coolPUTZ 885, caution!!!
Written: Feb 03 '02 (Updated May 05 '02)
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Pros: Small, feature-full, 3.21 megapixel Camera with user friendly layout
Cons: battery life, LEMON-PRONE, bad customer service.
The Bottom Line: I'm stuck with this choice, but I'm going to make the best of it! I am most happy with the pictures, size, and design. Buyer beware, Nikon isn't all that!
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| grassyknoll's Full Review: Nikon COOLPIX 885 Digital Camera |
Four months later: I've been using my replacement 885 camera at least four times a week and been pretty satisfied. This makes me think the first camera was just a lemon. That still doesn't excuse anything, nor does it forgive the poor service I received from Nikon. I still am frustrated with its SLOW processing and scanning through the pics on file. I have dropped the camera once from about two feet up, and it survived. Read the original review below, but I will relucantly, though fairly, raise the rating to two stars.
I wanted a nice, high quality camera with a good brand name and ease of use features so as to pass it off to folks without a training course. I sort of got such a camera. My camera story is something of a tale of horror.......I'm going to explain the regular review scene first, then get into long story of woe, where NIKON's customer service failed miserablely!!
Here we go:
I wanted to put the camera in my pocket. I wanted great zoom power, movie mode, and, especially, quality perks without the "over $500 price". I found the 885 for $425 from a dot-com place. The regular retail I'm seeing nowadays is about $525 to 579. The 885 doesn't come with a rechargeable battery unless you get the "euro" package, so BEWARE! The charger will run you another $60 to 90, depending whether or not it comes with a battery. The battery that comes with the camera is suppose to last a certain number of hours which sound sufficient to a buyer. I cannot recall that number, but after the first two cumulative hours of use the battery indicator lighted up, telling me that the battery is running low. The next day was cold and the camera was telling me the battery was exhausted! This was after about four cumulative hours of use at the most. After I warmed the battery in my pocket, I was able to use it again. I had to go and order the charger and battery immediately. This is a shame since the other coolpix models come with a charger. It's a necessity, so throw that into your investment costs.
It also doesn't come with a case. This is a shame. I know that this is pretty standard with digital cameras, but how dare these camera companies forcing the consumer to go spend more on an accessory. How can you own something so expensive without a case?!
The 200 page manual is quick to read and is pocket-sized for case storage. There is much to learn and after about "six" weeks of ownership, I still have to look things up in it. The 885 also came with a quick starter sheet for those like me wanting to take a picture immediately out of the box.
The supplied 16MB card is okay, better than the usual 8MB compactflash card, but upgrading to a larger Type 1 card if one of the first add-ons needed. The 16Mb will save 10 pics at "fine" (jpeg)mode or store one picture on the TIFF mode, which is the finest quality setting. The bigger the card, the slower the camera's photo taking and storage processing goes. I bought a 128MB card. I'm going to use it only for the sight seeing and casual picture taking, keeping the small cards ready to go for the action stuff. IT's SLOW to turn on! It seemed fast in the store when taking it for a test drive, but it's slow. I messed up a couple shots already due to its slow power up speed and processing time between pictures.
The 3.21 megapixel camera gives photo-quality images at 11" x 14". I did purchase a couple of add-on lenses and a UV filter. I was surprised at their size, but due to their screw-on nature and manually switching the camera settings, extra lens are not designed for those in a hurry. The basic 3x optical is not bad, and add on the 2.5 digital zoom and it's pretty amazing.
The camera takes okay Quicktime movies without sound. It's too bad they could add a sound device of some sort, but that's the breaks I guess.
Now, I've owned this camera for three months now, but half of that time, Nikon has been sitting or working on it!! Here's the story: Shortly before the holiday season, I plugged the camera into my computer, turned the camera on, and it froze. It froze solid! I couldn't do anything to get it to work. It was still practically brand new, and I followed all the rules, yet it still broke.
Nikon has a 24-hour customer support line. They are only capable of giving support such as, "are the batteries in it?" or "is the camera power switch turned on?" Yes, they are that bad. Wanting to go into the realm of REAL technical support is only available from about 8am-5pm EST. Then, there is a wait. When I got through and explained my situation to a technical support guy with real knowledge, I was told to call yet another number!! No, they couldn't just connect me. At least all the numbers are toll free, otherwise this would be a real nightmare. When I finally spoke with customer service, I was told I had to pay for the shipping. This was a final blow that I would not take. I argued it out with the representative, finally settling it down to the fact that after I spent so much cash they were going to pay for the shipping and it's going to be overnight priority!! (But I had to work for it.)
So my camera was gone for a month. Whatever I was told about speedy return went out the window, and the camera was shipped back at a normal shipping speed, creating some misleading images with Nikon.
So I open the box and the camera was still broken!!!!!
Lets think about this. The camera is gone for a month and when it is shipped back, it is still not functioning?!?! Sure, the camera turned on, but the viewer screen was burned out. I was livid. The next day I got on the phone with the person I had been dealing with, I explained the money spend, the time wasted and the poor service I was receiving. I wanted camera replacement. I also demanded something for my trouble. I was offered a memory card, but I requested a rechargeable battery. I also requested overnight shipping for the sending off and return of the replacement camera. This may all seem unreasonable, but I have invested $900 in a camera, accessories, warranties, and etc., so why shouldn't they please such a customer trying to protect an investment? Anyway, I was lead to believe that new camera would be back in my possession in three to four business days.
Wrong again, a week and a half later I was calling to ask why I received a non-rechargeable battery in the mail, and why my camera wasn't yet in my possession.
What I'm getting at is I had to be a catalyst of response in each situation with Nikon. They tell you how long it's going to take, but things don't happen unless you prod them along. In the end, I got a new 885 in the box with the battery, and film card, another battery , and the promised rechargeable battery. I guess I'm very satisfied with all of those perks, but I am just getting used to having a digital camera once again.
Maybe I just got I bum camera. Maybe the 885 is a great camera, but want you all to know this story. I'm not sure the quality is there.
If I had to do it all over, I would purchase a canon.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 425.00
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Epinions.com ID:
grassyknoll
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 1 member
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