Nikon Coolpix 995, and HOW it made a GREAT thing BETTER!
Written: Jul 10 '01 (Updated Jul 29 '01)
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Pros: Great lens, improved zoom, better resolution options, included lithium-ion battery.
Cons: None significant, except that they're not free...
The Bottom Line: If you were looking for the best $1000 digicam you could buy, the 990 was a great choice. This is even better.
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| dancilmi's Full Review: Nikon COOLPIX 995 Digital Camera |
I have been using the Nikon Coolpix 990 for over a year now, I have taken over 2000 pictures with it, and I am quite upset with myself for not waiting for the Coolpix 995. This camera delivers the only things that were missing from the Coolpix 990. How can such a great product be upstaged by its successor? After having used the 995 for several hours, I’ll tell you.
When Nikon introduced the Coolpix 990 over a year ago, it was a drastic improvement over its predecessor (the 950). It added a better CCD (3.4MP versus 2.1), better grip, improved menus, etc. While the Coolpix 995 does not offer as big a leap in performance, it does serve to vastly improve the few remaining deficiencies of the 990.
The first major improvement is the increased zoom range. Nikon installed a 4x optical zoom lens that extends the telephoto range from 115mm to 152mm. This increased versatility is extremely valuable. I can’t count the number of times that I have wanted to pull in tighter on a subject with the 990 and not had that ability. If there is one improvement that I long for the most, it is that one.
Another significant improvement from the Coolpix 990 to the Coolpix 995 is the number of resolution options. With the 990, the only options are:
2048x1536: Useful in most situations, it gives the highest detail and is best when you want large printouts or plan to do a lot of cropping.
1024x768: Good for saving limited storage space (especially when trying to get by with the meager 16MB compact flash card that is supplied). Unfortunately, this size is too small to get a convincing print any larger than 3x5.
640x480: OK for e-mail and small photos for web sites, useless for printouts, great for conserving space.
This leaves a huge dearth of options when you want to get a good 4x6 or 5x7 printout, but you don’t need an 8x10 and space is limited. The Coolpix 995 comes through with shining colors in filling that void. It adds two options that are invaluable:
1600x1200: Great when you want printouts as large as 5x7 or even 8x10. Savings in disk space are about 33%.
1280x1024: Saves almost 50% of the space on your memory card and allows you to print beautiful 4x6 photos.
These two things alone would be enough to make a photographer like me (I’m an enthusiast and semi-professional photographer) spend the $995 for this camera, but there is more. The Nikon 995 improves flash performance in several ways. First, it now has a pop-up flash that moves the flashbulb a couple inches from the lens, greatly reducing redeye. Flash range is also improved by about 20%. Battery options are also increased. The Coolpix 995 offers an included lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and very importantly can also accept standard 2CR5 lithium batteries (which you can find almost anywhere that sells film). Not only does this save you the expense of having to either purchase rechargeable AA batteries or keep throwing away alkaline ones, but it also decreases the weight of the camera by about two ounces (from 18 to 16 ounces).
Other minor improvements include better AF accuracy (from 4,896 to 7,193 steps), and white balance auto-bracketing. The Coolpix 995 also offers a noise reduction option, quick review (a real time saver), saturation control, and a lock for the swivel. Another blessing for those of us who shoot tremendous numbers of pictures at a time is the ability to accept Type II compact flash cards, which allows you to use an IBM microdrive with capacities of up to 1GB. The list of improvements seems to go on forever, and it doesn’t stop here. Maximum shutter speed is up from 1/1000 sec. to 1/2300 sec., allowing you to better “freeze” subjects with adequate lighting. The Nikon Coolpix 995 is even about 10% smaller than the 990.
Is this the perfect digital camera? No. Is it the closest thing I’ve seen so far? Yes. The only things that could be any better about this camera (in a utopian world), are an even longer zoom and an even better CCD. Will that ever happen? Due to the nature of photography and all things computer-related, I’m sure it will. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a near $1000 digicam. After my time with Nikon’s latest masterpiece, I’m already looking for ways to afford it in my not-so-utopian world.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 995
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Epinions.com ID:
dancilmi
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Member: Dan Cilmi
Location: New York
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 18 members
About Me:
An electronics, computer, and photography buff. IT consultant by trade.
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