Nikon’s Latest Lives Up to its Name
I’ll confess my bias up front. For nearly two years I’ve been using an Epson PhotoPC 850Z ($619 street price) in my design business and I’ve been very pleased — not to mention familiar — with it. As result, I can’t but help compare my experience with the Epson camera to the new Nikon CoolPix 990. But the 3.3-megapixel CoolPix takes resolution to the next level (2,048 x 1,536 pixels), while the PhotoPC 850Z tops out at 2.1 megapixels (1,600 x 1,200 pixels).
First impressions are important. When I unwrapped the CoolPix 990 I was disappointed to see that the package contained four unrechargeable AA alkaline batteries. The LCD (liquid crystal display) that allows you to preview images on the camera unit is notorious for gobbling up battery life. After a 4-hour sightseeing drive with the CoolPix I had 12 discarded batteries to show for it. In the long run disposable batteries are expensive, wasteful (not to mention ecologically irresponsible), and inconvenient. Naturally, I could buy NiMH rechargeables (recommended in the manual) and a charger, but for $999 I’d expect them to be included with the CoolPix, as they are with the less-expensive Epson and Olympus cameras I’ve used. The CoolPix also lacks an AC-power adapter (available separately for $49.95). Why should I drain the batteries when I’m at my desk downloading images?
Nikon Provides a USB cable with which to download images to the PC, but I probably won’t use it. I’m hooked on Lexar’s JumpShot CompactFlash Reader (included with the CoolPix) — a USB cable with a built-in Compact Flash (CF) slot. I can store images on the included 16MB CF card, then pop the card out of the camera and insert it into the JumpShot slot, where my PC recognizes it as drive G. This eliminates a download delay as well as the battery drain, and lets me retrieve images just as I would from any drive. Nikon also sells a 64MB CF card for $249 and a 96MB card for $349.
Physical Fitness
Ergonomically, the CoolPix is lightweight and easy to hold (at least for a right-hander), with a large extruded rubber grip area for one-handed operation. The shutter button falls naturally under the forefinger, while the zoom buttons are within easy reach of the thumb. By contrast, in my previous experience with Kodak’s digital cameras my fingers were either covering the lens (with the DC215) or the LCD (with the DC240 and DC280) because these features were too close to the camera’s edge.
The CoolPix’s most distinctive feature still baffles me. The camera is split nearly down the middle into two pieces joined by a swivel hinge. One half contains the electronics — the LCDs, buttons, and dials — while the other comprises the lens, viewfinder, and flash apparatus. In its default state, the lens points upward, while the viewfinder sits on the camera’s underside. To operate the camera normally — that is, to photograph something in front of you — you must swivel the lens 90 degrees. Why should you have to bother with this? Sure, this lets you view the LCD straight-on regardless of where the lens is pointed, but come on, how often do you need to shoot at odd angles? Of course, you can also swivel the lens 90 degrees in the opposite direction for a self-portrait, but unless you’re an exhibitionist, I doubt it’s worth the inconvenience this design imposes.
Another serious problem for me is the CoolPix’s removable lens cap. This is primarily a field camera. The last thing I want to fiddle with outdoors is a quarter-size plastic disc, which is sure to get lost in no time. This also adds another tedious step to taking a simple picture. Yet to go without the lens cap is to risk damaging a pricey camera.
Which begs another question: Why don’t digital cameras come with any protection for the exposed and very vulnerable LCD screen? The CoolPix’s LCD, as with most other cameras I’ve seen, easily can be scratched on buttons, snaps, and zippers just bouncing on its strap around my neck; not to mention the dangers posed by protruding objects while I scramble to get a good shot. A simple zippered pouch for the camera would be nice (another option for $19.95).
Not only did I find the lens fumbling to be a nuisance, I frankly don’t use an LCD to frame my shots very often, for two reasons. The first is the obvious battery drain. The second is that I’ve found in most outdoor situations the lighting is just too bright to see the LCD clearly. What’s more, it’s just more natural to hold the camera to my eye than at arm’s length. Unfortunately, the CoolPix’s LCD comes on automatically every time the camera is switched on for picture taking. It can be turned off with two presses of the Monitor button — which the manual recommends — but there’s another annoying waste of time. Why isn’t the monitor off by default?
This article was last modified on January 6, 2023
This article was first published on November 10, 2000
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