Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Jun 17, 2005 - By Emily Raymond
The recently released Nikon Coolpix 5600 targets users looking for a simple and compact digital camera to assume the brunt of the work. The Coolpix 5600 packs 5.36 total megapixels on its 1/2.5-inch CCD with 5.1 megapixels effective in creating images. Nikon applied a 3x optical zoom lens and 1.8” LCD monitor to the short, silver frame. The 1.8” screen is on the smaller end of cameras released this year and is only composed of 80,000 pixels of resolution. Tagged “Ultra Smart, Simply Digital” by Nikon, the Coolpix 5600 offers point-and-shoot users some shooting flexibility with 16 scene modes, D-Lighting setting, in-Camera Red-Eye Fix, Scene Assistance alternatives and 3 movie modes with sound. The camera includes 14 MB of internal memory and is powered by two AA batteries. Initially retailing for $279.95, intrigued consumers can now purchase the compact Coolpix 5600 for $249.95 following the recent price reduction.
Advertisement

Likes
-compact palm-sized body
-help function
-frame assist modes
-easy to use
Dislikes
 -crammed buttons on back
-grainy movie mode
-extremely slow start-up and writing speeds
-small LCD screen with minimal resolution
-short body is tough to grasp with two-hands when desired
-lack of selectable ISO settings

Conclusion
The Nikon Coolpix 5600 packs a few cool features into a very traditional silver structure. Nikon advertises the camera’s D-Lighting, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, and Scene Assistance functions as effortless alternatives to improve image quality. These functions do work to a degree and will help salvage some improper exposures; however, many of these flaws stem from the camera’s limitations that would not arise on other similarly priced models. To make the camera a more attractive alternative, Nikon is now offering the 5600 at a reduced price of $249.95 with printer rebates on Nikon website. This does add to the appeal, but the potential audience is extremely narrow. The Coolpix 5600 will grant consumers a 5.1 effective megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD, with a 3x optical zoom lens and 1.8-inch LCD screen but lacks resolution on the LCD screen and any semblance of user control. It seems as though the majority of the 5600’s automatic in-camera image corrections are designed to cover up the camera’s flaws rather than correct problems that arise from difficult shooting situations. The Coolpix 5600’s primary marketing campaign revolves around these automatic adjustments but the $249.99 price tag is directly correlated with the 5 megapixels of resolution available. This seems to be a bit of a contradiction, as most completely hands-off, near anti-photographers drawn to the camera would not print their snapshots larger than 8x10 and surely will not be doing much cropping and editing after the fact. Therefore, the 5600 will serve a specific type of user; however, for that demographic, there are stronger values out there.

Overall Impressions Page 11 of 12 Specs
Nikon Coolpix 5600 Digital Camera Review Navigation

Advertisement