Manual Control Options
The Nikon Coolpix 7900 automatically controls shutter speed and aperture, but lets users manually select other image controls such as exposure compensation, ISO, metering, auto focus mode, and white balance. While most of these choices only involve making a selection from preset options, the white balance does have a true manual or custom setting.

Focus
Auto Focus (7.5)
The Coolpix 7900 uses a contrast detection through-the-lens auto focus system that works quite well. It can focus from 1 foot to infinity except in the macro mode, which can focus from a close 1.6 cm. This compact model has a five-area auto focus selection as well as a manual selection of the auto focus point from 99 points. When the manual selection is engaged, arrows appear on the LCD screen along with brackets showing the point where the focus will be sharpest. Users move the brackets by scrolling around with the multi-selector. The brackets appear red when not in focus and turn green when the subject is in focus. When the shutter release button is pressed halfway, the focus locks – so moving the camera after that button is pushed halfway will maintain focus on the original plane. The 7900 has single and continuous auto focus, but the continuous option is slightly audible.

As part of the Nikon technology package, the Coolpix 7900 has a face-priority auto focus mode that can be found in the Portrait scene mode menu with the framing assists. This auto focus mode constantly searches for faces and automatically focuses on them so portraits are always crisp where they should be. This mode doesn’t work if the subject is wearing sunglasses or their face is even partially covered. When there are several faces, the mode will focus on the closest face. It takes the camera about a second to recognize a face – with the subject waiting patiently and staring at the camera. When the 7900 recognizes the face, it places a red box around the face. Overall, the auto focus modes are pretty impressive. Even in low light and low contrast situations, it performed decently. The auto focus illuminator does its job and gives the camera enough orange light to be able to focus properly.

Manual Focus (0.0)
There is no manual focus available on the Nikon Coolpix 7900.

Metering (7.5)
The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has four metering options, one more than the typical three on most compact digital camera models. The camera’s default setting is the Matrix mode, which measures light at 256 points and averages them for even illumination. The Center-weighted metering measures from the center and the Spot metering mode measures from a smaller spot in the middle. The additional Spot AF Area mode links the metering and auto focus modes so the camera can measure from any of the five auto focus points in the frame.

Exposure (7.5)
The Nikon 7900’s exposure ranges from +1 to +16.5 EV when the lens is at its widest and +2.6 to +18.1 EV when the lens is at its most telephoto (both of these figure sets apply when the ISO is automatically adjusted). This Coolpix has the typical exposure compensation range that most compact digital cameras have: +/- 2 EV in 1/3 steps. As users adjust the exposure compensation, they can also view a real-time histogram as well as the live view. When photographers don’t have the time to adjust the exposure after each picture, there is an exposure bracketing mode. The bracketing shoots three pictures: one at the current exposure value, one a half step above, and the other a half step below. White balance bracketing is also available. If users forget to adjust the exposure compensation or things just didn’t turn out as expected, there is always Nikon’s D-Lighting technology. This feature automatically adjusts the exposure in playback mode and saves the fixed picture as well as the original image file.

White Balance (7.5)
The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a typical palette of white balance options. Auto, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Cloudy, Shade, and Speedlight accompany the more useful Manual white balance mode. The manual white balance is simple to adjust with text instructions and a small window to frame the true white paper or object in. In all of the white balance modes except Manual there is white balance bracketing available. This takes three images: one normal, one with a blue cast, and one with a red cast. The casts aren’t too strong and are helpful in presenting options for the desired overall color.

ISO (7.0)
The Coolpix 7900 has a slightly different ISO range than its little sibling, the 5900. The 5900 has a 64 rating and the 7900 starts with a lower 50 rating. The rest of the ISO range is identical. The Nikon 7900’s automatic range stretches from 50-200, while its manual range extends to 400. The range isn’t anything special, but the 7900’s noise reduction system is fairly unique within the Coolpix line. This system can be turned on and off and minimizes a bit of the noise caused by the higher ISO settings.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
The 7900 isn’t quite equipped for night photography, but has a decent – and quite typical – shutter speed range of 4 seconds to 1/2000th of a second. This Coolpix has a mechanical and charge-coupled electronic shutter. The shutter speed cannot be manually set; it is only automatic. In some of the scene modes, the shutter is set to open at certain speeds. When it is programmed to go slow, a shaking hand icon appears to warn users of camera shake.

Aperture (0.0)
The Nikkor lens opens to an aperture of f/2.8 in its widest setting. The electronically controlled preset aperture is manually selectable but can only open to two settings at each lens extreme: at wide angle, users can set the aperture to f/2.8 or f/4.9, while in telephoto, users can select f/4.8 or f/8.2.

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