Best Consumer Digital Camera To Date
Written: May 05 '00 (Updated May 13 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ultra-sharp high res photos, Lots of user
Cons: Batteries drain too quickly, Included Software Sucks
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| MediaLabGuy's Full Review: Nikon Coolpix 990 Digital Camera |
The CoolPix 990 is the best consumer digital camera to date. Having 3 other consumer digital cameras in my collection (Kodak DC260, Kodak DC265, Kodak DC290), I must say that the 990 beats its competition hands down in terms of the quality of the photos it takes, and the features it has.
Awesome Features
The CoolPix 990 has a host of awesome features. Among my favorite is the full manual control that the 990 gives you, including allowing you to set aperature, exposure, shutter speed, film sensitivity (ISO), and white balance. Furthermore, it has a ton of pre-programmed modes (portrait, macro, landscape, Auto mode) that give rather decent shots when used appropriately. But perhaps the best feature is its ability to take 3.34 megapixel photos, making this one of the highest resolution consumer digital cameras on the market today.
Picture Quality
Picture quality from a digital camera is the most important aspect to me.
With this in mind, I must say that the picture quality from the CoolPix 990 is quite amazing. The 990 excels especially in two areas: macro (close-up) mode and outdoor landscape mode. I tried taking a photo of a quarter at macro mode, and the picture is so sharp that you can see even the tiniest scratches on the quarter's surface. In bright, sunny outdoor shots, the CoolPix 990 takes photos that show very bright and faded colors equally well. Furthermore, at 3.34 megapixels, printing out your photographs at 11x14 and 8x10 are still sharp, rivaling even high-end 35mm film cameras.
Ease of Use
The "Automatic" (A-Rec) mode is simple and easy to use--just turn the camera on, point the camera towards your subject, and press the shutter. Nine times out of ten, you'll get a picture worthy of framing. In "Manual" (M-Rec) mode, it's a bit more difficult to use. The menu system for setting aperture, exposure, and shutter speed are pretty difficult to navigate through, but the extra control you get over the camera settings are well worth it if you want to get that "perfect" shot.
Some Gripes
The CoolPix 990 sucks battery power like crazy...a set of 4 AA akaline batteries will die after about 50-70 shots, and the more expensive NIMH batteries will last about 100 photos before dying. The "Nikon View" software included with the camera really leaves much to be desired--it's extremely unintuitive, hard to install, and often does not work (for instance, in thumbnail mode, instead of displaying thumbnails, you'll often get big "X"'s where the thumbnails should be). Additionally, the included 16MB compact flash card is way too small, you'll probably have to shell out yet another $100 for a 32 MB card if you want to hold even a decent amount of photos without having to constantly download them to your PC. Finally, the Coolpix 990 only supports Compact Flash Type I cards, meaning that the coveted IBM 340MB MicroDrive will not fit into the camera.
Who This Camera is For
The CoolPix 990 is a consumer digital camera--and it's film counterpart is an expensive point-and-shoot 35mm or APS camera. If you're a professional or serious amatuer photographer who's mastered every nuance of a Nikon N60 or EOS-A2E camera, then stick with that or go for the even more expensive Nikon D1 digital camera. You can't swap lenses with the CoolPix 990, and as such, the 3x zoom lens is often very limiting. But if you're like most consumers, who is looking for a easy-to-use digital camera that takes awesome pictures, then the Nikon 990 is for you.
Overall Recommendation
The Coolpix 990 is a sure winner. The photos are sharp, clear, and crisp, and no one can beat ultra-high 3.34 megapixel resolution. At a thousand dollars, it's on the expensive side, but if you have that kind of money and you're looking for a digital camera that is easy to use and has ultra-high quality pictures, than the CoolPix 990 is for you.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
MediaLabGuy
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Member: Wesley Chan
Location: Cambridge, MA
Reviews written: 48
Trusted by: 29 members
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