Nikon Coolpix 5700 Digital Camera (Nikon-25504)

Nikon Coolpix 5700

Coolpix 5700 Digital Camera (Nikon-25504) Review, by Tracey Capen December 2, 2002

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• Reviewed by: Webtools

  Strengths: Great quality of pictures

  Weaknesses: some.....

  Overall: I am still using it after 3.5 years later. I had this since 06/2003, it took great pictures.The 2nd year it got lense jam once, had to send it back to fix. Turned out it should be a bad design of the power switch - it can easily turn on if you put it in the storage bag. A lot people had such discussions and had the same issues. 2 months ago (11/2006) the CCD died. Had to send it back to Nikon again. I had been forced to purchase an extra 5 year extended warranty (the saleman from Brooklyn NY - online store - cheated me) that somehow saved my money today - don't get me wrong, getting an extended warranty is always a plus - but just the way of that saleman sold it was not a pleasant experience. ( I now do pirchase extra warranty for all my digi cams.)

• Reviewed by: serverinfo

  Strengths: Very Durable, Good flexibility, Takes greate pictures

  Weaknesses: Slow, bad in low light. The automatic settings are not good for all situations.

  Overall: I've bought this camera over a year ago. I also got 5 batteries, a hood, and an extra charger from PriceGrabber.com. This combination is greate for traveling. I used the camera in Iran, Brazil, Peru, China and all over America. It takes great pictures and has been a great travel companion. I've used in wet, sandy, and rain/windy situations and it has survived with minimal maintenance. I would suggest this camera to any using a camera for the first time. All aspects of the camera are available to manual adjustments. This camera forces you to learn how to use cameras. It shoots slow and is hard to use in low light situations. Other then those to problems it is an excellent picture tool. I'm replacing mine with the D50.

• Reviewed by: darekjohnson

  Strengths: None

  Weaknesses: Extremely overcomplicated; settings that should require seconds require lengthy searching through myriad, uncomprehensible -- heiroglyphic -- codes. Resets itself, extremely difficult to focus.

  Overall: Once you read this, you'll know that I don't work for anyone that makes money from Nikon. I've read several glowing reviews on this camera and I can't image how the reviewers could laud such a beast. I'll concede that mine may be a lemon, but, I've used cameras for more than 30 years and this is the very worstI've ever come across. And, it is extremely difficult to use. The function controls are placed in four locations: buttons alongside the lens; buttons atop the camera; a top viewing screen and the main, backside viewing screen. The lens-mounted buttons are small and contain difficult to read symbols. Further, they only function under certain main-screen settings. The top-side buttons, placed alongside the shutter button, have multiple purposes that one must either memorize or research. The top viewing screen is thumbnail sized and often displays a dozen miniature -- generally unreadable -- symbols that are changed by one or more of the three other controls. The backside, main screen has more symbols than Microsoft Basic, with submenus under submenus. Its like paging through Genesis. Truth is, finding and changing settings is mind-boggling, time consuming and infuriating. A back-screen sub-menu indicates that you can manually focus (using a top button control)but this is ineffective and only works for one shot (in my camera, anyway.) Also, in use, my 5700 sometimes refuses to focus. I mean, it locks up and refuses to move. You can't do anything. I've turned it on and off (rebooting) and it still won't move. Finally, through ten angry minutes of seaching the instruction book and menus, I've learned to reset the focus funtion and to have it begin focusing again. This has happened more than once. Maddingly, my Coolpix 5700 has more than once changed its white balance in the middle of a sequence. I've seen three different primary color hues-- normal, red and blue -- in one continuous shoot of the same subject with the same light. Its absolutely maddening to use in low light -- in fact, it won't focus, even on the single focus mode (once you find the Divinci code for that). And, low light, for this unit, is not what any decent photographer would call low. I'm talking of shooting with a bank of four, 300 watt 3200K incandescents ten feet away. I've also carried the camera to shoot street scenes on cloudy New York City days where, again, it refused to accuratly focus. Also, in low light, you can't read the symbols in the top screen.

• Reviewed by: nordetoile

  Strengths: You have to find out

  Weaknesses: 1. Put a bigger flash card with it. 2. The batteries stink. They last about 90 mins which isn't that bad. Should put AA

  Overall: The Coolpix 5700 is my 5th digital camera (3rd Nikon) - and no previous camera compares. The 8:1 zoom alone is worth the price of admission (it's what I'd been waiting for.)Until this camera I had a firm rule of no camera without an optical viewfinder. I had seen too many digital camera users stuck in very bright or very low light, unable to use their cameras. I warily decided to make an exception based on the fact that in addition to other compelling features of this camera - e.g., 8:1 zoom, 5 megapixels - I got through-the lens-viewing, albeit electronic. Well, this electronic viewfinder is so good that in my opinion this camera really is an SLR. In fact, I don't know why they can't call it that. It does have viewing through the lens, whether there's a flip-up mirror or not. I would imagine terminology will eventually change to allow such cameras to be called "Electronic SLRs."I disagree with other reviews I've read that talk about a steep learning curve. I found learning this camera rapid and intuitive. Especially if you've used any of the previous Coolpix models, you'll find everything just where you would expect it to be, but more refined and elegant than in previous models. It is very easy to navigate the menus and to set up. And of course in the default full-auto mode it works just like any point-and-shoot. There's no reason anyone can't pick up this camera and use it right out of the box.A reason why I haven't bought any previous high-end digital SLR was a concern about size and weight. I had to have a camera I could carry around my neck for bicycle touring. Pictures I'd seen of the Coolpix 5700 made it look rather large and heavy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's virtually the same size and weight as my previous Coolpix 995 - like a compact 35mm camera. It also is the easiest to grip and manipulate of any camera I've owned - it seems to cling to your hand. I love the easy shutter release button. A complaint about previous Coolpix's was that for me pressing the overly stiff and "clicky" shutter release button would cause the camera to move. No so with the 5700.I love the fact that there is a large, REAL lens cap, cleverly designed so that it simply moves out with the zoom if you forget to take the cap off before power-up. I also like the real hot flash shoe. This camera's a winner - the best of any I've had.

• Reviewed by: Coola

  Strengths: Picture quality, lots of options, tele mode, strap.

  Weaknesses: Battery life only 650mAh, starting memory is too small, sometimes there are noises while recording movie because microphone is nearby focus.

  Overall: Shipped one day eariler than I expected it. Well packed. Camera generally is the best that I ever had. Pictures are great and clear. Best shot selector works very well. If you know photography trick you got excellent way to try it with this camera. But it's not big deal if you are novice. Very good manual will help you. Camera was shipped with all neccesary equipment. Only two things that you should buy are...larger battery and larger memory. I paid 36$ for 256MB compact flash but now I don't care about space:D I recommend it for professional and amateur photography!!!