Nikon Coolpix 900: Great value for the money!
Written: Apr 15 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Value, image quality, versatility, zoom, macro
Cons: Battery usage, slow to charge
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| HomeBizWriter's Full Review: Nikon Coolpix 990 Digital Camera |
Although it is now discontinued from Nikon, the Coolpix 900 remains a highly viable candidate in the "under $1000" digital camera arena. Even if you need to get one from a used camera dealer, or an auction site like eBay, don't overlook this camera!
I originally bought my Coolpix 900 with the intention of using it to create digital images for a product based website. Since then, it has been on trips around the US and Europe and has proven to have exceptional versatility, combined with good ease of use.
My primary requirement of the camera was to be able to do high quality stills and close-up work, sometimes in low light situations. In that respect, the camera has exceeded my expectations multifold. Here are some of the features that have been especially impressive and useful:
Swiveling lens: Having done the bulk of my photography with 35mm cameras, my initial reaction to the 900's swiveling lens was one of skepticism. Basically, about one half of the camera body can be rotated through a 270 degree angle. This means that you can easily watch your subject on the approx. 1 5/8" by 1 3/16" monitor screen while pointing the lens in all sorts of odd directions. Self-portrait? No problem! Just swivel the lens towards yourself, say "velveeta" until you like what you see on the small monitor screen, and "click." Want to take a picture from a "bug's perspective?" No problem! Swivel the lens towards your target and watch the image on the monitor. It's a great feature.
Built-in Macro capability: If you ever have the need to do any kind of detail work the camera's zoom lens, combined with the macro feature, gives outstanding results. At the camera's highest resolution setting, it is possible to get large, sharply focused images of the tiny engraved text on the back of a watch, or the individual scales on a butterfly's wing. Not too shabby for a sub-$1000 camera! A tripod is recommended when doing close-up work.
Working in low light situations: I have found the Coolpix 900's Zoom Nikkor lens to have remarkably good light gathering qualities. The camera was really put to the test during a vacation to Denmark last summer. We visited a museum in an old castle where flash photography was prohibited, and many of the treasures were in dark rooms where conventional photos without flash would have been virtually impossible. With the "auto-flash" off, the 900 did an admirable job of generating a long series of crisp images that reflected the true levels of ambient light in the castle.
Standard flash card storage: The 900 originally came with a Nikon 8mb standard "compactflash" storage card--the "film" of digital cameras. I have subsequently added a number of SanDisk 30mb cards to my standard equipment, which allows me to store up to 183 images per card in "standard" resolution mode. If your photography requires the highest resolution setting (for example, to print out your photos on a color printer on photographic quality paper), the increased memory cards are essential.
A few additional items for the "plus" side: The zoom lens brings a wide range of subject matters into focus, the choice of resolution settings makes for a very versatile range of uses, and the camera's controls and icons are laid out in an intuitive and easy to use fashion. So, is this a "perfect" digital camera? No, there are a few minor drawbacks:
Not great for "Instant Action" photography: One of the most persistent irritants with the Coolpix 900 is slowness with which it gets itself "ready" to take a picture. When you first turn the camera "on," it has to charge the built-in flash unit (whether you have the flash set to "on" or not), then load up the color monitor screen. This all takes about 3-4 seconds, so if your photography is mostly action shots, this may not be the best camera for you.
High power usage: The camera's greatest weakness is probably that it is a "power hog." There is an optional AC adaptor available for the Coolpix 900, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who's going to use the camera in a studio setting. However I, and most people I know, use their cameras "out and about," which for the 900 involves the use of AA type batteries as a power source. The camera runs on 4 AA cells, and they run down quickly. If you are doing a lot of flash photography, they run down especially quickly, although the monitor screen--bright as it is-- is also a major power drain. In normal use, I expect to get between 40 and 75 images per set of 4 batteries, substantially fewer if I'm using the flash. This can be overcome by turning the monitor screen off and using the viewfinder instead. However, this also means that you're turning off many of the features that makes this an excellent camera in the first place. My solution has been to invest in rechargeable batteries and a charger, and this has proven quite satisfactory.
The only other "problem" I have encountered with my Coolpix 900 has been keeping track of the tiny (1 1/4" diameter) lens cap. This, however, was easily solved by attaching a small length of fishing line to the lens cap and the camera case.
After more than 5,000 pictures taken over a one-year period, the Coolpix 900 has become one of my most used cameras-- mostly because it truly allows me to just "grab it and go" with the knowledge that I'll get great pictures-- without having to worry about whether or not I remembered all the right accessories for my conventional 35mm camera. I highly recommend it for everyone except those who take a lot of "instant action" photos!
Recommended:
Yes
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HomeBizWriter
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Member: Peter
Location: Austin, Texas
Reviews written: 42
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