Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix 5000 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have been using the Coolpix 5000 for the past few weeks, just enough time to shoot 1,000+ photos. My 3rd Nikon and 1st digital, it's lived up to my expectations: I've been more than pleased with the quality of the images, my ultimate criterion. While you'll hear a lot of wasted drivel on feature A,B,C and comparisons with model X,Y,Z, you need to decide what you're trying to achieve before investing this much on a new gadget. If you want to capture quality digital images for selected printing in 8x10 sizes or larger - and are willing to invest the time in learning how to make that happen - then this could be the camera for you.

This is no simple point-and-shoot, which explains why some users have been apprehensive. Personally, I prefer the multitude of options it offers, including these (all of which I have used so far):
- Ability to manually override nearly every automatic setting, including: exposure mode (S,A,P,M), focus distance, AF focus areas (5), flash level compensation, sharpening, white-balance, etc.
- ISO sensitivity from 100 to 800, manual or auto, enabling hand-held shooting indoors
- Spot, center-weighted, and matrix (256 segment) metering
- Hot shoe to connect external flash for more lighting options
- Wide angle lens (28mm equivalent) is wider than most 'standard' lenses on similar cameras
- 3 User Set configurations let you adjust quickly to different shooting situations/styles
- Shutter speeds short (up to 1/2000s) or long (8 sec)

If you do like novel features, then don't worry, you'll also get red-eye reduction, self-timer, movie mode (QuickTime up to 60sec @ 15fps, 320x240) and "best shot selector". Rumor has it BSS is a cool feature that rattles off 3 frames and stores only the 'best' - the one with the most information, i.e., sharpest & best exposed (but I haven't used it). I did like discovering after I played back the first movie that the camera even has a built-in speaker for audio during playback. I also like the ability to zoom into images up to 6.0x during viewing to examine carefully whether you captured what you wanted. The buttons and menu settings, while overwhelming at first, really are intuitively designed - once you've figured out a feature, you don't have to keep returning to the manual.

I've been really pleased with the images I've captured so far. Fleshtones are realistic, sharpness of images is pleasing (not excessively sharp, or 'digital'), and metering is accurate. There's plenty of data to work with in the 5 megapixel images, which I shoot in FINE .jpg mode yielding a 1.5-2.0 MB image at 2560x1920 pixels. The lens glass on the CP5000 is the largest of the Coolpix's so far, which probably explains the higher image quality.

The typical 'knocks' on the CP5000, and my opinion:
-"85mm is too short!": so is 200mm. If you want to shoot models on South Beach, get an SLR and a 400mm lens instead.
-"32mb CF card is too small!": if you rely on only one CF card, you shouldn't be spending this much on a digital camera.
-"images are soft!": I prefer mine stirred, not sharpened, and do the rest in Photoshop. If you let the camera over-do it for you, there's no getting back the lost/interpolated data.
-"battery life's too short!": you'll run out of card space first (I use 128mb CF). You just spent a grand - stop whining and buy a 2nd battery.

So, what are its real "issues"?
- No way to screw in a UV/protection filter. For some reason, Nikon opted not to put threads over the glass. You have to buy the lens attachment mount (UR-E5) and attach filters to it. An inconvenience, since you can't replace the lens and really should protect it with a clear filter.
-It's slow to autofocus, especially in low-light situations, as there is no AF-assist illumination. I generally use manual focus or set the Single AF mode in such situations, and it seems to work just fine.
-My indoor pictures using the built-in flash sometimes over-saturate the reds in fleshtones. I suspect this is because the bulb is a bit blue/green, and the white-balance logic on the camera over-compensates. I have kept the WB setting on "Auto", but I may fiddle with this a bit to see if another manual setting produces better results. When this has happened, I just tweaked the Saturation of Reds in Photoshop and they look fine.
- It feels smaller than it looks in the promo photograph. If you have big hands, you need to break the habit of groping the camera with your right hand. Otherwise, you'll cover the flash sensor and over- or under-expose your flash shots.

Should you buy one? Qualified YES! It's not for everyone. You can pull it out of the box and start 'snapping photos', but you might end up with snapshots that you could have made with a cheaper alternative. If you give it a little time and really learn how - and when - to use its many features, then I think you will produce even better images than you'd imagined.

You'll really like the CP5000 if:
-you like the convenience of Auto-Everything features, but want the creativity that only comes with Manual settings;
-you like the idea of plugging your CF memory card into an Epson/HP photo printer and spitting out snapshots, but you'd prefer to 'tweak' them yourself in an image editor like Photoshop.
-you can't afford a digital SLR right now, but you can't wait to start experimenting with digital photography

I like it, and I think you will, too. Make an informed decision, and be sure that whatever you buy is the right tool for the job.

There are some great things and not-so-great things about this camera. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the images are distinctly cleaner than the 990 (which I have spent a LOT of time with). Aside from the nearly double megapixel resolution (which is why I upgraded from the 990), Nikon has added a feature called, simply, "Noise Reduction (NR)" which does in fact make for a very nice image - particularly important if you intend on using the image for hi-res offset print. NR does tend to slow the transfer-to-memory process a little bit (hardly noticeable unless you need to quickly take the next picture) but the result is worth it.

Color and contrast-wise, I've always been quite happy with the native Nikon digital images, pre-Photoshop (where I will manipulate them in a variety of other ways. I'm glad to not have to be conerned very much at all with adjusting the color).

OK, so, in my estimation, the image quality is terrific and overrides many of the downsides. To someone else, though, the downsides may make a difference - so here are a few of my discontents:
* First of all, this is one itty-bitty camera. Great, perhaps, if you're traveling around taking "snaps" (I hate that word) to send off to friends over e-mail. But if you want to work your images in a "pro-sumer" sort of way - meaning you want to work with something that is intuitive in its setup and use under all conditions and ergonomic in such a way that helps facilitate top-notch results, this little camera leaves somewhat to be desired if you're not using a tripod. I have found that the controls are so tight together that it's actually difficult to hit the right ones without accidentally also hitting others. The view finder is so tiny that, believe it or not, you lose it completely if you shift your eye a mere fraction to either side. There is an LCD read-out panel to the right of the viewfinder (the one which, on the 900 series, is at the top of the camera) which is only 1/2 the size of the 900 series. Frankly, it's a little hard to read.

* Nikon has incorporated a manual Focus/Exposure lock button on the front of the unit (customizable through the control panel settings) which must be pressed and held until the picture is taken. Ergonomically this is a very difficult thing to do if you find you want or need to change other settings after you've pressed the the lock button. I'm afraid fingers just don't naturally bend and distort the way Nikon requires them to in order to maintain this lock and use the same hand to make other settings. (It's not easy trying to use your other hand to help out, either - take my word for it.) A simple solution for Nikon is to make the button spring lock and release rather than requiring your hand to do the work.

* Speaking of ergonomic problems, it's VERY easy to accidentally cover up the light metering eye with your hand in the simple process of holding the camera. BAD pictures result from this. Very bad.

* If you turn on the camera (using the very small and hard-to-grasp on/off dial - again, half the size of the 900 series) and have the lens cap ON, the lens is not able to telescope outward (which it does by default) and this can cause trouble. Actually, I don't want to have to remove the lens cap when I'm simply transferring images to my computer anyway! By the way, you'll want to go to the Nikon website for a firmware upgrade related to this problem.

* Regarding "red-eye", Nikon has gotton better at reducing/eliminating it, but they're not there yet.

* If you have extra converter lenses for your 900 series, not all will fit the 5000. I personally use the WC-E63 wide angle lens quite often but now understand that it will NOT fit the 5000, step-down ring or not. I think the TC2x and 3x lens will fit, but you'll have to find step-down rings. I'm not sure about the FC-E8 Fisheye. Check the Nikon website for particulars.

OK, enough complaining. Here are some more things I really like:
* The 5000 has a built-in hot shoe to fit many or most of the existing Nikon Speedlights.

* The LCD image panel swings out and rotates to almost any angle. This really helps!

* The NikonView 4 software is a MUCH IMPROVED upgrade from the version 3.

* You can quickly go back and review your image(s) in either thumbnail or full screen size directly from the LCD image panel without having to change the command dial to "Play" mode.

SUMMARY: Great pictures. Ergonomically and intuitively hard to get used to. I don't feel that Nikon was thinking in the right direction when they made such a technically good camera (image-wise) and then jammed it into this little tiny box. This, to me, represents a fair disappointment. The 900 series cameras were SO much easier to handle.

Anyone who values the following:
1. Portability - the compact solid construction is a bundle of joy. Also makes candid picture taking very easy - people tend to ignore smaller cams but react differently to a large SLR pointing at them.
2. 28- 85 mm lens - contrary to most people pitcing their money for longer zooms, the wider angle is more used in daily life - try shooting your birthday party at home with 35-100 mm zooms -they are useless. No other 5 Megapixel cam has this!
3.Low light and night scenes - with the new Rev 1.7 firmware the low light performance of the LCD is amazingly improved. I got some very good shots in moonlight with full preview of the framing. Set the focus to infinity and switch on the noise reduction.
4. Macro - retains most of Nikons heritage of Coolpix 900 series - but focusiing again can be slow if you are trying to capture a restless bee.
5. Lots of special functions - Best Shot selector for sharpest photos, White balance bracketing, exposure bracketing. etc. But each change require fiddling with layered menus. So before going out for each session, program this into the user presets. For example - for landscape photography, I would program the two user presets for Matrix metering, spot metering and leave the third one for motion video.

Things to watch out for:
1. Memory : Buy a good Type I disk for added memory - avoid [inexpensive] brands and microdrives (CF Type II)- they both drain the little battery in no time. I found both Transcend and Sandisk brands very good, while RI data - I would avoid.
2. Battery - good to outlast shooting a complete 128 Mb disk with display on. A second rechargeable battery should be on shopping list for serious photographers. To save power, I let the camera go to sleep mode with lens extended - a touch on the shutter brings the cam back to life quickly. The view finder is optical (not electronic) meaning you can use this to frame shots without the camera turned on.
3. Resolution : mostly returned very sharp photos. Auto ASA feature is very good -the noise in 800ASA setting was noticeable more when you process the shot for color levels - but thats with any cam. After lot of experimenting, I use UXGA setting with fine setting which gives me 1600 pixel shots with minimum JPEG artifacts. This is adequate for most work and A4 printing. I do switch to the highest size (or TIFF) if I feel I will need to post process the shot a lot.
4. Exposure : Since I take more landscapes, I tend to use the Aperture priority a lot. Most of the modes work very well. I program the user presets to toggle between Matrix metering and spot metering linked to focus.
5. If you dont like the builtin flash - you have to go in for pricey alternatives - Nikon 50DX costs a bundle and only the DX series work with digicams- more powerful Nikon flashes make a ridiculous combination with the little camera hanging from the brick of a flash unit! The flash does not auto zoom - you have do this manully from the flash controls. Leave the camera in program auto mode for standard indoor flash photos.
6. The cameras controls are menu driven and can be quite complicated if you are not a gadget freak. You will have to spend time to learn to navigate to get the best out of this cam.
7. The 3X telephoto adapter lens from Nikon is quite sharp but is of fixed focal length - meaning it does not zoom anymore and the camera need to preset at 1.3X Digital zoom. Soemone told me alternates from Olympus work quite well with special adapters.

Summary : If you dont mind learning the menus and need a high performance in a small package - this the camera for you, especially for its 28 mm wide angle and swivel LCD monitor.

Things to watch for :
1. Expensive accessories - flash, lens etc.
2. No standard rechargeable battery - must use Nikon.
3. Layered menu commands take time - long learning curve.
4. The focus lock on front of the camera difficult to operate.

I bought my CoolPix 5000 late December 2001 and have been shooting with it in various locations since then. I am globally pleased with the camera, but found its enveloppe of usage to be somewhat narrower than I was expecting.

As a foreword, I should say that, this being my first digital camera, as well as my first compact camera, I don't have any other obvious reference to compare it to.

First, the good points:

- very good images at 100 ISO,
- small size makes it very easy to carry the camera with you at any time. The 5000 is a compact camera, this should be kept in mind,
- very high feeling of quality when handling the beast,
- very convenient orientable screen,
- great zoom going down to 28 mm equivalent. Image sharpness appears to be very good at all focal lenght and appertures (without any scientific data though),
- good image results in point and shoot mode,
- very convenient tools for image review after shooting (including zoom to the pixel that makes it easy to assess the sharpness of the image).

Downsides:

- price,
- poor flash results (power and exposure),
- poor autofocus when selecting by hand which sensor you want to use. Most of the time, the camera is unable to find focus even on contrasty subjects. I gave up using this quickly. The automatic mode, in which the camera chooses automatically a sensor on which it could achieve focus, works fine for most cases (on point and shoot mode I mean),
- a lot of noise when using 200, 400 and 800 ISO modes (this could be the same with other digital cameras). I would strongly advise not to use these unless you really have to. They might allow you to take a sharp picture, but the result will mostly be unusable unless treated with special filters in photoshop (it seems some guys have created special actions that are good at removing such noise),
- slow electric zoom (but this is a normal feature for a compact camera),
- very short battery life. Any serious outing has to be planned with at least one if not 2 spare batteries,
- camera difficult to master (even with a strong Nikon background ranging from F-301 to F100, but the manual in Japanese did probably not help :-)).

To summarize, I believe that Nikon just released the best compact digital camera for day light photography ever made.

The problem is that, at this price, most users will expect it to be more than a compact camera and might therefore feel somewhat frustated when using it. Personnally, I didn't own a compact camera anyway, so I don't really regret my purchase :-)

I also believe that the overall strategy of Nikon will become easier to understand when they will have released their low end digital SLR camera (which should happen soon according to persistant rumours).

Bernard

The Nikon 5000 missed the chance to become one of the best on the market, if it had not made one major mistake: it's to slow.

A great picture captures the essence of the moment. For most amateur photographers the time delay aspect is of lessor importance, however a Coolpix 5000 customer should expect superior performance. The time delay is way too long between pressing the shutter button and recording the picture. Even using a lower resolution setting the delay is unacceptable for this high-end camera.

All other features of the camera are up to par with expectations, which I am more than happy about. Overall the quality of the hardware and the picture itself is excellent.

However it is this one aspect of speed that irks me the most. For instance, taking a simple portrait is frustrating, as a facial expression I want to capture has changed by the time the camera is ready to shoot. If this one issue were to be fixed I would strongly recommend the Coolpix 5000

I had an F100, which was stolen. So, after some prodding from a photojournalist friend, I decided to go digital rather than replace it. I looked at the Canon G2, and I thought about an F5, or a used D1, or maybe something else...

I settled on the 5000 for three reasons. 1) I've used Nikon for 30 years. I've never had a failure that wasn't my fault. 2) Some people claim this camera isn't durable, but the body's magnesium (not plastic), and it has a comfortable heft to it, especially when compared to the G2, and even to its little Nikon brothers. 3) 5.0 MEGAPIXELS. That's more than many pro cameras. The resolution's there. You'd have to work to exceed the capabilities of this camera.

After using the camera for about two weeks, these are my impressions:

First, The small size is an asset. Olympus and Sony make good prosumer cameras, but they're big. This thing just about fits in a shirt pocket. Despite the metal frame, the camera is very light. I have large hands, and it is still comfortable to use.

Second, a photography instructor years ago kept telling me to GET CLOSER!! Several reviewers (here and elsewhere) complain about the focal length of the factory lens. What comprises the bulk of your shooting? NOT 300 or 500, I'd bet. This lens is fine for portraits, general sports, basic nature photography. You might not nail a bald eagle at 300 yards, but if you're trying to do that, you've missed the point of this camera. No tool is perfect, but this lens will cover 95% or more of just about EVERYONE'S range. And, the wide angle of the stock lens should be great for landscapes/travel photography. Tight/close isn't always better. If you have to have it, MOVE CLOSER!!

Third, the resolution is AMAZING. Unless you're going up against a D1H or something, you'll win. Frankly, 5mp is overkill for most people. But, it's sure nice to have.

Fourth, on a down note, the viewfinder (I'm talking the non-electronic deal that you put your eye up to) is a bit tricky, and somewhat inaccurate. You do need to use the monitor to see exactly what you just shot. But, that's pretty much the big advantage over film!! I'd get an extra battery, though. Also, the menus to set various controls are a pain in the neck to navigate until you get used to them. Then they're not so bad. But, for the average user, sticking the thing on auto is easy. Like the F100, there are custom settings for aperature priority and shutter priority so you can have creative control over your end product.

Fifth, the red eye issue: generally speaking, the closer the flash is to the lens, the worse the red eye effect. I will get a separate flash for this camera eventually, but I've used the on-camera flash a lot. The red eye reduction feature works perfectly. But, if you're shooting fast-moving subjects like dogs, young kids, etc., it may be a problem. You hit the button, the flash goes off about 5 times, and then the camera takes the picture. You pay a price for the red eye reduction on ANY camera, however. The good news? The lag between pressing the shutter button and getting a picture when you're not using red eye reduction is virtually unnoticeable. And, you can set a feature where the camera shoots 16 shots in a row, within a few seconds (NOT WHEN USING RED EYE REDUCTION OR FLASH, THOUGH)!! Even my 5, 3, and .5 year olds and Jack Russell Terriers can't outrun that.

Finally, this camera will turn you into a serious digital photographer. You will want a faster computer and a better printer. You will need accessories, such as an extra battery, a larger flash card, a reader (if you don't have one), a bag (which doesn't come with the camera). This isn't a bells-and-whistles package. You get a camera, a serviceable but hardly adequate flash card, a battery, and an AC charger. You're on your own from there. This is really a $1300 camera in $1100 clothing. And if you want to use filters, you need about $50 more in accessories/adapters, etc. But it's still cheaper than a D1!!

The Nikon Coolpix 5000 is a very impressive camera in many regards although I have found several significant shortcomings that prevent me from recomending this camera at this time given its price. Rather than list all of its many strengths I will focus on several critical weaknesses that I hope prospective buyers will find insightful.

1) images taken with the built in flash are very inconsistent with many underexposed images. Nikon suggests that this is due the operator inadvetantly blocking the flash exposure sensor and this is true, althoug it is not the only problem. If you obstruct the flash exposure sensor in any way you will get terrible results. The problem in my experience is two fold: the flash expsore sensor is very poorly located and it is easy to obstruct. This is a critical design flaw which Nikon techical support representatives will admit. More importantly, I found that even when the sensor is not blocked, the Coolpix 5000 generates very inconsistent exposures when using the built in flash.
2) the camera's autofocus is suprisingly slow, particulary under lighting conditions anything less than strong daylight. Furthermore the autofocus is not nearly as sensitive as one would expect in the year 2002 and at a price of approximately [price]. This camera occasionaly stuggles to focus accurately, particulary indoors under lighting conditions you might readily encounter at home or in a restaurant.
3) between the autfocusing time and the pre-firing image processing that takes place in digital cameras there is significant lag time between when you or your subject are ready for the image capture and when the camera is ready. I understand that this time delay is inherent in all but the most expensive digital cameras although I was hoping for better from Nikon at this price level. This delay makes this camera ill suited for candid photography and any type of action photography. You will miss as many moments as you capture.
4) in bright sunlight the comprehensive camera data displayed in the monitor is virtually unreadable. The problem is that the control panel which also displays camera data doesn't show all the data a user needs in many situations and this can be very annoying. For expample the control panel displays either the shutter speed or aperature but not both.
5) the camera does not perform matrix balance fill flash which is an important feature and one I expected given the price.
6) my Coolpix 5000 came with Nikon View4 software for uploading the images to the computer and Nikon View4 is a very poor product, although Nikon has released Nikon View5 which addresses the shortcomings of View4. I have now used Nikonview5 and it is much better than View4 although it has problems of its own. Nikon seems to think they are simply selling a camera when they are in fact selling a specialized computer for taking pictures and a computer is only as useful as its software. Don't expect much form Nikon's software at this time.
7) I bought the Coolpix 5000 because of its sophisticated featues and compact size although I found the camera to be loaded with an inane number of features and settings that only a digital camera engineer could fully apprecitate. One can ignore most of the "noise' generated by the numerous "excess" features, many of which have little or no utility value, but the "noise" does cause confusion.

In summary the Coolpix 5000 is loaded with features and is a very sophisticated, well designed little camera that records fantastic images under many conditions. Nevertheless the camera has several serious shortcomings that are fairly frustrating.

Additionally, for those of you new to digital photography please be aware that all of these companies (Nikon, Canon, Kodak, Fuji, Olympus, Sony, Minlota, etc. are rushing to capture market share in the broad consumer market and as a result they are delivering products with various flaws, limitations and deficiencies. There is no doubt that digital photography offers numerous advantages over traditonal film although my experience is that the industry is still in the frontier phase and as such not ready for the mass market. If you have a lot of time to learn, like to tinker with new products and are fairly competent technically you will do fine if you are willing to except a few limitations. Personally, I am going to return the camera and wait 12 to 18 months until more of the "kinks" are worked out.

I have owned several (seven, to be specific - Olympus, Canon and Nikon) digital cameras in the last three years and, like others, I have constantly upgraded in search of the "ultimate" camera! I recently bought the Nikon CP5000 and am extermely pleased with it. The picture quality surpasses all the other pro-consumer models I have seen. If you like simplicity or if you are a control freak...the camera has it all! It accepts a variety of add-ons (lenses and flash units). The only one beef I have with the camera is that it does not make use of all the functions of my external Nikon Speedlite SB-24 flash (which has low-light focus and zoom capabilities). The external flash unit works flawlessly in TTL mode but I would like to be able to use the additional features it offers as well. Perhaps Nikon will resolve this with a firmware release in the near future (as an enhancement) - I am keeping my fingers crossed! Otherwise, the camera is spectacular!

I traded up from a Canon Digital Elph (which was a real nightmare to use and had horrible resolution) to the Nikon CP 5000. The two cameras are like night and day. It is true thast the Nikon is 3 times the price of the Elph. However, the Nikon is easy to operate and the picture quality is super fine. The design of the camera body is great because it is very closely related to what you are used to holding when you use a conventional camera (a comfort I find lacking in many digital camera's oh-so-desperate to be futuristic designs). There is a right hand rubber grip that makes for a very firm grasp. I got this camera a few days before I left for a trip to Lisbon and I returned with great pictures and didn't spend a lot of time scratching my head.
It is an expensive piece of machinery and with the rapidly evolving technology of digital cameras the prices tend to drop fast, so give it a lot of thought.

I bought this digital camera primarily to take pictures of my 16 month old daughter. The major things I was looking for in a digital camera were (1) high quality photos, (2) fast auto focus (so that I can capture my always-on-the-move daughter), and (3) ease of use. I also wanted a camera that had some additional options besides auto-focus.

The Coolpix 5000 is fabulous on all of these accounts. I tried several other digital cameras before, and this is by far the best I have used. The photos are brilliant and the auto-focus is extremely fast. We got the camera just before Christmas and have taken many exceptional photos already. We can crop out our daughter from a picture, blow that up to an 8x10 and still have photo quality. The colors are terrific also (not true with all digital cameras).

The only complaint I have so far is that the LCD screen is a bit hard to see in low light.