CoolPix definitely makes Cool-Pics

After several years of waiting and deliberating the declining price of technology has finally placed a coolpix within my grasp. Nikon is now offering a $200.00 rebate on the Coolpix 4500 and that places the price point at around $350 (after rebate) which is the price I feel is a good deal on this type of tech-toy.

The Camera:

My brother has a Coolpix 950 and a friend has a 990. I like the 4500 model much better than its predecessors for several reasons, build quality, size, and functions.

Build Quality:
Finally a Coolpix that feels like a Nikon! In my younger days I was a professional Photojournalist and I shot Nikon exclusively. I was always impressed by the fact that my old Nikon (FM, FE, and F3), could take such a beating while I was on assignment, yet I never had a single problem in 8 years. The old Coolpix was mostly plastic, with precarious hinges in areas like the CF compartment, and lens swivel. The 4500 is made of a metal alloy which is light and durable. No, this camera won’t survive a drop from 15 feet off the ground, but it will stand up to daily use.

I also like the fact that the pop-up flash fits flush into the camera body, something that seemed to be a bit of a design flaw on the 995. The 990 and 950 flash is built next to the lens (very poorly designed). I like the navigation controls functions on the back, not the menus themselves, but the jogger dial and little thumb controlled “mouse” just make navigating the software outstanding. The old models did not have these type of controls and were a bit cumbersome to use.

Camera Size:
What can I say, this thing is pretty darn small! I am a bit disappointed that Nikon chose to make the LCD about ¼ of an inch smaller than previous models. This tends to make viewing pictures a little more challenging and when doing a quick review there is a lot of photo information displayed on top of the image which I find distracting (other may not agree, but they can write their own review!). However, the 4500 is notably smaller than previous models and since I travel a lot, I love the new pocket-sized powerhouse.

Functionality:
Saying that this is like a Nikon of old, says it all. This camera has every function that my Nikon F3 and F4 have except interchangeable lenses. There are hundreds of reviews on the web about this camera, but I will try to cover some of the more usable ones that I find outstanding.

The 4500 has a built in 4x zoom which combined with the 38-155mm (35mm equivalent) not bad, and there are several attachable adapter lenses available to increase the zoom or the wide-angle capabilities of this camera which I find a huge plus. In fact, I am disappointed in many of the camera manufacturers out there because they don’t thread the lens barrel for such attachments. This is no small thing, believe me.

The 4500 allows the photographer to shoot in fully automatic or fully manual modes (or any point in between). This means that the photographer can select shutter speeds from 1/2300 of a second all the way down to 8 seconds or bulb for ultra long exposures. The camera is perfectly at home regardless of the subject whether it be a soccer game, family portrait, or asto-photography. I also like the fact that the user can select ISOs from 100 to 800, although the high ISOs tend to get very grainy. Another true highpoint for this camera is the introduction of a 7-blade shutter. This gives the user true depth of field control and is superior to almost every other pocket sized digicam in its class, definitely within this price point.

The 4 megapixel CD images (2272x1704) can be recorded in Tiff or JPEG formats (why no RAW???). My tests showed that TIFF images were averaging about 11.meg each while JPEGs in Fine mode averaged a paltry 1.1meg each. This means a 256meg CF card is enough to hold a good weekend’s worth of photographs for most ambitious shooters. Personally I see little difference in TIFF and JPEG until the image is enlarged beyond 8x10.

Macro photography up close:
It is almost impossible to have this camera and not take a few gratuitous close-ups of you flower garden. The 4500 arguably has the best color reproduction of any camera on the market. It also has one of the sharpest lenses of any point and shoot camera (35mm or digital). Combine the aforementioned with it’s ability to get a crystal clear picture of a subject that is less than ¾ of an inch away and you WILL find yourself in your back yard shooting every daisy, periwinkle, and rose just for fun. Nikon has a flash attachment for macro work that is readily available on eBay for about $60.00 that will impress the harshest critic.

Obviously, If you have read this far you know I like this camera. I recommend it above and beyond every other digital pocket-sized camera on the market today and if you can get it for less than $400.00 buy it, you won’t be disappointed.


Other recommended reviews with sample images and specs:

DP’s Review with a nice bit of history on the Coolpix line.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp4500/


Steve’s Digicams Comprehensive Review
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/nikon4500.html

For a nice view of what this camera can do when used properly go here:
http://www.digitalphotocontest.com/archivedisplay.asp
(Select the Coolpix 4500 under Daily Winners by Camers)



Happy shooting!