Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix 2100 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I upgraded this camera from a Canon A200. Operation wise, the menu system of the Nikon was much more intuitive and easier than the Canon. One thing I hated about the Canon is you have to install software drivers just to have the camera be recognized. However with the Nikon first thing I did was put in the batteries, CF card, took some shots, and plugged into my computer via the USB cable and I was able to see it as a removable drive, and then drag and drop my pictures onto the desktop. It is truly plug and play and you don't need to install any software for it to work. The battery life is also very very good with a 1600mA NIMH rechargebale, I already took 200 shots with LCD and have yet to recharge them. Anothing area where this camera excels is its lens, the Nikkor lens I found to be much much sharper than the Canon lens, which are known to have softness as one of its characteristics. The zoom lens adds a lot of versatility to the camera. One favorite thing I like was that there is only one connector for both the TV out and the USB upload, as they use the same interface on the camera. This is more efficient than having a separate hole for USB and another hole for TV out. Also this camera seems more efficient in utilizing Compact Flash space. For example, I can get 155 shots on a 64MB compact flash on Normal mode, when an average 1600*1200 picture is only around 400k, which is less than about 500k for other cameras. I've noticed this exists in other Nikon models as well from online reviews that I have read. All in all, to sum it up, this camera is relatively small, have sharp lens that display excellent detail and accurate colors, and is very easy to use. One more thing I like to point out is that even due to a lack of AF assist lamp, the camera does well in low light situations. Perhaps it doesn't need an AF assist lamp, which is why it was left out in the first place. It takes pictures in the night without flash as if it had night vision technology integrated, I was surprised how well night shots turned out for a relatively inexpensive camera. One thing I would improve for this camera would be user selectable ISO in manual mode, this would lessen a little bit of noise in low lighting situations, but however being a 2MP camera, the noise are not noticeable to the naked eye. I would recommend this camera to anyone on a budget, but demands sharp and true colored pictures.

I had an old hand me down Kodak digital camera, and I mean old...the high res on it is like 150 pixels. It is fine for on-line pics, but I have been waiting til digitals came down in price to purchase one I thought would last me a long time.

After reading a lot, I decided on this camera. My only reservation was whether or not to spend the extra money for a 3.2 megapixel. It seemed for the money, this was a better choice than a low end 3.2 camera.

I have been very pleased with it. The menus are very intuitive, the delete is quick and easy to discard a shot.

There are enough settings on this to satisfy an amateur photographer. I am a gardener, and the macro did a great closeup on my roses.

Print wise, you will see no discernable difference on this camera on pics up to a 5X7 than off a traditional camera. I didn't find an 8 X 10 to be of a quality that I would want, but, then again, I didn't expect it to be. How often do you print 8 X 10's anyway? If that is what you need, you probably need to move to a 3.2 camera, but for snapshops and 5 X7's you will be thrilled with this one.

Some reviews (and the Nikon manual) say you should only use Lexar and Scandisk memory. I purchased a Viking 128 mg card Amazon had on special to go with this, and it is working perfectly fine for me.

OK, I admit it - I was first drawn to this camera because of how small and cute it is, and how it fits ergonomically in my right hand. At first I was considering the 3100 until ultimately, I decided 2MP was all I really needed. I'm only looking at pictures on my computer, emailing/posting them on the web, and printing 4 x 6. The $100 price difference was also a factor - It's not that I can't afford to spend more, it was more like...is it worth spending so much money on a point-and-shoot digital camera? Especially when you have to factor in an extra $150 or so for accessories. Plus, digicams are changing so rapidly, I'll probably want another one in a couple of years. (However, if you want more flexible printing options, you'll probably want a 3MP or higher).

Now that the price dropped, it makes the camera even more worth the price! I also considered other brands, but decided on the Nikon because (1) I've had other types of Nikons in the past that have captured memorable photos and are still clicking; (2) the Nikon digicams use the more common (and cheaper) CF memory cards; and (3) have the option of using two AA batteries.

I picked up some Duracell 2050 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries that came with a 30 min charger, and they work great. I was worried initially, because of all the negative reviews about battery power I've read about online. And it did seem to drain the batteries more on first use (maybe because it was charging the internal clock battery?). But now it works great. The features on the camera are also a plus - it's so easy to use. It took me just a couple minutes to figure out all the functions. Though you don't get shutter or aperture priority (just buy an SLR if you want that!) the modes more than compensate. I especially liked the macro feature and the white balance. And there doesn't seem to be a problem focusing in low light despite the lack of an AF assist lamp.

The only downsides I can think of (which are really minor) - maybe a little too small for a man's hands; not all the scene modes are really that useful; some parts of the body are a bit too plasticky (but who knows if this will be a problem in the future or not).

In short, great pictures, great features (that both the beginner and the amateur can appreciate), really easy to use, easy to transfer to my computer, and affordable!

The LCD screen QUICKLY turns off using the "LCD SCREEN OFF" button right under the screen... this same button will also disable/enable the helpful on-screen information (how many pictures you have, what size, etc.).

The battery is NOT hard to install, not sure what you are talking about, I had it in and running immediately.

If you would learn how to use the camera, a light press of the shutter button focuses the camera on the object, you can hold it here all day, then, when you decide to take the picture, a full press of the button takes the picture INSTANTLY.

It's a shame people give negative reviews about such a great product.

If you are looking for a wonderful camera at a budget, this IS the camera you need, does EXCELLENT video and picture quality.

TONS of features, nighttime pictures, etc.. but also a simple setting for normal use... you can even EASILY edit pictures right on the camera.
I got the case and rechargeable battery set which works great, never need to worry about batteries.
I did a print of 8x10 with the 2 megapixels and the picture looked just fine, unless you are directly comparing the SAME picture side by side with a higher megapixel camera, you won't notice ANY difference, it looks awesome, this will do 4x6 and 5x7 prints nice and clearly.
The camera is small and is a blast, I LOVE it and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a digital camera who isn't looking for "super awesome professional sharp clear pictures".

This will do prints wonderfully.

i was reading the reviews below and noticed someone else had a problem with the memory card as well. just wanted to share my similar experience, though i DID use one that was recommended (SanDisk), however, found that it STILL took a long time to save each picture, so the wait time between taking pictures was just too long for me. this was very strange to me as i tried the same memory card in other cameras and it did not have this issue. i've sinced bought the same brand memory card as the starter card (Lexar) and have had no problems. so now i love the camera. it is the perfect size, great functionality with lots of options, and for a great price.

PROS:
- great size
- great shape
- lots of functionality, including black/white, sephia colors, multi-shot mode
- very easy to use, though i don't use the scene modes much...auto and manual work just fine.
- accurate & crisp picture quality
- can use rechargeable AA batteries
- great value

CONS:
- picky about memory card. seems to only like lexar so beware!
- no sound with movies

For a 2 megapixel camera the Coolpix 2100 is about the best you can get for the money. It doesn't have all the features of some cameras in this price range, mind you, but it does what it does quite well.

I've been taking photos, I suppose you could say "semi-professionally," for more than 20 years. I still prefer my mid-end 35mm Nikon SLR, but I had a need for a moderately fast digital camera to use for posting to web sites and to email friends. Generally speaking, you don't need too many megapixels for this kind of use. And for this purpose, the 2100 is just about perfect. It takes very good close ups (perfect for auctions) and the exposures are generally pretty good.

What it does not do well: Very limited manual controls (is that even needed in this price/megapixel range?), not too good at red eye reduction, and its movie mode is a total waste given that there's no sound.

I looked at several other cameras in this price range and I decided on the Nikon because of how it felt, how it functioned, and the quality behind the product. The Canon A60 is functionally a far better camera with a great movie mode with sound. However, having tested it personally, I found it to be far more complicated than it needed to be. It also just didn't feel right in my hands. You put these two cameras hand in hand and you'll see the difference. The Nikon is just made to be held. I don't know what the Canon folks were thinking: It feels like a block with a raised hand grip. Also, the Canon just didn't feel well made. The limited research I did with the sales clerk and a search on the Internet indicated that Canon has some quality issues with the A60.

If you can spend more money on a camera and/or you're looking for something you can use for enlargements then you'll want to look elsewhere. Nikon, Olympus, Sony and others have better cameras for less than one hundred dollars more. But if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive camera to use on the Internet this will do you just fine.

Pros:
The instructions are very easy and well-laid out. I bought this camera at a store where the sales person tried to get to buy an on-line manual for about $40---I am glad I did not since the camera comes with a great hard-copy manual as well as an on-line guide that I have not even tried out yet

I had a problem with the camera (see con below) and I called the Nikon 24 by 7 tech support service center. They were very helpful in trouble-shooting with me on the phone. The gentleman was very service oriented.

Con:
The camera is very finicky about the memory cards uses. The store where I bought the camera sold me a 128 M memory card, claiming that they are all very universal. Wrong. The instructions (inside the box) for memory cards clearly indicate the tested and recommended brands. The card I was sold is not on the list, and because of this, I get intermittant results. Sometimes the camera works with the card, sometimes I get an error message that says "You can Not Use This Card". When the camera is in this mode, it will not work at all. I tried the smaller Nikon storage card that came with the camera, and it works consistently. If you buy this camera, be sure and buy only the cards listed by Nikon.

Pro's
1. Has all the desirable features like video out, only 2 AA batteries etc.
2. Nice looking and very small in size with good grip. Light weight too.
3. Uses inexpensive CF cards, not expensive sticks!
4. Easy menus and scene modes to use.
5. Competitively priced.
6. Superb macro pictures and good low light/night shots. It could focus in pretty low light without any AF assist light, because of a bright lens.
7. Good battery life on just 2 AA's. (unlike 4 on some models from Canon, HP and others)
8. Inexpensive accessory kit is available right here on Amazon! It has a very fast world charger, 2 NiMH AA's and a custom case.

Con's
1. Reliability is doubtful and battery door is very flimsy.
2. Movie mode is bad, no sound and movie sizes very small.
3. A bit on thick, making it slightly tougher to pocket.
4. No rechargeable batteries or charger in the box.
5. Need to read & remember manual for proper use of so many scene modes like "museum"!
6. Weak flash and redeye.
7. Worst of all it doesn't work reliably with anything other than Sandisk and Lexar CF cards. Weren't these cards made to a standard?

Its not the best but for its price its definitely worth considering. Esp if you like its its picture quality.

My husband is about to travel overseas for an extended time and needed a small camera which would be easy to carry and especially easy to use, as he's never used a digital camera before. I'm the techie in the family, so I have to teach a TOTAL non-techie to take and then transfer pictures to his laptop so he can burn them to CDs. Included with this camera is a video on CD that explains how to use the camera and its various modes and settings. That was extremely helpful to my husband and he was taking pictures immediately after watching the video. VERY HELPFUL!

The next step was installing the software so we could transfer his pictures to the computer. Using Windows XP the software installation went smoothly, but when we plugged the camera into the USB port it was listed as an "unknown USB device" and was not recognized properly. Some quick research on the internet identified this as a problem with motherboards using the VIA chipset (as ours does) and suggested a Microsoft patch to fix the problem. After downloading and installing the patch and restarting the computer, the camera was correctly identified and works perfectly now. If you need the patch, go to Microsoft's
site at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ and enter "KB822603" in the search box. It's only 342KB and you'll need to restart after installing.

We are totally pleased with the picture quality and color! The pictures he's taken using auto mode have been crisp and clear, and now we're experimenting with some of the scene selection modes. I took a macro closeup of our African Grey parrot from 5 inches and it's crystal clear, with every feather perfectly defined. We took some zoom pictures of deer in the snow in our backyard at approximately 75 yards right before dark using the dusk/dawn mode, and all that was needed was to lighten the shot a bit using the included software. Our regular 35mm camera can't even do that. Both outdoor and indoor shots are consistently good and the flash works nicely. Red eye is easily fixed using the software, which also allows changing the brightness and contrast, adjusting the color RGB balance, and resizing the picture. There is also an "autofix" option that works well. My husband learned the software in about an hour (which is a major miracle!) and can now take photos, transfer them to the computer and tweak them to his heart's content, all without further assistance from me! :)

I've set the resolution to "PC" so the pictures display at 1024x768, and with a 64MB flash card I get 278 pictures. The included 16MB card gets 69 at that resolution. Since we don't need prints larger than 4x6 that resolution works for us -- we prefer the shots to be full-screen on our computer monitor and burn them to CDs to use for slideshows on TV using our DVD player. There are higher resolutions available if desired, like 1600x1200 high resolution for larger photo prints. Also, there are a variety of compression options available when saving pictures, which is helpful when emailing from a dialup connection so you're not sending huge files that take forever to download.

The included CRV3 battery is still going strong after several hundred shots with the LCD monitor on continuously. I bought rechargeable batteries but haven't needed to use them yet. My old 1MP digital camera with no zoom and no preview screen was much harder on batteries, and if I didn't remove the battery when the camera was turned off if was dead the next day. The battery door on the Nikon 2100 feels flimsy, so I'd recommend pressing the battery into place and holding down with your finger until you can slide the battery door closed. I wouldn't pressure the batteries into place using the door.

I like not having a separate lens cap to fool with, as the built-in lens cover automatically opens when the camera is powered on and closes when it's powered off. The camera is light and fits comfortably in your hand. The LCD screen is bright and easy to see, especially when scrolling through menus. We didn't have any problem seeing the screen outdoors in full sun, even with the sun's reflection on icy snow from a recent storm. The camera goes into standby mode and the LCD screen turns off automatically after 30 seconds of non-use and then takes about 4 seconds to wake up, but that's the default setting which can be changed to longer intervals if desired.

Holding the shutter button down halfway focuses the shot and when the button is pressed fully down, there is a quiet but definite click so you know the picture has been taken. It takes only a couple of seconds for the camera to refocus so you can shoot again.

Good price, ease of use, excellent pictures, and Nikon quality -- what more could I ask for? I recommend this camera without reservation and am completely happy with it in every way! In fact, I like it so much I ordered one for my brother last night!
Might not be the best choice for a professional photographer, but for everyday use at a reasonable price, it's awesome!!!

I have watched the digital market for a couple of years waiting to buy a camera. After Christmas was finally the time for me. After researching extensively, I selected the Coolpix 2100 for its price and features. I came to the conclusion that at this price point, you can either get a 2 MP camera with some features (i.e. scene modes, optical zoom, Nikon lens, etc) or get about a very basic 3 MP camera or one with a no name brand. I have played around with the camera for awhile and I like the results. Pictures are sharp. The auto mode does a very good job of making the puctures turn out well. If you want a camera that you can just take pictures with without having to fool with much, this camera is for you. If you like a little more control, there is a manual mode which offers limited options.

I would suggest buying a 128 MB CompactFlash card (it holds about 130 high res pics and about 250 next-to-highest res) as well as some good NiMH batteries (the higher mAh the better.)

Overall, this is a great camera which is easy to use and takes good pictures. Unless you're an avid photographer or a professional, this camera and 2 MP resolution is all you need.