Another Cool one.. The Nikon Coolpix 2500!
Written: Nov 24 '02 (Updated Nov 29 '02)
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Pros: Compact, value, resolution
Cons: No video out, red eye, underpowered flash, no AF assist lamp
The Bottom Line: The Coolpix 2500 offers Nikon value on a 2 megapixel camera that would suit most users looking for a notch above point and shoot simplicity.
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| lllopez's Full Review: Nikon COOLPIX 2500 Digital Camera |
The mere mention of the name Nikon evokes images of quality and diehard dependability. Most photojournalists around the world trust their golden photo opportunities to the Nikon legacy. This confidence in Nikon is justified; they are simply that good.
The digital domain has brought to the market competition from computer manufacturers like Hewlett Packard and Epson, as well as the likely candidates: Nikon, Canon, Olympus. Pentax and the other major camera manufacturers.
Nikon, thought, has brought a fun, easy to use and feature rich camera to the market in the pocket-sized, 2 megapixel Coolpix 2500. Equipped with a swivel lens, the convenience of which has become a Coolpix staple, missed shots are not an issue as you can capture your candid shots around corners or capture your child’s first play holding the Coolpix above the crowd as you have 225º to work with to get that perfect shot! This is a feature you will most likely get lots of use from right out of the box. The Nikon Coolpix 2500 is perfect for the user that wants it fast simple and right; perhaps a user new to the digital arena that wants the convenience of a point and shoot or fancies sharing their photos online. Let me not underrate the value of the Nikon Cool Pix 2500 though, as its simplicity compliments its quality workmanship, technology and manufacturing. At 2 megapixels you can expect great 8x10 enlargements of your favorite shots given favorable shooting conditions. Although you will see the Coolpix 2500 is capable of great 8x10 enlargements, you should also be aware that is the boundary this cameras capabilities and not all shots will transfer favorably to this format. Its ease of use would be well-suited casual professional use i.e. insurance work, classified auto and home magazines or light investigative work.
At just under $300.00 at this writing, Nikon gives you plenty of features that you would expect to find on cameras far more sophisticated and costly. The 3x Optical Zoom Nikkor lens coupled with 4 x Digital capability will facilitate capturing distant subjects. The 5.6mm 㪨.8mm lens has an equivalent 35mm focal range of 37mm-111mm along with macro capability as close as 1.6 inches. Macro shots are stunningly crisp, and easy to negotiate for a camera of this caliber. At 6 ounces you can literally carry this palm-sized beauty in you shirt pocket at the ready for your next shooting opportunity.
The Coolpix comes equipped with a CF I, Lexar 16MB 8x starter card that would certainly need upgrading to a larger card to accommodate long shoots. Images can be recorded and stored on the CF Type 1 card in the following resolutions:
· 640x480
· 1024x768
· 1280x960
· 1600x1200
Another certainty would be the purchase of an additional EN El2 Lithium Ion battery, as a backup, to insure you miss no exposure opportunities. The Coolpix includes the Nikon MH 60 charger unit that will come in handy every 90 - 120 minutes of continuous shooting. The latched battery bay conveniently located on the cameras side also accommodates the CF I card and USB port.
Okay, so you are ready to go out and see what the Cool Pix is capable of? The reality of digital photography is that you sometimes have the luxury of taking and viewing test shots of your subjects and making adjustments to your focal length, shutter speed, scene modes and flash settings before capturing your best image. The 2 sec. -1/3000sec. shutter speeds are quite capable of demanding shoots. The Best Shot Selector feature on the 2500 is capable of a 16 shot burst saving the best exposure. Lets say you are at your child’s soccer game when your kid kicks what may be the only goal of his life. You need to be prepared. BSS may be an option to capture that moment but it is not a certainty. Taking test shots prior to the shoot (if possible)would be helpful to prepare you for most exposures. I cannot guarantee that you will capture this most valuable shot on the 2500 if conditions are marginal. Perhaps in shooting situations as critical, having your 35 mm as backup would be advisable. You can be assured that once familiar with the camera, you can negotiate through the various menus fast enough to capture your most of your important moments digitally. A working familiarity with your cameras’ menus is critical for a successful digital photography experience. The Cool Pix has 3:
RECORD MODE
Image Quality
Fine
Normal
Basic
Image Size
1600 x 1200 (native max.)
1280 x 960
1024 x 768
640 x 480
White Balance
Auto
White Balance Preset (> Measure / Cancel)
Fine
Incandescent
Fluorescent
Cloudy
Speed light
Exposure Comp.
Single frame
Continuous
Multi-Shot 16
Best-Shot Selector
Off
On
Image Sharpening
Auto
High
Normal
Low
Off
Setup Menu
Brightness (LCD)
/- 2 levels (5 levels total)
CF Card Format
No
Format
Date
Set Date / Time & Date Format
Auto Off
30 sec
1 min
5 min
30 min
Language
De (German)
En (English)
Fr (French)
(Japanese)
Es (Spanish
Play Mode Menu
Delete
Selected Images
All Images
Print Set
Print set
Delete print set
Protect
Index
Auto Transfer
All On
All Off
CF Card Format
No
Format
Brightness (LCD)
/- 2 levels 5 levels
Movie mode is supported by the Nikon Cool Pix 2500 and movies recording QuickTime movies files of up to 15 seconds is possible by accessing movie mode with the arrow thumbwheel. As always the top left of the 1.5” display indicates current operating mode. A slide switch on the 2500’s top activates playback of your movie files. Movies taken with the Coolpix are surprisingly good!
The Nikon Coolpix 2500 is a versatile camera adaptable for most shooting situations using the 12 various scene modes. Scene modes facilitate the 2500’s point and shoot capability by providing pre-set shutter, aperture, and white balance settings for 12 different shooting scenarios. These are quickly referred to via an icon at the top left of the display screen.
· BACKLIGHT mode - Makes appropriate exposure setting illuminating faces and softening background.
· MUSEUM mode – makes appropriate camera settings when Flash photography is not possible. A tripod may be necessary for in-focus exposures
· BEACH SNOW – Provides best exposure settings in very bright conditions by appropriately managing aperture and shutter settings.
· NIGHT PORTRAIT mode – by incorporating slow sync curtain and red eye reduction you can capture warm portraits with use of flash.
· NIGHT LANDSCAPE mode – incorporates existing light to capture nightscapes without the use of flash. Here again a tripod is recommended.
· COPY mode – this setting is useful for capturing text and graphics off a 2 dimensional surface. It is also quite useful for good black & white shots.
· MACRO mode - stunning close-up shots from 1.6 inches from subject
· SUNSET mode – quite useful for capturing colorful sunrise and sunsets.
· PARTY INDOOR – Here again a tripod may be necessary as shutter speeds are slowed to capture all subjects in focus
· PORTRAIT mode - Accents skin tones and softens backgrounds for portrait work.
· LANDSCAPE mode - Adjusts depth of field for scenic landscape shots.
· FIREWORKS mode - Slows shutter to capture dramatic fireworks shots. I like to use it for some night portraits as well.
Reviewing your shots is as simple as a single press of the Quick Review button on the bottom right of the camera where your thumb would naturally be placed. Deleting your exposures on the fly is facilitated with one button Delete capability. Should you need to quick review all your exposures, you may do so simply by depressing the Wide toggle on the zoom control to see all your exposures on the 1.5 screen. That LCD screen, though only 1.5” features lit and colored menus that compensate for the size of the screen by making all the highlighted menu text easy to read.
Should you need to get into the shot, the tripod mount and 10-second timer make it a breeze.
Uploading those pictures to your computer and the included Nikonview 5 software is simple as connecting to your PC’s USB port. The Nikonview Software prompts you through the expedient process. Once opened the Nikonview software provides a medium where you cannot only view your exposures, but can also review all exposure data which is retained for future reference. Once you save your pictures to a zip disk, CDR/W or DVD, you can always drag them back onto the Nikonview browser to review retained shot data. This is by far one of the better Image browsers I have seen to date.
Focus lag is somewhat apparent on the Cool Pix 2500 in low lighting and the use of an auto-focus assist lamp would go a long way in rectifying this shortcoming. The flash on the Coolpix 2500 is located right next to the lens, and although this placement has been the source of red eye problems, I noticed very little of it shooting for a full day with this camera. The onboard flash is more than adequate for this camera at 1.3’ – 9.8’ (wide) 1.3’ - 5.6’ (tele), and offers 5 flash modes:
· Auto
· Flash Cancel
· Red-Eye Reduction
· Fill Flash
· Slow Sync
Make no mistake about it: the Nikon Coolpix 2500 is a fun and very effective camera to spend a day with. It’s portability makes is a first choice for going to the beach or kids sporting events or simply to throw in your briefcase for light work use. You will be pleased with the results gotten from the 2500. On the negative side the 2500 displayed some red eye and a little barrel distortion at (wide setting), which is not unusual for a camera with its flash placement. But don’t let that sway you from considering this little Nikon. Together, you will have plenty of good exposures you will be proud to share with family and friends.
Accessories for your Coolpix 2500 include: case, caps straps, extra batteries and a lens hood. As the Nikon 2500 is not threaded, lenses and filters are not included as accessories.
The Nikon website www.nikonusa.com is a wonderful resource for additional information including, product, dealer, manuals, site search capability, accessories, tech support and reviews. It is, as you would expect from a company like Nikon, world class!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 289.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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