Nikon Coolpix 5000 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)I have been using the Coolpix 5000 for the past few weeks, just enough time to shoot 1,000+ photos. My 3rd Nikon and 1st digital, it's lived up to my expectations: I've been more than pleased with the quality of the images, my ultimate criterion. While you'll hear a lot of wasted drivel on feature A,B,C and comparisons with model X,Y,Z, you need to decide what you're trying to achieve before investing this much on a new gadget. If you want to capture quality digital images for selected printing in 8x10 sizes or larger - and are willing to invest the time in learning how to make that happen - then this could be the camera for you.
This is no simple point-and-shoot, which explains why some users have been apprehensive. Personally, I prefer the multitude of options it offers, including these (all of which I have used so far):
- Ability to manually override nearly every automatic setting, including: exposure mode (S,A,P,M), focus distance, AF focus areas (5), flash level compensation, sharpening, white-balance, etc.
- ISO sensitivity from 100 to 800, manual or auto, enabling hand-held shooting indoors
- Spot, center-weighted, and matrix (256 segment) metering
- Hot shoe to connect external flash for more lighting options
- Wide angle lens (28mm equivalent) is wider than most 'standard' lenses on similar cameras
- 3 User Set configurations let you adjust quickly to different shooting situations/styles
- Shutter speeds short (up to 1/2000s) or long (8 sec)
If you do like novel features, then don't worry, you'll also get red-eye reduction, self-timer, movie mode (QuickTime up to 60sec @ 15fps, 320x240) and "best shot selector". Rumor has it BSS is a cool feature that rattles off 3 frames and stores only the 'best' - the one with the most information, i.e., sharpest & best exposed (but I haven't used it). I did like discovering after I played back the first movie that the camera even has a built-in speaker for audio during playback. I also like the ability to zoom into images up to 6.0x during viewing to examine carefully whether you captured what you wanted. The buttons and menu settings, while overwhelming at first, really are intuitively designed - once you've figured out a feature, you don't have to keep returning to the manual.
I've been really pleased with the images I've captured so far. Fleshtones are realistic, sharpness of images is pleasing (not excessively sharp, or 'digital'), and metering is accurate. There's plenty of data to work with in the 5 megapixel images, which I shoot in FINE .jpg mode yielding a 1.5-2.0 MB image at 2560x1920 pixels. The lens glass on the CP5000 is the largest of the Coolpix's so far, which probably explains the higher image quality.
The typical 'knocks' on the CP5000, and my opinion:
-"85mm is too short!": so is 200mm. If you want to shoot models on South Beach, get an SLR and a 400mm lens instead.
-"32mb CF card is too small!": if you rely on only one CF card, you shouldn't be spending this much on a digital camera.
-"images are soft!": I prefer mine stirred, not sharpened, and do the rest in Photoshop. If you let the camera over-do it for you, there's no getting back the lost/interpolated data.
-"battery life's too short!": you'll run out of card space first (I use 128mb CF). You just spent a grand - stop whining and buy a 2nd battery.
So, what are its real "issues"?
- No way to screw in a UV/protection filter. For some reason, Nikon opted not to put threads over the glass. You have to buy the lens attachment mount (UR-E5) and attach filters to it. An inconvenience, since you can't replace the lens and really should protect it with a clear filter.
-It's slow to autofocus, especially in low-light situations, as there is no AF-assist illumination. I generally use manual focus or set the Single AF mode in such situations, and it seems to work just fine.
-My indoor pictures using the built-in flash sometimes over-saturate the reds in fleshtones. I suspect this is because the bulb is a bit blue/green, and the white-balance logic on the camera over-compensates. I have kept the WB setting on "Auto", but I may fiddle with this a bit to see if another manual setting produces better results. When this has happened, I just tweaked the Saturation of Reds in Photoshop and they look fine.
- It feels smaller than it looks in the promo photograph. If you have big hands, you need to break the habit of groping the camera with your right hand. Otherwise, you'll cover the flash sensor and over- or under-expose your flash shots.
Should you buy one? Qualified YES! It's not for everyone. You can pull it out of the box and start 'snapping photos', but you might end up with snapshots that you could have made with a cheaper alternative. If you give it a little time and really learn how - and when - to use its many features, then I think you will produce even better images than you'd imagined.
You'll really like the CP5000 if:
-you like the convenience of Auto-Everything features, but want the creativity that only comes with Manual settings;
-you like the idea of plugging your CF memory card into an Epson/HP photo printer and spitting out snapshots, but you'd prefer to 'tweak' them yourself in an image editor like Photoshop.
-you can't afford a digital SLR right now, but you can't wait to start experimenting with digital photography
I like it, and I think you will, too. Make an informed decision, and be sure that whatever you buy is the right tool for the job.

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Once again, Nikon has upped the ante in the world of digital cameras with the introduction of the Coolpix 5000. Its 5-megapixel sensor, 28-85mm zoom lens, and extensive controls make this a great choice for discriminating photographers seeking a digital camera with filmlike quality and SLR-style manual controls.
In a departure from previous flagship Coolpix models, the 5000 is very compact (much smaller than the older 900-series models) and looks more or less like a traditional point-and-shoot. It does not employ the trademark Coolpix swiveling-lens design; instead, on this model, it's the LCD display that does the swiveling. The screen can be flipped out from the camera body and rotated for easy viewing from any shooting angle--it even works for a self-portrait. An added bonus to this design is the ability to tuck the vulnerable display inward for protection when the camera is not in use. Of course, images can also be composed by looking through the traditional optical viewfinder.
The Coolpix 5000 features a 3x zoom lens--the most common power for zoom digital cameras. It's the range that sets the Coolpix apart--its widest setting is an unusually wide 28mm, perfectly matching the wide-angle setting on most SLR cameras. Almost every other digital camera's wide-angle starts at 35 or 38mm. The all-glass lens features nine elements in seven groups.
Power is provided by a proprietary lithium-ion EN-EL1 battery rated for approximately 100 minutes of use (battery and charger are included). If you're worried about getting caught in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery, the camera also uses a standard disposable lithium 2CR5 camera battery. Unused lithium batteries hold their power for years, so you'll probably want to toss one of these into your camera bag as a backup. For hardcore photographers, there's also an optional power pack/hand grip that uses six AA batteries and offers several times the power capacity of the rechargeable pack.
We've come to expect Coolpix cameras to offer an extensive set of manual controls, and the 5000 offers sports than we can list here, including shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 8 seconds, shutter priority, aperture priority, and full manual modes, manual focus and white balance, ISO ratings from 100 to 800, and numerous other settings to let photographers capture any shot they can dream up. See our product specs for more details.
An extensive selection of accessories has helped to make Coolpix cameras favorites with serious photographers. From wide angle and telephoto add-on lenses to an adapter that lets you use the camera as a scanner for your slides and negatives, Nikon offers enough add-ons to create a system that meets all of your needs.
Shutter lag--the delay between the time you press the button and the moment the camera actually captures the photo--is a problem with most digital cameras, and the Coolpix 5000 is no exception. The camera can take over a second to snap your picture after pressing the button, which can be an unacceptably long time, especially if you're trying to take a picture of a quick-moving subject. Most of this delay can be eliminated by prefocusing--composing your shot, then pressing the shutter button halfway down to allow the camera to adjust the focus and metering. When you're ready to take the picture, press the button the rest of the way down, and the shutter will snap almost instantly.
Movie mode captures movie clips with audio at resolutions of 320 x 240 pixels at approximately 15 frames per second for up to 40 seconds. This feature won't replace your camcorder, but it's perfect for when you just want to capture a quick movie and e-mail it to a friend or relative.
The Coolpix 5000 comes with a rechargeable EN-EL1 battery and charger, a 32 MB CompactFlash card, video and USB cables, lens cap, neck strap, and an impressive software suite that includes Genuine Fractals LE. The camera is covered by a one-year warranty.

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