Compare with Canon S20
Written: Aug 13 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It's the picture quality stupid.
Cons: Complexity, the manual, no type 2 memory slot and included software
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| brglad's Full Review: Nikon Coolpix 990 Digital Camera |
I have both a Nikon 990 and a Canon S20. I bought the S20 and got the 990 as payment for some consulting work. What I really, really would like is a combo of the two. First the S20 advantages:
- very compact,
- has a built-in lens cover, you won't end up with smudges on the
front of the of the lens,
- supports the 340mb disk drive,
- the Canon included software (Zoom Browser and Photo Stitch for
panoramas is much better than the Nikon software),
- easier to learn to use (especially advanced features),
- panorama shots one step instead of many.
Now for the 990 advantages:
- great results especially color balance and clarity (I know both
have the same 3.3 megapixel rating but Nikon really does get
better results),
- better auto exposure with the Nikon's 256 area matrix control
- histograms allow you to re-shoot, especially when the highlights
wash out,
- very bright and clear LCD (I end up using the S20 as a point
and shoot camera and the 990 more like an SLR with its LCD),
- auto focus with 5 selectable points of focus,
- right thumbwheel provides easy control of many functions once
you learn to use them,
- preview of results in picture taking mode (don't need to switch
to playback to see what you've taken),
- white balance adjustment to account for lighting (florescent,
tungsten),
- can have three preset user settings that allow quicker access to
a group of settings that work for particular situations (e.g.
exposure lock for panorama shots),
- uses double-A batteries (in an emergency you can continue with
batteries you can buy in a market or drug store),
- can add a 2x teleconverter, and a wide angle adapter (I'm not
big into fisheye photos but you can a fisheye adapter too),
- can add an external flash,
- lots and lots flexibility and control (but there's a downside
to all this control and flexibility).
Some of the cons:
- manual is poorly organized, you learn by experimenting,
- no type 2 slot that take's a 340mb disk drive,
- histogram should be available when you're shooting, you
shouldn't have to switch to playback and back to shooting
to adjust exposure,
- limited battery life (get rechargeable NIMH batteries and
charger -- at least two sets of batteries),
- comes with only 16mB of memory (you can get 10 to 20 shots
based on compression -- or 1 super resolution shot with no
compression),
- it's a complex camera to learn to use (expect to take
hundreds of shots before you're comfortable),
- the internal flash is not very good and it's nearly
impossible to avoid red-eye using it,
- I can't point to the exact changes that I would like in
the menus and control panel LCD, but I'm convinced
there are less confusing ways to present all the
information and make all the choices.
Overall, I love the camera and will end up using it far more than the
the S20. But before I do, I will have spent another $400-500 for
a flash bracket, rechargeable batteries and charger, tele-converter,
case and 96-128mB more memory.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
brglad
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 1 member
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