Nikon Coolpix P5000 Digital Camera Review

Connectivity
Software
The Nikon Coolpix P5000 comes with a CD-ROM in the box with PictureProject organizational and editing software on it. The PictureProject software allows users to import and browse photos and videos via a simple interface. Users can view pictures in three different styles typical of this type of software: thumbnails, preview, and details modes.

Pictures and QuickTime video can be viewed. Images are rotated and cropped while browsing, and red-eye can be removed in this way as well. Other editing features are accessible from the Edit portion of the program. The rest of the editing tools are in the Edit menu and are: Brightness, D-Lighting HS, Color Booster, Photo Effects, Sharpening, and Straighten. This isn’t much. In fact, there are more picture effects on the camera than there are in the software: only black-and-white and sepia can be found.

Users can print and e-mail from the program and even make Pictmotion slide show movies, although there is a lot of processing time involved with the latter option. There is a help function that demystifies any settings but the software is easy enough to use without it.

Jacks, ports, plugs
The P5000 has two rubber covers on the right side of the camera. The larger one covers the USB/AV jack, and the smaller one covers the power adapter port. These are well-sealed against the elements. In the setup menu, the AV function can be set to NTSC or PAL standards so pictures and video can be played anywhere in the world. The USB can be set to MTP/PTP or Mass Storage, and can be set to automatically transfer pictures when connected to a device. The power adapter is optional and fits into the battery compartment through the tiny rubber cover.

Direct Print Options
The Nikon P5000 is DPOF compliant and can create orders through the playback menu. The second option on the list is Print Set, which allows users to scroll through lots of pictures and make selections for the final order. Each picture can be set to print from 0-9 prints. The P5000 can be directly connected to a printer with its PictBridge compatible USB port and cable.

Battery
A rechargeable lithium-ion EN-EL5 battery comes with the P5000. It doesn’t get a lot of mileage with only 250 shots per charge. This is a bit disappointing for a camera that flaunts its performance ability as its best feature. This is a flaw found on the Canon PowerShot G7 too: its battery gets 220 shots per charge. The P5000’s battery weighs 1.1 ounces and carries 3.7V, 1100mAh of charge. The skinny battery fits into a compartment on the bottom of the camera and locks into place with a tiny plastic lever. The compartment’s door is constructed of very flimsy plastic; it is so flimsy that you can bend it. This is disappointing: even kids’ toys are more durable! The P5000 comes with a battery charger in the package and a cord that connects it to the wall. It takes about two hours for a completely exhausted battery to recharge.

Memory
The Nikon P5000 has 21MB of internal memory, which can hold only 4 pictures at the top resolution and finest compression. Changing the compression to Normal significantly increases the amount of memory available though: the internal memory can hold nine 10-megapixel pictures with the normal compression. Users will want to purchase an SD or SDHC memory card to take more pictures and record larger videos. The Nikon Coolpix P5000 doesn’t accept MMC media. In the playback menu, users can move pictures and videos from the internal memory to the memory card and vice versa. One of the Nikon P5000’s selling points is that it can be a compact digital camera for someone who already owns Nikon DSLR equipment. Most DSLRs save pictures to CompactFlash memory though, so SD memory may have to be an additional purchase for this set.

Other features
Audio Voice Recording – Grouped with the scene modes is a voice recording mode that has nothing to do with snapping pictures. Instead, it can record up to 5 hours with the built-in microphone and play it back with the built-in speaker. This doesn’t do well for lectures in large halls; it does best when the speaker is within about 5 feet.