range. The CP900
produces incredibly sharp 5x7" and 8x10" pictures on my Epson Stylus Photo EX
printer using high quality glossy photo paper and either the 720dpi or
1440dpi Microweave modes. The camera is small but not too small (I have big
hands and clumsy fingers,) the Fuji MX-700 is too small for me...

The Coolpix is easy to use by almost anyone in the auto mode and when
switched into the manual modes it offers a wide range of tools to further
enhance the digital imaging experience for those willing to experiment. It
uses my favorite type of storage media which is CompactFlash and is readily
available up to 45MB size with much larger cards coming very soon from the
major CF card makers. The camera runs on four standard AA cell batteries,
your choice but NiMH rechargeables are definitely the way to go in my book.
Alkaline batteries last long enough to take 10-15 shots max and then die
whereas NiMH batteries go for a good 55-60 shots per charge.

And the real botom line -- this camera takes excellent pictures, the
autofocus system is one of the best I've ever used and the macro mode is
phenomenal. Set the camera in auto mode, push the macro button and then back
away from the subject to about 14" and run the telephoto out to the full
position and shoot. The detail is amazing and even at this close range with
the flash being used, the exposure is perfect every time. I never thought I
would see a digicam that could compete with the Ricoh RDC-2 when it came
to shooting closeups but the Nikon blows it away!

Once you get used to the "swiveling lens" concept it will become second
nature and you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. The Nikon 900 is
built solid and there is more friction between the swiveling parts of the
camera than on the ePhoto1280 which I think is made too loose. The lens is
threaded but for now the only options that can screw on it are the Nikon
optional wideangle and fisheye lenses. Because this camera is so popular
it will not be long before Tiffen or some other company comes out with
filters, lens caps and other things to screw on front of the lens. The
lens thread is not "proprietary" but rather a small (28mm) and somewhat
obscure size.

Some users have said that the colors are undersaturated but this is fine by
me as a lot of the digicams tend to try to be TOO COLORFUL like the Kodaks.
One of the best reasons to go digital besides being able to instantly access
your pictures is the ability to manipulate your images. You can always make
adjustments to images once they're on the computer but you need the best
image possible to start with. No amount of post-processing can make up for a
badly misfocused picture or one that lacks in detail or has been badly
overexposed or underexposed.

Nikon has a real winner here for the consumer willing to part with his
hard-earned $800. If you have the money to spend then I don't think you can
make a better choice at this time then by going with the Coolpix 900 digital
camera. Nikon's earlier cameras, the Coolpix 100 and 300 models were a total
disaster but I'm happy to report that they hit the nail on the head with this
one! No digicam takes perfect pictures all of the time but the percentage
of "keepers" versus "deleters" is very high with this camera.


Additional info added 6/30/98
=============================
I've fielded a lot of email asking me which large capacity flash memory card
to buy for use in the Nikon 900. This comes down to your pocketbook and how
deep your pockets are and how big of a card you want or need. I am using the
brand new MicroTech 45MB CompactFlash card and am happy to report that it is
faster than the supplied 4MB Nikon (SanDisk) card. It is also faster than a
15MB SanDisk CF card that I borrowed from a friend of mine. All of the cards
were formatted in the Nikon to avoid any formatting problems before testing
these cards head to head.

The average image save and retrieve time with the SanDisk cards is about
seven seconds. I did not use a precision Swiss-movement stopwatch just a
good sweep hand watch. Shooting the same scene in the same camera mode using
the MicroTech 45MB card yielded image save and retrieve times of six seconds,
sometimes even a little less than that. According to Al Conte, manager of
memory products for MicroTech, the new 45MB CF card is using the newly
developed Hitachi controller which accounts for the faster read and write
times that I experienced.

The MicroTech 45MB CF card yields the following storage numbers: 73 in Fine
mode, 147 in Normal mode and 295 in Basic mode. Needless to say these kind
of numbers mean that you can shoot all day without ever having to worry
about swapping out your memory card. If you need to shoot more than 295
pictures you can always switch the Nikon into VGA mode :-)

My friends at d-store (www.d-store.com) are now shipping limited numbers of
the new MicroTech 45MB CF card. They hope to get even more of them in the
near future as MicroTech ramps up their production to meet the demands of
all the new megapixel digicams that are using CompactFlash cards.


text added 07/04/98
===================
My local camera store called me on the phone the other day and told me that
my new Nikon Wideangle lens had come in. I've had a couple of days to play
with it and can tell you that it's not bad at all. Some sample shots and a
"before and after" shot taken inside the camera store are on my Nikon 900
web page for download so you can see how it works for yourself.

It does come with a lens cap! And a rear cap too! It's quite small and
lightweight and you hardly notice it is on the camera except when you look
at the LCD and see how WIDE the image is. The Nikon WC-E24 lens is a 0.66x
wideangle converter that almost doubles the field of view of the camera when
in the full wideangle position. A word of warning - when you first power on
the Coolpix 900 it usually does not start up in full wideangle so press the
tele/wide button to the left before taking a super wideangle picture.

I have not yet done any panorama stitching but I can imagine that this lens
is probably ideal for this kind of thing. Where you'd need to stitch four
or five frames together with the stock lens you could probably get away
with using only two or three with the wideangle adapter.

DSF-1 Slave Flash
=================
After seeing that the builtin flash was a little weak when used with the
Nikon wideangle adapter I decided to try my SR Inc DSF-1 slave flash as I
had done with my Agfa ePhoto1280. Well, it works brilliantly and I soon
found out that the Nikon triggers a slave flash like the DSF-1 with only
one flash pulse. The DSF-1 made a lot of difference in my pictures when
used in the straight-on or bounce mode. If you need more light in your
flash pictures then buying a DSF-1 is money well spent. It also greatly
extends the range too, I have well-illuminated subjects shot in total
darkness at a distance of 20 feet!



MicroTech SCSI Card Reader
==========================
I just received the MicroTech DPAI internal two-slot SCSI card reader the
other day and it is really nice and very fast! I have a Pentium II machine
with a builtin Adaptec SCSI controller and no free IRQs left so using my
old ISA-bus PCMCIA card reader was out of the question. The MicroTech card
reader installed right out of the box without changing any jumpers at all.
It is set for SCSI ID 5 for the first slot and SCSI ID 6 for the second slot.

Slot 1 is a full-height Type II/III slot capable of taking any kind of PC
card including hard drives. Slot 2 is a half-height slot only. After Win95
boots you will now have two removeable hard drives listed under My Computer
and these will be assigned the next two available drive letters. Unlike the
ISA-bus PCMCIA controller there is no beeping when a CompactFlash card is
inserted or removed. The transfer speed from the CompactFlash card to the
computer's hard drive is nearly the same speed as transfering files from one
folder to another on the hard drive - it is very fast!

If you're looking for a more economical solution and you are using a PC, you
might want to look at MicroTech's CameraMate which is a parallel port device
and hooks up to your PC's printer port. There is a printer pass-through
connector so both can be hooked up at the same time. The CameraMate sells
for about $99, check with my friends at d-store (www.d-store.com) for any of
these fine MicroTech products. Note that there has been problems with the
parallel port pass-thru and newer bi-directional printers (Epson, Canon and
etc) as it seems not all of the signal lines are really being passed through.
Most folks just plug and unplug the card reader as needed.


Text added 8/7/98
=================
I've had the Raynox add-on lenses for a while now. The 1.8x telephoto lens
is nice and I use it a lot to get "closer" to things without having to use
the digital zoom. A digital zoom is no different than what you can do later
using software so I much prefer an "optical" alternative to increasing the
zoom magnification. The 3.5x macro lens is nice but unless you have to take
pictures of really tiny things it is pretty much useless in everyday photo
use. I'd like to see a 1.5x or 2x macro lens. The Raynox 28-37mm stepup
ring has allowed me to stick a bunch of different filters in front of the
CP900. One of my favorite filters is the Tiffen Hot Mirror filter which
is very useful on all digicams to prevent outdoor pics from getting that
bluish look. The Hot Mirror blocks excessive infrared and believe me, we
got excessive infrared in spades down here in Florida!

© Copyright 1998 ddynamics. All Rights Reserved.