Nikon Coolpix 7900 Digital Camera Review

Connectivity
Software (6.25)
The Nikon Coolpix 7900 comes with PictureProject version 1.1 software that works in both Windows and Macintosh systems. The camera’s OK button transfers images to the computer when pushed, but the USB interface option has to be properly set before transfer (this only has to be done once in the setup menu). The PTP option transfers to Macintosh computers. The Mass Storage option communicates with Windows XP Home and other systems. Pictures can be loaded directly into the program from the camera or imported though a dedicated button in PictureProject. The other dedicated buttons across the top of the PictureProject browser are as follows: Transfer, Print, Mail, NikonNet, SlideShow, Burn, Auto Enhance, Auto Red-Eye, and Help. The Mail button is quite convenient because it lets users size pictures right before emailing a copy of it. I didn’t find the automatic enhance and red-eye buttons that effective.

There are three buttons to control the view of the photographs: Organize, Edit, and Design. The Organize mode displays thumbnails of the pictures and lets users add keywords – which can then be searched – and view file info on selected images. Users can either double-click on a picture or push the Edit button to toy with the image files. The following editing options are available: Brightness, Color Booster, Sharpening, Photo Effects, Straighten, and D-Lighting HS. Most of the options worked fine and I was even impressed with the D-Lighting HS mode. However, the Color Booster isn’t a favorite; it made natural lips look like they were smattered in hot pink lipstick and turned blues into an electric color reminiscent of 80s spandex.

Don’t get excited about the photo effects; there aren’t even as many effects as there are on the camera. Black and white and sepia are all that’s available. In the top left corner of the picture being edited are a few tools placed for easy access: rotate, move, magnify, crop, and red-eye removal. Once users have selected pictures, they can press the Design button to create a layout similar to a PowerPoint presentation complete with images and captions. There are different templates of layouts that can be chosen. Movies can be viewed with the included QuickTime program, but they cannot be edited.

Overall, I like the organization and layout of the software. It has some cool features such as the D-Lighting and Mail options, but PictureProject is also missing a few essentials such as a decent color adjustment and a basic contrast adjustment.

Jacks, Ports, Plugs (6.0)
There is one tiny jack for both the USB and A/V out cables. This will connect the camera to printers, computers, and televisions, but will not be compatible with a power adapter. The video output is NTSC and PAL selectable within the setup menu.

Direct Print Options (6.0)
Within the playback mode, users can enter the Print option in the menu and create print orders. A screen appears that lets users scroll through thumbnails of the pictures and choose ones for printing – and also specify how many copies to print of each picture. The Nikon Coolpix is DPOF compliant and compatible with PictBridge printers.

Battery (6.5)
The Nikon 7900 comes with a Nikon EN-EL5 rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a matching charger. The battery lasts for 220 shots in this Coolpix, then takes 2 hours to charge. The battery charger is not a wall mount that plugs directly into the outlet. Instead, it has a plastic base that the battery rests in and a separate cord that connects the base with the outlet. The Coolpix 7900 lasts a slightly longer 250 shots with the optional CP1 battery. When the 7900’s battery is low, an icon appears in the right corner of the LCD screen. When the battery is about ten seconds from biting the dust, a warning flashes on the screen (“Warning!! Battery Exhausted.”) and all of the LEDs blink and go a little haywire (where do they get the energy to do that?).

Memory (1.0)
The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has 13.5 MB of internal memory, which is enough for about 9 pictures at full resolution. This model also accepts Secure Digital memory cards up to 1 GB, but does not come with one. Users will probably have to purchase a memory card because uploading to a computer every nine images could get quite annoying. Another annoyance is the camera’s inability to transfer images directly from the internal memory to a computer. Images must first be transferred to a memory card, which of course isn’t included. There are two formatting options for your optional SD card: a full format and a quick format. The user manual says that the quick format option is better for the lifetime of a memory card – and it takes less time. The full format option is recommended for cards that are used in multiple digital cameras or other devices as well such as cell phones and PDAs.

Other Features (8.0)
Nikon In-Camera Technologies – This year’s Nikon digital cameras have a unique suite of technologies that include Face Priority AF, D-Lighting compensation, and In-Camera Red-Eye Fix. The face-priority auto focus mode works when faces aren’t covered or turned; the 7900 superimposes a red box around a person’s face in the LCD screen. The D-Lighting can only be added in the playback mode and is sort of like exposure compensation after the fact. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix apparently only works sometimes because I still had lots of pictures with creepy red glowing eyes.

Voice Memo – If your picture is worth a thousand words but you still want to add your two cents, a voice memo can be added in playback. Users have about 20 seconds to comment on the image file. Playback volume is controlled by the zoom buttons.

Best Shot Selector – The BSS mode can be turned on and off in the shooting menu. This mode takes up to ten images as long as the shutter release button is held down, then saves the sharpest picture (yep, it only saves one).

Self-timer – The self-timer can easily be activated be pressing the left portion of the multi-selector. When this is done and the shutter release button is pressed, the camera takes 10 seconds to capture the shot. Here’s a little secret about the 7900: if you press the shutter release button twice and do it fast, the camera only takes 3 seconds to take the picture. There are no in-camera instructions for users to find this out; this is a speck of info gleaned from the user manual.

World Time – Setting the Nikon Coolpix 7900’s date and time is pretty fun. If you set the time and go on vacation out of your time zone, a little scroll over the in-camera world map will automatically fix the time.

Sound Settings – Don’t expect to find cool sounds coming out of the Coolpix. The only noise available is a boring digital beep – and the digital flourish when the camera is turned on. Users can adjust the welcome volume, shutter volume, and button volume in the setup menu.

Sleep Mode – The Nikon 7900 automatically falls asleep when there is no change in the brightness of the subject for a selectable amount of time (30 seconds or 1 minute). The sleep mode can be turned on and off in the setup menu. When the camera sleeps, the green LED by the power button blinks continuously until the power button is tapped to wake it up.

Auto Off – To conserve battery power, users can have the camera completely shut off (not just fall asleep) after 30 seconds, or 1, 5, or 30 minutes of no change in subject brightness.