Nikon Coolpix 2500 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Title : Nikon Coolpix 2500 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
Author : Nikon
Release Date : 20020327
Binding : Electronics
Regular Price : $299.99
Amazon.com Price : $ ( %)
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Editorial Reviews :
The Nikon Coolpix 2500 brings together the best user-friendly features from the sophisticated Coolpix range and puts them in a sleek, stylish, and very desirable compact camera. First impressions of the Coolpix 2500 are that it is built to a high standard--it feels solid without being too heavy. Most striking is the unique body design that carries over the concept of a swivel lens from the Coolpix 995, but now incorporates this into the main chassis of the camera. This not only improves the appearance and ergonomics of the camera, but protects the lens when not in use.
The case itself is small, measuring just 4.5 x 2.4 x 1.2 inches, and is nicely rounded, fitting comfortably in a jacket or trouser pocket. This compact size marks it out from the majority of other digital cameras, which are frequently just that bit too large to take everywhere or have too many bumps and protuberances to make carrying in a pocket comfortable.

In addition to the novel swiveling lens barrel, the 2500 dispenses with a rangefinder and relies solely on the LCD monitor. Nikon has clearly worked hard on this aspect of the camera, as it provides good visibility even when placed in direct sunlight. We were also impressed with the battery performance, which, in a rather unrealistic test involving switching off the power-saving options and burning the battery down as fast as possible, still yielded well over an hour of use. We noted that the LCD panel was quite warm to the touch after this test, but not worryingly so.

Design considerations aside, it is in ease of use and image quality that the 2500 really excels. The menu is based on that found in the more advanced Coolpix models, but omits many of the manual settings, such as ISO, image sharpening, aperture, and shutter speed. Instead, Nikon has provided an extensive range of preset 'scenes,' such as Night, Landscape, Museum, and Fireworks show. These presets variously alter flash settings, shutter speed, focus, etc., to help get you the best image in given conditions.

Unique to Nikon is the Best Shot Selector, which takes a series of up to 10 images, compares them, and stores the image with most detail to the memory card. We found that in most conditions, the Coolpix 2500 produced excellent images, often belying its 2-megapixel resolution. Outdoors, the sophisticated exposure system was difficult to trick, although some images taken in very bright sunlight required a small amount of brightening. Color balance was also good and, unusually, can be calibrated against a white background.

The Coolpix 2500 includes a movie mode, but this is of limited use as it is restricted to 15 seconds and does not record sound. We were also disappointed by the lack of an auto focus (AF) illuminator, which is a surprising omission in a camera of this quality. Nikon has also elected to leave out an AV output for viewing images on a television. The camera is supplied with an excellent lithium ion battery and charger, a small 8 MB CompactFlash card, a USB cable, a strap, Nikon View transfer software, and a pretty good manual.

Pros:
* Easy to use, compact, and novel swiveling lens
* Excellent images for a 2-megapixel camera
* Unique Best Shot Selector feature
* Good battery life

Cons:
* Movie mode is limited, restricted to 15 seconds a shot
* Starter CompactFlash card is small--only 8 MB

Buyer Reviews :
Nikon Coolpix 2500 is a great compact camera. I wanted to buy a camera that can work in an easy to use automatic mode for point & click situations like parties, casual travel; and also provides manual mode for experimenting & control. My choice was mainly between Coolpix 2500, Coolpix 995 & Canon Elph Series. I just fell for the cool styling of 2500 and the ability to carry it in my shirt pocket.

I just took it out to Australia for a week long trip. It has performed well under different lighting conditions. All I needed to do was change the 'SCENE'.The camera allows me to identify the type of scene I am going to photograph. It has a bunch of 'SCENE' that I can select from. Some of them are - Beach, Landscape, Party, Portrait, Night Landscape, Backlight to name a few. I was also able to take night shots of the Opera house & the Harbor Bridge in the 'night landscape' mode. They came out pretty well. I was happy to see the result in about 2 seconds - the duration of the exposure. Pictures taken in bright daylight like that on a beach also came of well. What disappointed was the photgraphs that I took at a night Bar-be-Q party. In most photographs, the people close to the camera looked bright and those away by more than 7-8 feet away from the camera looked dark. Another 'scene' that I found useful was 'Close Up'. I wanted to note down a recepie from a local magazine. Instead of taking notes I just photographed the page in the 'Close Up' mode. Now, I do not have to write them down ! I just read the recepie off the picture stored on my computer. It is not much of a 'Manual' camera. So if you want to control everything, I recommend look else where.

I found the controls easy to use. There are a bunch of on-screen menu items, buttons & knobs. They are well layed out and are intitutive to use. Let me add - I am a techie. I can handle complexity. I had my first picture in about 10 minutes opening the box and charging the batteries. It took me about 1 hour to understand all the controls & install the software.

You got to buy a memory card unless you intend to save your pictures in a very basic picture format (like 640 X??). I bought a 128 MB card. It stores about 140 pictures in best quality mode (called 'FINE'). The camera can be put on a tripod. That is a big plus for night photography. It is very easy to put my fingers on the lens. So I have to worry about it all the time, specially while opening or closing the lens. A price for this cool design!

In a nutshell I find Nikon Coolpix 2500 a fun, easy to use camera for easy going photography.

(by deepbhatter)

Features/Technical Specs :
* 2-megapixel sensor captures 1,600 x 1,200 images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
* Autofocus lens with 3x optical/4x digital (12x total) zoom
* Included 8 MB CompactFlash card holds 15 images at default settings
* Connects with PCs and Macs via USB port
* Uses proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery(included)

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