Nikon Coolpix 5600

Model Design / Appearance (7.0)
Available only in the traditional silver color, the Nikon Coolpix 5600 displays a sleek look with polished silver highlights and slightly rounded edges. The camera’s features look a little crammed on the camera’s scant surfaces. The diminutive Coolpix 5600 is designed to attract point-and-shooters with its many automatic features and extremely compressed, pocket-friendly casing. The compact silver camera body is attractive, although also a bit generic, joining scores of other digital cameras that have a similar build and familiar aesthetic. The distinguishing characteristic is the camera’s short, yet thick frame.

Size / Portability (7.5)
The Nikon Coolpix 5600 is smaller than consumers might expect (based on images of it), but maintains a solid weight and thickness that helps the camera avoid feeling feeble. Unlike other compact cameras, the Coolpix 5600 also feels as though it could sustain a substantial fall or drop, though we unfortunately did not have the opportunity to test this properly. At 3.3 x 2.4 x 1.4 inches, the Coolpix 5600 is short and thick appearing very small without being "ultra-thin." The 5600 can be crammed into a pocket, but the 1.4-inch thickness will likely make your pocket bulge a bit. I stuffed the camera in my shirt pocket and it fit all right, but the 4.6-ounce weight (without the card and batteries) made the pocket sag and look a bit silly. To aid in portability, Nikon included a wrist strap with the camera. I’ve never quite understood the real purpose of wrist straps though. Do you really want this camera dangling from your wrist like a bracelet? If so, there’s a strap and a tiny recessed loop to painstakingly thread it through.

Handling Ability (6.5)
Some of the thinner cameras are harder to hold and cause finger cramps after a few minutes of shooting. However, the Nikon Coolpix 5600 is small without being skinny. The camera is thick enough to grasp and handle with its slightly fanned out right-hand grip, although the short frame feels a bit awkward and will not lend itself to two-handed shooting. All of the buttons on the back are within easy reach of the right thumb, so accessing menus and changing modes and zoom levels is easily achieved.

Control Buttons / Dial Positioning / Size (6.0)
The control buttons on the Coolpix 5600 are all primarily located on the right side of the back of the camera except for the power and shutter release buttons, which are located on top. With the limited length of the camera body, the back of the Nikon 5600 is crammed with various controls and dials. The main mode dial and the zoom toggle are a bit too close for my liking; when users zoom out, they’re also pressing the mode dial. Granted, this doesn’t do anything; to switch the mode, users must turn the dial (not press it). However, I still like a little breathing room between controls. The tiny camera body and its tiny controls are not suited for large-fingered folks.

Menu (7.0)
Without many manual options, the menus on the Nikon Coolpix 5600 are quite uncluttered. The Menu button is simple to find and navigating through the sparse menus is intuitive with the navigational dial. The menus differ depending on what mode is currently selected. For example, the Auto mode has the lengthiest shooting menu, while the scene assist modes have a shorter menu consisting only of framing options. All of the menus are clearly labeled with the type of menu on the top (for example, Shooting Menu) and directions on how to navigate on the bottom (for example, press Menu to exit). The menus can be displayed in text or icons, whichever the photographer prefers; this can be changed in the setup menu.

In the Auto mode, the menu displays the following options: Image Mode, White Balance, Exp. +/-, Continuous, BSS, and Color Options. When the Scene mode is selected, the Menu button only lets users choose between scene modes; there are no other options to choose from (except image size). The scene assist modes have menus of framing options. For example, the Portrait mode offers the following menu options: Portrait Left, Portrait Right, Portrait Close-up, Portrait Couple, Portrait Figure, and Image Mode. The Coolpix 5600’s movie mode has a short menu consisting of Movie Options and Auto Focus mode selections – and the Movie Options title only refers to the video resolution.

The Setup menu is the longest menu on the camera, but it will probably be seldom used. It lets users change everything from the sound the shutter makes to the picture shown on the screen when the camera powers up. These are the options available in Setup: Welcome Screen, Date, Monitor Settings, Date Imprint, Sound Settings, Blur Warning, Auto Off, Format Memory, Language, Interface, Auto Transfer, Reset All, Battery Type, Menus, and Firmware Version. The Playback menu is much shorter, with only six options: Print Set, Slide Show, Delete, Protect, Transfer Marking, and Small Pic. Copy.

Because the menus are so short, the camera’s settings are easy to change. The white balance and exposure compensation menus offer live views, although the actual view is quite obstructed by the menu’s text.

Ease of Use (6.5)
This digital camera is the epitome of a point-and-shoot. It aims to please users in search of a no-fuss digital camera. It does this with its menu options that can be displayed in text or icons depending on the user’s preference. It also promotes its "Simply Digital" ways with a Help function that explains any option or mode within the camera’s menus. That said, the Nikon 5600 has a few drawbacks in this area as well. The physical body of the camera is tightly packed with controls and may not be easy to navigate with large fingers. Also, there is no clearly labeled Print/Share button, as many compact cameras have now. The 5600 has a button that functions as a transfer button (marked ‘OK’), but it is not clearly labeled that way. And if it’s not clearly labeled, what are the chances it will be used?