Nikon Coolpix 2000 digital camera
- — 20 December, 2002 07:31
The Coolpix 2000 is Nikon’s first foray into low-end point-and-shoot models for novice users, and offers an excellent combination of value for money, features and ease of use.
With its plain looks, the 2000 is unexciting at first glance, but the compact case contains specifications to shout about. It’s a 2-megapixel camera with a maximum resolution of 1632x1224 and a 3X optical zoom that can be extended to 7.5X with the 2.5X digital zoom. Picture quality wasn’t quite as sharp as from other cameras we’ve seen, but our images contained excellent colour reproduction and more than enough detail to satisfy novice photographers.
The 8MB CompactFlash card holds eight high-resolution JPEG shots or 121 images when you lower the resolution to 640x480. There’s no optical viewfinder so shots are composed using the stunningly clear LCD. Fortunately, the Nikon can cope with the extra battery drain this causes because it uses four AA batteries rather than two. We would still recommend getting some rechargeable nickel batteries to replace the alkaline ones, however.
At this price you would expect only the basics of digital photography, but Nikon has added a generous number of configuration options. The jog dial can be set to automatic or you can choose from five scene presets that optimise the camera for the best setup. Enter the menu display with the four-way navipad and you’ll find exposure, white balance and metering controls — including the impressive matrix metering, which offers the best evaluation for exposure settings.
In brief:Nikon Coolpix 2000
This remarkably good entry-level digital camera offers point-and-shoot simplicity, yet contains enough settings to satisfy a more curious user who is after increased photographic control.
Price: $599
Distributor: Maxwell Optical Industries
Phone: (02) 9390 0200
URL: www.maxwell.com.au
