The New Coolpix 4500 Nikon Gets it Right

When Canon updated the Groundbreaking G1 from three to four megapixels last year everyone figured Nikon would follow suit with the CP 990’s update. The CP 995 incorporated several neat refinements but the three megapixel resolution didn’t change, which created rumors and speculation that Nikon planned to dump the 900 series. When the groundbreaking five megapixel Coolpix 5000 finally hit store shelves in December of last year many consumers feared that the unique tilt-swivel zoom lens that had distinguished the top models in Nikon’s Coolpix family was as dead as the 1.44 Mb floppy disc Sony Mavicas. The introduction last month of the entry level CP 2500 made it clear that Nikon has no intention of abandoning the tilt-swivel zoom lens.

With the introduction of the new CP 4500 (the CP 995’s re-placement) Nikon’s top camera design and digital imaging engineers have come up with what appears to be a serious “G2” killer. The tiny four megapixel CP4500 is a bit bulkier than the compact G2 but it’s still small enough to take it along where ever you go. The CP 4500 combines “point’n’shoot” simplicity and ease of use, advanced features, incredible flexibility, superb ergonomics, and a very reasonable price for consumers who want something more

Nikon listens to consumers and the Coolpix 4500 has a new magnesium alloy all metal body (the CP 995’s body shell was polycarbonate) that combines the best features of the CP 995 with a thirty per cent increase in resolution and a host of nifty new imaging options. The LCD provides an impressive array of information, and the user interface retains the speed and flexibility of the CP 995 while allowing users to access most frequently used controls without resorting to menus.

FEATURES

Best Shot Selector (BSS) automatically chooses the best shot in continuous mode

Saturation adjustment in Five steps plus B&W and Sepia)

Noise Reduction Mode for long time exposures

Movies with sound (up to 35 sec.) and a built-in speaker for playback

Voice Memo provides (up to 20 seconds) an image note function

Quick Review allows the display/deletion of recorded images during shooting

Perspective Control function allows shooters to de-emphasize or straighten converging lines (after the
image is recorded) a really nifty function that allows the CP 4500 to function like a tiny view camera

Small picture function creates instant email sized copies of images

Lens

The Coolpix 4500 features a 4X Nikkor Zoom that rotates up to 210° forward and 90° backward. The seven blade iris diaphragm provides true depth of field. The 28mm lens thread supports a wonderful variety of add on lenses, a slide copier, and Nikon’s nifty new macro ring light.

Focus Options

The Coolpix 4500 allows the user to select the AF focus target or you can opt to permit the camera to make that decision and the CP 4500 provides focus confirmation in manual focusing mode. Minimum focusing distance for Macro shots is an astonishing 0.75 inches.

Flash

All of Nikon’s 900 series cameras have redeye issues because of the placement of the built in flash. The CP 4500 addresses this problem by raising the flash slightly above the lens (and changing the lens flash axis) which minimizes redeye very effectively, another example of consumer input into the design process at Nikon. Purchase the optional Nikon AS-E900 Multiflash Adapter and a Nikon Speedlight SB-50DX (there are many Nikon speedlight options in addition to the SB-50DX) and you’ll have a small feature rich digital camera with real flash capability. The on board flash can be disabled or used with the external flash.

Exposure Modes

The CP 4500 has all the standard exposure options, plus 16 scene modes. Choose one of the 16 options (Portrait, Party/Indoor, Night Portrait, Beach/Snow, Landscape, Sunset, Night Landscape, Museum, Fireworks, Close Up, Copy, Back Light, Sports, Dawn/Dusk, Multiple Exposure or Panorama Assist) and the CP 4500 will automatically maximize camera settings for the selected scene. Manual exposure options provide an amazing degree of flexibility for advanced shooters.

Creative Photography Options

The Coolpix 4500 provides users with lots of input into the creative process with features like Best Shot Select, Auto Bracketing, White Balance Bracketing, Noise Reduction, in-camera sharpening , increase/decrease contrast, and Nikon’s famous 256-element Matrix, Center-Weighted, Spot, and Spot AF metering.

Viewfinder/LCD

The Coolpix 4500 provides an optical viewfinder and a color LCD screen for composing images. The true-image optical viewfinder zooms with the lens. The VF display has a center focus target for lining up shots, and a set of cropping outlines that show proper alignment for macro focusing. A diopter adjustment dial (-2 to +1) is on the underside of the lens barrel (for those who wear eyeglasses).


The 1.5-inch TFT color LCD screen operates as a combined viewfinder/information display in any capture mode. The camera has a very high refresh rate so moving objects appear sharp and clear. AF focus points can be continually displayed on the LCD (so users know exactly where the camera is focusing)

Auto mode

Set the CP 4500 to its automatic “point and shoot” mode and all you have to do is point the camera at your subject and press the shutter button.


Connectivity

The CP 4500 utilizes a USB (only) connection to upload images to your computer. Windows XP, 2000, and ME automatically recognize the CP 4500 as a “plug-in” storage device, enabling users to drag/drop images from the camera to PC in Windows Explorer. The Nikon View 5 software can perform transfers with the touch of a button, or users can upload images to NikonNet.

Controls & Ergonomics

The CP 4500 is one of the most intuitive digital cameras I have ever used. The control interface is logical, well thought out, and supremely useable. Ergonomically, the 900 series Coolpix cameras were the best and most functional design ever in a digital camera and the CP 4500 takes that excellent design to what may be its pinnacle. The camera is light, compact, easy to handle and operate, with all controls falling easily to hand (for right handers); simply the best digital camera design to date.

Macro Focus

Nikon’s Coolpix digital camera family have always been well known for their excellent close-up performance and the CP 4500 continues that “family tradition”. Minimum Focusing distance in macro mode is 0.75 inches.

Technical Specifications

Resolution: 4 megapixels (2272X1704)
Viewfinder: True zoom optical viewfinder (with diopter correction)
LCD: 1.5” TFT
Lens: f2.6-5.1-38-155mm (35mm equivalent) Zoom-Nikkor lens with 10 elements in 8 groups (2 aspherical elements to maximize optical performance and minimize distortion) all-glass optical lens featuring Nikon's SIC (Super Integrated Coating) to improve sharpness and contrast. Seven blade iris diaphragm for true depth of field. Lens thread 28mm
Exposure Compensation: yes +2/-2 EV in 1/3 EV steps
Exposure Modes: Manual, Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Movie, and 16 Scene Modes (Portrait, Party/Indoor, Night Portrait, Beach/Snow, Landscape, Sunset, Night Landscape, Museum, Fireworks, Close Up, Copy, Back Light, Sports, Dawn/Dusk, Multiple Exposure and Panorama Assist)
Metering: 256 segment Matrix (evaluative) metering, Center-Weighted, Spot, and Spot AF
White Balance: automatic, sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent, and speedlight
Shutter Speeds: 8 seconds to 1/2300th of a second plus bulb (up to five minutes)
Flash: built-in (automatic pop-up) with Auto, Off, On, On w/Red-Eye Reduction, Anytime (fill), and Slow Sync modes
Flash compensation: Yes +2/-2 EV
White Balance: Auto, Manual (preset), fine, incandescent, flourescent, cloudy, and speedlight
White Balance Bracketing: Yes (+2/-2)
Auto Bracketing: Yes (+2/-2 in 1/3 EV steps)
Auto Focus: 5 area AF and closest subject priority
AF Illumination lamp: Yes
Storage Media: CompactFlash (types I&II) the CP 4500 is the first Nikon digi-cam to officially support the use of IBM microDrives.
Image Capture: jpeg or uncompressed TIFF
Connectivity: USB
Sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, 400, & 800 ISO equivalent
Power: One 2CR5 or re-chargeable EN-EL1 Li-ion battery
MSRP-$699.00------ Street Price Range: $700.00-$650.00

Included

16 Mb CF Card
MH-53 charger
Li-ion Battery EN-EL1
USB cable
A/V cable
Nikon View 5 (CD)
Camera Strap
Lens Cap
User’s manual

Optional

Multi-Flash Bracket Unit SK-E900 (for use with Nikon Speedlights)
Extra Battery--Li-ion rechargeable EN-EL1 (recommended)
Additional CF Cards--- (minimum 64 Mb recommended)
LCD Hood HL-4500--- (recommended)
Soft Case CS-4500
Wide angle, Macro, and Telephoto add on lenses
Slide Copier

In the Field/Handling & Operation

I first asked my friend (who sells new and used digital and analog photographic equipment) back in early April when he was going to be able to get us a Nikon Coolpix 4500 to play with. When he finally managed to borrow an early production sample from his distributor we both agreed to spend the long 4th of July weekend checking out the CP 4500 with a wide variety of subjects and under a wide variety of lighting conditions.

Our first test was a check for color accuracy. Over the past year and a half we have developed a color test that works very well and allows us to easily compare results with other digital or film cameras we have tested. We use a homemade macro stage (a large cardboard box with the top and front panel cut away) lined with white photographic background paper. We first white balance the camera using the white background paper and then shoot a selection of brightly colored (red, blue, green, and yellow) plastic children’s beach toys with the tripod mounted camera using a very simple overhead soft box studio lighting set-up. The CP 4500’s color accuracy was excellent, absolutely right on the money.

Thursday morning (July 4th) we went to the Crescent Hill Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration on the Grounds of the Peterson-Dumesnil House (the 1868 house is on the National Register of Historic Structures) at 301 S. Peterson Ave. This is the last of Louisville’s traditional neighborhood 4th of July celebrations. For more than a century and a half the 4th of July was a very important day in Kentucky with each neighborhood’s political club getting out the voters for cold beer, free food, speeches, and fireworks. We went primarily for the Antique Car Parade, but there was also a watermelon eating contest, a pet show, Irish dancers, and Donny Dynamite and the Dynamos playing R&R covers. It was very hot (mid 90’s) with lots of humidity. The old cars were perfect for camera testing a camera since they come in every color of the rainbow with lots of highly polished chrome. We also shot “street” images of all the revelers, including one very healthy young lady wearing a tiny hot pink bikini top and painted on denim shorts and a sequined Irish driving cap style hat with red white and blue stars and stripes. My friend said, “there’s twice as much material in that cap as there is in her whole outfit

My wife and I had plans Thursday Evening and Friday so my friend shot the Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza at Waterfront Park on the Ohio River by himself. I was very curious to see how the Nikon Coolpix 4500 handled low light/night shots (most digital cameras are capable of doing decent work outside in bright light, but it’s a lot easier inside or after dark to separate the winners from the losers). The CP 4500 did a great job with the fireworks. My friend had one shot with three separate bursts in the same frame (long exposure) all the colors were bright the night sky was very dark and there no detectable noise in the image. Very impressive performance for any digital camera.

Saturday, I suggested we drive out to **Bernheim Forest, since I know my friend dislikes the woods and hates insects violently. Bernheim Forest is a 14,000 acre combined nature preserve, Biological/Ecological/Environmental research forest, and Kentucky’s official arboretum, The land was a gift to the people of Kentucky from the late Isaac W. Bernheim, a German immigrant who came to Louisville just after the civil war. He worked hard (as an itinerant peddler selling small items door to door) until he had saved enough money to start his own business. He founded the firm that makes I. W. Harper Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey and became very wealthy. In 1929 he purchased 14,000 acres of logged over land in Bullitt County and gave it to the people of Kentucky as a place to enjoy nature. Mr. Bernheim and his wife are buried on the grounds.

When the Europeans first arrived in North America almost half the continent (the area between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, extending from the Gulf Coast to the Laurentian Shield in Northern Canada) was covered by the prairies, the most extensive grasslands anywhere on earth. Cattle ranching, farming, logging, erosion, and poor environmental stewardship have destroyed almost all of these prairie lands. Less than one tenth of one per cent of the original expanse remains.

Bernheim Forest has a couple small prairie/grassland/meadow areas and I wanted to see how the summer wildflowers were developing. Kentucky is one of the best places in the country to photograph wildflowers, because hundreds of varieties of wildflower fill every little patch of prairie and open field with amazing displays of color. It was a very hot day and the small meadow/prairie/grassland areas at Bernheim Forest were filled with hundreds of flowers, and millions of insects. The Black-Eyed Susans were just starting to bloom but there were plenty of Purple Coneflowers, and several other striking summer blooming prairie flowers.

My friend and I spent a couple of hours shooting flowers and prairie scenes, taking turns using the CP 4500 to shoot landscape shots of the blooming flowers and close-ups of individual blossoms and insects. We shot a couple of butterflies and a huge praying mantis that my friend wouldn’t even go near. We spent much of the “golden time” (mid to late afternoon light is very good for outdoor photography) shooting close-ups and back-lit prairie scenes. The CP 4500 did an exceptional job of everything except saving battery power. Nikon says the EN-EL 1 battery should be good for just over an hour and a half but my experience was more like seventy minutes. The CP 4500’s color fidelity is absolutely stunning. Colors are bright, vivid, and accurate, the best I have ever seen from a digital camera

We decided to spend a little time out of the direct sun and shoot for a while at the small wildlife enclosure. The CP 4500 had no problems focusing on the on the deer and wild turkey in the heavy shade under the trees in the small natural looking "mini" setting, the images were a perfect example of Eliot Porter’s "Intimate Landscape" style of shooting. The pictures we shot under the trees were almost perfectly exposed, even those shot in auto mode.

We completed our evaluation of the Nikon Coolpix 4500 by printing out a selection of 5X7 and 8X10 images on an HP 1215 photo printer (on photo paper). Detail and color were absolutely excellent. After reviewing the prints with a Mamiya 4X loupe we adjourned our meeting and reconvened at the Bambi Bar on Bardstown Road (two blocks south of the intersection of Bardstown and Taylorsville Roads) The Bambi Bar got its name because the original owner opened the bar the same week in 1940 that Walt Disney’s “Bambi” opened at the old Loewe’s Theatre on Fourth Street (now the Louisville Palace). The Bambi Bar is a rustic neighborhood bar that caters to an eclectic east-end crowd of blue-collar workers, yuppies, college students, sports fans, and bikers.

The Bambi bar is justly famous for their huge cheeseburger and steak fries platters, consistently one of the best burgers in Louisville since the sixties. Our discussion of the merits of Nikon’s new CP 4500 over cheeseburgers resulted in a couple of really surprising conclusions. Between us, my friend and I have more than fifty years of photographic experience. We decided that the CP 4500 is clearly the most feature rich and usable four megapixel digital camera currently available. The $700 MSRP will quickly drop to around five hundred bucks, making the CP 4500 a bargain for serious photographers who want the ability to make most of their own exposure and composition decisions AND amateur snapshooters who want all the bells and whistles but with the ease of use of a “point and shoot” camera.

Shutter lag----Start-up/cycle time----Shot-to-shot/write to card times

All timings are approximately the same as the CP 995, which is a bit slower than they should be with a new fifth generation update. My friend tells me that Nikon has already fixed this problem and that it affected only the earliest production run for the CP 4500.

A Few Concerns

When using the SB-50DX with the Multi-Flash Bracket Unit SK-E900 the CP 4500 can’t utilize the speedlight's zooming head or AF assist lamp. Barrel distortion (barely noticeable) at the wide-angle end of the CP 4500’s 4X zoom. Pincushion distortion at the telephoto end of the zoom spectrum is very well controlled and virtually invisible. No apparent Chromatic aberration (purple fringing). Minor shutter lag might affect the CP 4500’s ability to capture rapidly unfolding action.

Conclusion

The CP 4500 is a superb new entry in the ever-increasing selection of digital camera models. The CP 4500 is the most intuitive digital camera I have ever used. Compared with its competition, the CP 4500 simply does it all better. Four megapixel digital cameras don’t get any better than this.

The new Coolpix 4500 distills everything Nikon has learned during the past five years of virtual light speed digital camera evolution and development into a camera that is going to become the poster child for a new generation of digital imaging devices. If the CP 4500 is really indicative of the direction of current digital camera design then consumers can look forward to more features, better performance, great ergonomics, and right out of the box usability.

**Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest is located 26 miles south of Louisville, KY, on Highway 245 in Clermont, KY (which is also the home of the Jim Beam Distillery) From Louisville take I-65 South to exit 112 and go east (left) for about one mile. Bernheim is open daily, (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day), from 7 a.m. until sunset. Visitor Center hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (6 p.m. during the summer) daily. Admission is free on weekdays, but there is a $5 per vehicle charge on weekends and holidays. Call (502) 543-2451 for information. For Nature photographers there is a fenced wildlife enclosure, which contains four deer, a couple of wild turkeys, a black vulture, a turkey vulture, a barn own and barred owl. Ongoing research projects are designed to identify, preserve, and propagate native Kentucky woodland and grassland plant, reptile, fish, amphibian, avian, and animals species. Current research includes a Paddlefish project, a Timber Rattlesnake study, and a survey and census of native frog and amphibian species.

Are you considering spreading your imaging wings and setting up a home digital darkroom? Check out my reviews of a pair of bargain priced and very capable photo quality ink-jet printers.

Epson Stylus Photo 785 EPX ink-jet printer
http://www.epinions.com/content_60776812164

Epson Stylus Photo 780 ink-jet Printer
http://www.epinions.com/content_54223670916

For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review:

http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1

For information about specific Digital Camera models you may find my Digital Camera reviews informative:

Nikon Digital Cameras

Nikon Coolpix 2500
http://www.epinions.com/content_65176440452

Nikon Coolpix 5000
http://www.epinions.com/content_52720406148

Nikon Coolpix 885
http://www.epinions.com/content_46290931332

Nikon Coolpix 995
http://www.epinions.com/content_40256769668

Nikon D1X
http://www.epinions.com/content_36023996036

Nikon D1
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-4868-E2433E5-38737CF8-prod2/tk_~CB003.1.78

Nikon Coolpix 880
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2DA8-DF21E52-39E118CA-prod5

Nikon Coolpix 990
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-3B78-3C431D90-3A345313-prod3

Canon Digital Cameras

Canon Powershot S110
http://www.epinions.com/content_63100784260

Canon Powershot S300
http://www.epinions.com/content_61364211332

Canon Powershot S40
http://www.epinions.com/content_59617087108

Canon Powershot S30
http://www.epinions.com/content_59041746564

Canon Powershot A20
http://www.epinions.com/content_56389701252

Canon Powershot G2
http://www.epinions.com/content_47646084740

Canon Powershot S10
http://www.epinions.com/content_7563808388/tk_~CB003.1.74

Canon EOS D30
http://www.epinions.com/content_11625991812/tk_~CB003.1.58

Canon Powershot PRO 90IS
http://www.epinions.com/content_30440001156/tk_~CB005.1.9

Canon Powershot G1
http://www.epinions.com/content_8768294532/tk_~CB003.1.70

Canon Powershot PRO 70
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-6496-25768DA-38C3E01A-prod9/tk_~CB003.1.70


Sony Digital Cameras

Sony DSC-F707
http://www.epinions.com/content_60512439940

Sony DSC S85
http://www.epinions.com/content_51957567108

Sony MVC-CD 300
http://www.epinions.com/content_45591793284

Sony DSC-S50
http:http://www.epinions.com/content_15885897348

Sony Mavica MVC-CD1000
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5F01-365BA12-3980602C-prod3/tk_~CB003.1.14

Olympus Digital Cameras

Olympus Camedia C3020
http://www.epinions.com/content_57190944388

Olymous Camedia E 20N
http://www.epinions.com/content_54953348740

Olympus Camedia C3040
http://www.epinions.com/content_42675179140

Olympus Camedia C3000
http://www.epinions.com/content_26106105476/tk_~CB003.1.30

Olympus Camedia E10
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-59FB-183DFC73-3A17388F-prod2/tk_~CB003.1.42

Fuji Digital Cameras

Fuji Finepix 2600 Zoom
http://www.epinions.com/content_58485149316

Fuji Finepix S1 “PRO”
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5591-16816C34-39047A87-prod5/tk_~CB003.1.18

Minolta Digital Cameras

Minolta Dimage 5
http://www.epinions.com/content_49104522884


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