Livin' Large: Cameras With Pixel Power

The latest digital cameras from Nikon and Olympus boast a 5-megapixel maximum resolution, and they deliver beautiful snapshots. But these cameras are expensive: At $1999, the Olympus Camedia E-20N is a significant investment for even serious sharpshooters. The Nikon Coolpix 5000 is comparatively less pricey at $1100--not chump change, but for its class, the camera is a good value.

You get plenty from both cameras. With a resolution of nearly 5 million pixels, each can deliver crisp, colorful prints even when the images are blown up to 11 by 14 inches. Such large images require a lot of storage, so each camera comes with a 32MB memory card--sufficient room for roughly two dozen or so pictures taken in an 8:1 JPEG compressed mode, or two taken in the highest-quality, uncompressed mode. The memory slots of both cameras can also accept IBM's 1GB Microdrive, if you require additional storage.

Cool Comfort

The Coolpix 5000 is a great camera for those who want versatility and lovely pictures. It's also a bit easier to use than the E-20N. It sports a point-and-shoot design with a comfortable right-hand grip, and offers a 3X optical zoom. You can attach optional Nikon lenses (such as a wide-angle or fish-eye) to it as well.

The Coolpix's multilevel menu system takes some getting used to, but the camera also provides a good range of manual settings for adjusting exposure and ISO speed. With so many controls to tweak, you can get pictures with very accurate color, lighting, and detail, tailored to your tastes.

Both cameras have an LCD that you can tilt at an angle so taking, say, a close-up nature shot is easy to do. The Coolpix's LCD flips out to a 180-degree angle and rotates. With this odd yet handy feature, you can view yourself on screen when taking self-portraits.

Bulky but Packed

With so many buttons and dials, the bulky Olympus E-20N looks quite intimidating and difficult to use--especially for novices. Mastering these controls does take time, but once you do, you'll find they offer shortcuts for a host of functions--such as adjusting the shutter speed for over- or underexposing your pictures.

The E-20N is a digital SLR (single-lens reflex) camera, which means what you see in the viewfinder is nearly identical to the image you'll get. The SLR design also provides manual focus and a zoom ring for clarity and sharpness. The unit's optical zoom is 4X.

The E-20N's LCD pops out to about a 90-degree angle. It delivers a sharp image, but I found that it refreshes slowly: If you pan the camera around, the on-screen image will appear a tad blurry. Unlike the Coolpix, which has only a CompactFlash slot, the E-20N has two memory slots for extra storage--one for SmartMedia (the type of card supplied with my shipping unit) and the other for CompactFlash. The E-20N lets you toggle between the two memory modes.

Both cameras are promising, thanks to their good-quality photos and wide range of controls. But given their prices, unless you're a pro or a serious amateur with deep pockets, you'll be better off with a 3- or 4-megapixel model.

SUMMARY

Nikon Coolpix 5000 Powerful camera with a point-and-shoot design that makes it easy to carry around. List: $1100

SUMMARY

Olympus Camedia E-20N Bulky, pricey camera littered with buttons and dials, but also loaded with features. Street: $1999