Nikon Coolpix 950 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Nikon

Product Details

Product Manual [825kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches ; 12.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00000JYWQ
• Item model number: 950
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,929 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 11, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Nikon's impressive Coolpix 950 gives you both professional-level quality and the ease of fully automatic operation. At 1,600 x 1,200 pixels, this digital camera gives you top-of-the-line image resolution. A wide range of advanced options include high-speed continuous shooting of up to two frames per second and aperture- and shutter-priority exposure modes for creative control. You can even save images in uncompressed TIFF for the ultimate in color and picture quality. Includes an 8 MB removable CompactFlash memory card that stores up to 128 pictures. A high-resolution 2-inch LCD display gives you real-time image viewing.

Product Description

2.11 megapixel 1/2 " CCD - print sizes up to 11"x14". 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor lens, 4,746 step autofocus control. High speed shooting to 2 frames per sec. 256-element Matrix Metering system. Aperture/Shutter priority exposure modes. Save images in TIFF or 1 of 3 JPEG. High resol, 2" LCD display. 2x telephoto lens plus fisheye & wide-angle lenses. 8MB removable CompactFlash memeroy card-stores up to 128 pics. 1/2" hi-density CCD. Choice of 3 pixels

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 174 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not perfect, November 17, 1999

By 

A. Ball (Oakland, California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nikon Coolpix 950 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Since I bought this camera in July, I have run over 800 exposures through it. The Coolpix 950 takes some getting used to and the manuals are required reading, but this is a camera worth learning how to use. There are two manuals, one printed and one on CD-ROM, plus the Getting Started sheet. You need to look at all three; each contains information not present in the other documents.

The macro capability is phenomenal. I have a picture of a dime that fills most of the frame. The ability to push the sensitivity of the CCD to ISO 400 and to overexpose by up to two f/stops allows even night pictures by available street light. The enhanced speed (at some cost in picture quality) also allows candids by available light. The Coolpix is also quiet in operation, even quieter if you shut off the discreet beeper that tells you that you have taken a shot.

On the down side, you will have to spring for rechargeable batteries. I have gotten by so far with NiCd batteries plus a fast recharger. A ribbon on your lens cap is also highly recommended. I have also been having some trouble lately with my off-record-play switch, and there is some barrel distortion and color fringing in the lens at its wide-angle setting. The lens' focus at its landscape setting also seems a little questionable at high magnification. I also wish that the manual focus settings weren't so coarse and that it were possible to do a completely manual exposure. (You can set either the shutter speed or the aperture manually, but not both simultaneously.) There is a noticeable delay between pushing the button and actually getting an exposure. This is sometimes a problem for candids and sports photography and when working with animals, but I have still gotten successful pictures in all these categories, and the Coolpix is faster than most digital cameras in this respect.

Other than these few small problems, I am happy with the quality of the pictures I have been getting, and it is small enough for me to carry on my belt for instant access. I could never carry a standard 35 mm camera with similar capability around like that. The Coolpix seems to be holding up well mechanically, even though it gets bumped now and again. (The extra batteries do get a little lumpy when I sit down, though!)

185 of 188 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, but be prepared, November 25, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nikon Coolpix 950 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I've been taking and developing pictures for nearly 50 years. The Coolpix 950 is my second digital. It's truly one of the greats with plenty of creative features. The macros are impressive, with distances less than an inch. The Coolpix requires lots of time understanding the many buttons, wheels and software driven features. It seems to me that the Nikon computer people and their mechanical people could have made it easier for the user. The available user instructions from Nikon, including their CD ROM versions, could have been much better designed, even for old photography buffs. Their technical service phone number is a toll call and I got busy signals THREE times even after I connected with their menu-driven answering machine. Their website tech help is very good, but not if you are in a hurry. The camera is a major user of power so you will need long lasting batteries like NiMH. I bought a rechargable ProPower Pack from Unity Digital for $100 that lasts a considerable time. I'd rate the camera itself a 5-star and the support and user help a 3-star, for an average of 4-stars.

92 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Hassle but Worth It, December 2, 1999

By 

AFRED "Allyka" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nikon Coolpix 950 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I use this camera with a usb sans disk flashcard reader, which I find incredibly convenient. I email pictures to family regularly. The quality is matchless, but I have to ramp down the resolution and size or some files can be over 1 meg.

The quality is so exquisite, that (get this) got a color matched fabric from a friend in NY based on a close up picture I took of a printed upholstery piece. I took a closeup of a diseased mahonia leaf, emailed it to my mom, and she diagnosed thrips and suggested BT.

This is a camera with more capability than I need, but the picture quality and features are worth developing the patience to deal with the online manual and learn. I print pics on a HP722 and the prints look great. (Tho the color degrades after a year. Printer ink problem, not Camera)

However, it has a few shortcomings. The paperless manual is a pain when you are learning. You just CANNOT see the lcd screen on the camera in bright light which makes using the manual settings impossible. The add on lenses (wide angle, etc) are awkward to use. I have lost more of the tiny lens caps than I will confess. I even dropped one on the grass and was unable to find it right after dropping it. I now have 6, having asked everyone I know for one for presents.