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Nikon Nikon Coolpix 5000
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More…| Overall rating | 84 |
| Image quality | Very good |
| Ease of use | Good |
| Features | Very good |
| Effective pixels at maximum true resolution | 5 megapixels @ 2560 by 1920 |
| Bundled media | 32MB CompactFlash |
| Focal range (35mm equivalent) | 28mm to 85mm |
| Aperture range | f2.8 to f8 |
| Shutter speed range (seconds) | 8 seconds to 1/2000 second |
| Viewfinders | Optical viewfinder, 1.8-inch LCD screen |
| Video / audio recording | Yes/Yes |
| Semi-automatic/manual modes | Three scene modes, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and full manual exposure modes, manual focus |
| Optional lenses | Yes |
| Software | Altamira Group's Genuine Fractals 2.0 LE, Canto Cumulus 5.0 demo |
| Battery life score | Good |
| Tested battery life | 332 shots, 116 minutes |
| Battery type | One rechargeable lithium ion |
| Dimensions (LxWxD); weight | 4 by 3.2 by 2.7 inches; 15 ounces |
| Support policy score | Very good |
| Support policies | One-year parts and labor warranty; toll-free support for 24 hours on weekdays, plus weekends |
Nikon Coolpix 5000
Nikon Coolpix 5000 Review, by Tracey Capen March 22, 2002
WHAT'S HOT: The Coolpix 5000 is a versatile, powerful 5-megapixel camera in a remarkably compact case. Though small enough to fit into a large field coat or pants pocket, it has nearly all the controls a serious photographer would look for. Thanks to its light weight and large right-handed grip, this unit is more comfortable to hold and operate than its 5-megapixel competitors.
Its overall appearance doesn't depart radically from that of other small, boxy digital cameras, but the 5000's look and layout are refreshingly new for a Coolpix. One distinctive change is the adaptable rotating color LCD panel. Fold it face-in to protect it from bumps and scratches. Pull it from the body, and it swings out horizontally 180 degrees (a bit like the fold-out viewfinders you see on digital video cameras). From there you can rotate the LCD up and over so that it faces the same direction as the lens (great for self-portraits) or down so that it faces the ground (useful for overhead shots). Spin the panel 180 degrees and fold it back into the camera, and the LCD faces out--as on a typical digital camera. The Coolpix 5000 is not the first camera to pull this trick--Canon's G1 and G2 got there first--but it's a valuable addition to Nikon's bag of tricks.
In most cases, we had no trouble changing the Coolpix 5000's settings. A good-size thumb dial on the top right corner of the camera lets you efficiently select an aperture or shutter speed; a button-and-dial combination steers you through the usual exposure controls (automatic, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual). Using other buttons, you can quickly change frequently needed settings, such as focus mode, resolution, flash, and exposure value. A strategically placed button on the front of the camera, close to the lens, lets you quickly lock the exposure and focus for multiple shots--an extremely useful feature for shooting panoramas.
WHAT'S NOT: Our biggest gripe with the Coolpix 5000 is its hair-trigger shutter. You'll be glad that deleting unwanted shots is relatively easy because you're likely to take a bunch--especially at the start. Another flaw involves the small monochrome LCD status panel to the right of the optical viewfinder. In aperture- or shutter-priority modes, it lists the setting you've dialed in, such as the f-stop in aperture-priority mode, but not the reciprocal setting that the camera picks (the shutter speed, in the case of aperture priority). To get this often vital information, you have to turn on the color LCD display, which shortens battery life.
We wish the LCD were brighter, too: For properly framing close-ups you almost have to use the LCD. But when we tried taking outdoor wildflower shots in bright sunlight, we could barely see the image. And you can't attach the Coolpix 5000's lens cap unless the camera is turned off. That's inconvenient on damp or dusty shoots.
WHAT ELSE: In our standardized tests, the Coolpix 5000 earned an overall image quality score of very good. As you'd expect from this class of digital camera, the Coolpix produced sharp, detailed, and (for the most part) accurately exposed images. Our test prints had a little too much contrast, however, resulting in some loss of shadow details. We also noted some mottling in the blue sky of our test outdoor shot.
Taking informal shots, we created pleasing close-ups with bright colors and accurate focus. Impromptu flash photos of people were satisfactory, with relatively accurate skin tones and little flaring from the flash. On the other hand, scenic shots of our local green hills looked rather dull.
When we first picked up the Coolpix, its controls seemed unintuitive; but given some time, we adapted to them nicely. The buttons are small but functional, and reasonably well placed. You can hold the camera and change basic settings such as resolution, flash, and macro mode with one hand. Unfortunately, a few controls, are extremely awkward. Case in point: To set the focus manually, you have to hold the small auto-focus button down with your left thumb and spin the selector dial with your right thumb; there is just no comportable way to position your left hand during this operation.
The foldout LCD panel has three buttons embedded in its frame: One turns the LCD on and off, another pops up the menus, and a third lets you quickly review stored shots. When you view the LCD folded out, the buttons are at the top of the frame; in that position they're a bit difficult to use. With the LCD folded against the back of the camera, the buttons are situated at the bottom of the frame; and braced by the camera, they're easier to push.
Powered by a proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery, our Coolpix 5000 recorded an impressive 332 shots on one charge. The kit includes an external battery charger with an AC adapter. Unfortunately, the AC adapter cannot be used to power the camera directly (you have to buy a second, optional adapter), and if you're out in the field for an extended photo shoot, you'll likely want a second battery ($40 to $60). Options for the Coolpix 5000 include a solid selection of accessory lenses--among them, a fish-eye wide-angle lens.
Nikon bundles a fairly useful collection of software with the Coolpix 5000. Nikon's View 4 is a handy and simple utility for viewing and downloading images from your camera. The software CD-ROM we received also had a demo of Canto's sophisticated Cumulus 5.0 image management software and Altamiura Group's popular Genuine Fractals 2.0 LE digital image enlarger.
UPSHOT: A good bet for sophisticated photographers looking for a powerful, light digital camera, the Coolpix 5000 is a fine digital companion for people still attached to their 35mm film SLRs.
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Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: hschiff
Strengths: Excellent picture quality
Weaknesses: Very poor flash lighting,Difficult menus to access, poor ergonomics
Overall: The flash is inconsistent. One shot is illuminated well and the next is much too dark. The wide angle/tele button is positioned very poorly so my thumb is almost always inadvertently pressing it. Likewise changing functions and settings is awkward. The menus are not easy to master and then after mastering them it takes so long to access them that I find I use Auto mode most of the time. I formerly owned the Olympus 3000 and it was much easier to use, took excellent quality pictures. My next camera will probably be another Olympus
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Reviewed by: steeltree
Strengths: Sharpness, weight, size and auto or manual setup
Weaknesses: zoom and flash
Overall: A great camera for price but 3x zoom is a little short. Has additional digital zoom but you dont get the sharpness. Built in flash is very weak at times; better plan to use the hot shoe and add on flash or miss a lot of shots.
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Reviewed by: Lem Metro
Strengths: Macro to portrait capabilities, 5MP picture quality, 28MM wide angle, accessories galore, compact stylish design, rugged construction, 270 degree monitor rotation, price.
Weaknesses: Short telephoto, no focus assist lamp, exposure meter placement.
Overall: Armed with the latest firmware version 1.7, my brand new CP5000 is ready to rock! With the addition of RAW mode, speedlight modifications, quicker processing times, etc., most of the minor complaints are solved by a simple download. The way I see it, there are really only a couple of legitimate complaints with the CP5000. Power is no problem. The EN-EL1 lasts longer than 1800mAh rechargables in other cameras, plus I keep a 6V 2CR5 lithium one use in my gadget bag. It lasts for days! Most of the negative things I read are because someone felt they paid too much for the camera or they are overwhelmed by its myriad functions and capabilities. Timing is everything when purchasing a digital camera. If you bought the CP5000 before April 1st, 2003, when the $200 rebate began, you probably did pay too much for it. I paid less for this 5MP beauty, than I did for a 4pm point and shoot a year ago. So much less, that I can now add on a flash, a super wide angle and telephoto lens for what most people paid for the camera itself! The CP5000 is not your father's Nikon! This space age dynamo will deliver in a big way if you can master its complexities. I certainly intend to! And then I will sell it for more than I paid for it. By then some other highly desirable platform will be bargain priced and I will purchase one of them. Until then, I will enjoy owning the finest, most capable, least expensive high end compact zoom digicam on the market.
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Reviewed by: brookiedog
Strengths: utilizes nikon accessory lenses, batteries and compactflash memory from prior nikon units. unparalled macro capabilities, firmware update to 1.7
Weaknesses: sloooooowww shutter speed for its' class
Overall: I don't "get" all the arguments/complaints I read on this board. Let me counter-point some of the criticisms above (I like my 5000, but I do have some other complaints about it): Batteries: hard to find?! short-lived?! Rechargeable AA's have a shorter life and burn faster. I am getting about 1.5 hrs continuous life out of my rechargeable Li-ion batteries now...which are plentiful on ebay for about $35 since 2001. Look at the battery-pack add-on for more life with this camera. Hi-res setting: takes 30-40 seconds to "develop". Digicam's don't "develop", secondly, the write time of your images are partly a function of the speed and capacity of the compact flash card. You can get a HI (TIFF) image to store in under 30s with a 256meg card with hi write speeds (but also takes up battery juice). Granted, writing a 9 meg file still takes awhile... TIFF files aren't recognized by "most software"? reviewer above - are you smoking dope? TIFF is the standard and has been since the 80's when it was created! Any software I have worked with grabs TIFF files with ease. Built-in flash is weak: agreed here, but that's why there is a shoe on top...use it!! NEVER use a built-in flash on anything! My complaint is the SLOOOW lens...one of the slowest out there, but if you master the camera controls to overcome some of the noise levels a slow lens can produce, you can master digitial photog with this unit. I am waiting for the day when I can buy a digi-SLR$$$$$
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Reviewed by: nancyput
Strengths: Crisp clear pictures
Weaknesses: Print Image Matching
Overall: Nikon just came out with a firmware update for this camera that greatly improved the performance. Now you can turn off built in flash when using external flash in a studio situation, new support for raw images, brighter viewfinder, control options for Shutter Release Speed, and improvements in autofocus performance. Note that PRINT Image Matching is no longer supported by COOLPIX 5000 firmware version 1.7
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