Reviews for Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Excellent picture quality

Weakness: Very poor flash lighting,Difficult menus to access, poor ergonomics

The flash is inconsistent. One shot is illuminated well and the next is much too dark. The wide angle/tele button is positioned very poorly so my thumb is almost always inadvertently pressing it. Likewise changing functions and settings is awkward. The menus are not easy to master and then after mastering them it takes so long to access them that I find I use Auto mode most of the time. I formerly owned the Olympus 3000 and it was much easier to use, took excellent quality pictures. My next camera will probably be another Olympus

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Sharpness, weight, size and auto or manual setup

Weakness: zoom and flash

A great camera for price but 3x zoom is a little short. Has additional digital zoom but you dont get the sharpness. Built in flash is very weak at times; better plan to use the hot shoe and add on flash or miss a lot of shots.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Macro to portrait capabilities, 5MP picture quality, 28MM wide angle, accessories galore, compact stylish design, rugged construction, 270 degree monitor rotation, price.

Weakness: Short telephoto, no focus assist lamp, exposure meter placement.

Armed with the latest firmware version 1.7, my brand new CP5000 is ready to rock! With the addition of RAW mode, speedlight modifications, quicker processing times, etc., most of the minor complaints are solved by a simple download. The way I see it, there are really only a couple of legitimate complaints with the CP5000. Power is no problem. The EN-EL1 lasts longer than 1800mAh rechargables in other cameras, plus I keep a 6V 2CR5 lithium one use in my gadget bag. It lasts for days! Most of the negative things I read are because someone felt they paid too much for the camera or they are overwhelmed by its myriad functions and capabilities. Timing is everything when purchasing a digital camera. If you bought the CP5000 before April 1st, 2003, when the $200 rebate began, you probably did pay too much for it. I paid less for this 5MP beauty, than I did for a 4pm point and shoot a year ago. So much less, that I can now add on a flash, a super wide angle and telephoto lens for what most people paid for the camera itself! The CP5000 is not your father's Nikon! This space age dynamo will deliver in a big way if you can master its complexities. I certainly intend to! And then I will sell it for more than I paid for it. By then some other highly desirable platform will be bargain priced and I will purchase one of them. Until then, I will enjoy owning the finest, most capable, least expensive high end compact zoom digicam on the market.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: utilizes nikon accessory lenses, batteries and compactflash memory from prior nikon units. unparalled macro capabilities, firmware update to 1.7

Weakness: sloooooowww shutter speed for its' class

I don't "get" all the arguments/complaints I read on this board. Let me counter-point some of the criticisms above (I like my 5000, but I do have some other complaints about it):

Batteries: hard to find?! short-lived?! Rechargeable AA's have a shorter life and burn faster. I am getting about 1.5 hrs continuous life out of my rechargeable Li-ion batteries now...which are plentiful on ebay for about $35 since 2001. Look at the battery-pack add-on for more life with this camera.

Hi-res setting: takes 30-40 seconds to "develop". Digicam's don't "develop", secondly, the write time of your images are partly a function of the speed and capacity of the compact flash card. You can get a HI (TIFF) image to store in under 30s with a 256meg card with hi write speeds (but also takes up battery juice). Granted, writing a 9 meg file still takes awhile...

TIFF files aren't recognized by "most software"? reviewer above - are you smoking dope? TIFF is the standard and has been since the 80's when it was created! Any software I have worked with grabs TIFF files with ease.

Built-in flash is weak: agreed here, but that's why there is a shoe on top...use it!! NEVER use a built-in flash on anything!

My complaint is the SLOOOW lens...one of the slowest out there, but if you master the camera controls to overcome some of the noise levels a slow lens can produce, you can master digitial photog with this unit. I am waiting for the day when I can buy a digi-SLR$$$$$

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Crisp clear pictures

Weakness: Print Image Matching

Nikon just came out with a firmware update for this camera that greatly improved the performance. Now you can turn off built in flash when using external flash in a studio situation, new support for raw images, brighter viewfinder, control options for Shutter Release Speed, and improvements in autofocus performance. Note that PRINT Image Matching is no longer supported by COOLPIX 5000 firmware version 1.7

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Takes good daylight under perfect condition and good sunsets without using flash.

Weakness: Batteries are hard to find and expensive and short lived. Double A rechargeable would have been a lot better format. Flash is weak and undependable especially inside with good light.

My last Nikon and I go all the way back to the F-1 which was probably their best effort. Can't use the high res setting because it takes 30 to 40 seconds to develop. Most software will not recognize the tiff format and when they do you might as well go out to lunch for the amount of time it takes for it to come up.I use it in the next resoulution down which was not the reason I purchased the camera. They already have a replacement for it (5700)and its barely been out. Get on any chat group and everyone complains or points out the Flash, battery and resolution problems. Nikon should give all of us a new 5700 or at least a trade in credit. I paid top dollar for mine because I wanted the best but this time I got fooled by the Nikon name. I have had 10 Digital cameras over the past three years and this has to be the biggest disappointment of all them.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Excellent lens, widest range of shutter speed for popular camera from 1/4000 sec to 5 min, broad range of funtions, 2 cm macro

Weakness: The most cumbersome setup I have seen in a popular camera, very long learning time how to use its manual features

I was impressed reading a review of this camera. I purchased it, kept one week trying to learn how to use its very extensive set of features, and returned back to the store. The reason was a very user unfriendly setup. For most features the setup is different than in other digital cameras. The Coolpix 5000 has few external buttons similarly to other Nikon digital cameras like 995, and newest 5700 or 4500 models. Therefore, you have to read the whole long and frequently ambigous manual before you know how to use its extensive features. You have to memorize how to go through all menu paths to reach a feature which you want to change. As a result even a salesman in the store selling this camera could not find a way to switch the demo camera from a black&white mode to color mode (some prospective customer switched it inadverently to black and white while exploring its menus). Therefore I decided to return it because I do not expect to use it everyday to be able to remember this cumbersome setup. After a few months long break in its use I would have to spend hours to read its manual and re-learning how to use it again.

But if you are persistent enough to study in depth its manual and expect to use it frequently enough to remember its all setups then this is a terrific camera. It has an impressive range of features. Its shutter speed vary from 1/4000 sec to 5 min, widest for popular digital camera. Its lens is very quality with very little spherical distorsions visible only in st

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Camera is an engineering dream! It is sturdy and makes competitors camera's look and feel like plastic toys including the Sony DSC-F707!

Weakness: I would have liked a more SLR feel to the camera in the guise of girth or size.

This camera is robust while at the same time a precision instrument. The manuals are easy to follow which cuts against what I read other reviews to declare and the photographs are incredibly sharp and crisp and that includes the range of different resolutions that this camera has a wealth of! I even tried the dreaded lens cap test on this camera and it recovered nicely (must be at the current firmware level).

Nikon is synonymous with excellence and I can see why with this camera! I would implore others to rethink their reviews about this fantastic piece of engineering and spend some time with this great instrument! I have taken hundreds of photos at this point and I am looking forward to thousands more!

GO NIKON!!!!!!!!

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Very compact and easy to carry around even when I am out for my 4 mile walk. The 9 element Nikon lens is one reason I bought this camera and I am not disappointed.

Weakness: It is too easy to interfere with the photocell on the front of the camera, however with practice this problem can be beat by gently holding the camera without your fingers wrapped around the front.

I waited to buy a digital camera until I was sure picture quality was as good as film cameras. With the Coolpix 5000 I was not disappointed and for the past 3 months have been enjoying a new interest in photography. I have produced large poster images and I am amazed at the excellent detail in so large a print. With the new Print Image Matching (PIM)technology of which my Epson printer supports as well as the Coolpix 5000, the printer and camera work together automatically to produce a very accurate reproduction of the image. Printing directly from the printer (without use of my computer) results in absolutely fantastic high quality photos in perfect color which means I do not have to go to a photo enhancement program first. I am still getting used to the many settings available, however, I am not in a rush because the automatic mode handles most situations. I see many happy photo sessions in the future with this high quality camera. Expensive but worth it.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Great outdoor pics in sufficient natural lighting.

Weakness: Use of built in flash in dark areas.

Called Nikon to discuss the problem with little help. At first I thought it was the camera with the assistance of trouble shooting with Nikon USA. Received new camera and have the same problem, poor performance with built in flash. If the lighting is fairly bright the fill flash will enhance the picture. But, in low light levels the lens shuts down even further, especially if there is any amount of back lighting. This occurs regardless of flash mode, i.e. red eye eliminator, flash fill, auto, etc. When I spoke with the Nikon customer support center they indicated that they had not heard anything about this problem, okay, maybe I received the only two products from the factory that do this. I was told to write a letter to Nikon USA to address the problem and have it researched by an engineer. Pretty poor service for such a high end camera from a company that has built a reputation on quality camera systems. I am very disappointed and would probably not buy another Nikon.

don

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: 5 megapixels makes for great large prints, compact (easy for traveling guys like me), lots of controls but intuitive, still learning it, accept Cool Pix accessories, uses compact flash

Weakness: until you learn all the controls and setting you could be frustated getting it right

I photograph limousines, usually at a close range so the wide-angle lense is very handy and is much better than most cameras I have tried so far. The Quick Review is really cool and allows me to check my photo and move on quickly with little fuss. The vari-angle lense allows me get into hard to shoot angles once I am inside of the limousine to take close up of the bar console, tv setup, champage wells stuff like that. The close up macro mode, (while I am still learning the hang of it) allows me to take the close ups I have needed (3/4" away) to photograph subtle defects that they human eye of my "peticular" limousine buyers never miss! Best of all is that 5 megapixels allows me to make decent poster size(13" by 19" prints) for advertising and promotions at limousine trade shows.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: excellant pictures, easy to use, rotating monitor is great, great lens.

Weakness: Complicated menu takes some getting use to. Not enough telephoto lens.

Great camera, I have owned the dimage 7 before the coolpix and the Nikon 5000 walks all over it. I just love this camera. The menu is complicated but after practicing it is actually very good. The colors are great not as faded as other cameras I have compared it to. It would be nice if they offered a stronger lens maybe up to 200 mm.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Quality of pictures, quality of finishing

Weakness: Ergonomics, viewfinder, flash, LCD screen, autofocus

The CP 5000 is equiped with a very good lens and makes good use of its 5 Mpx CCD. The images are sharp, with well balanced colors. The focal range is interesting with an unusually short lower end (equiv. to a 28 mm wide angle) and the distortion is well controlled.

The finishing is excellent, with a magnesium alloy body and beautiful design. Contrary to some voiced opinion, I feel that the camera remains well balanced when an external flash is mounted.

Now the bas side:
-ergonomics sucks. To many options are menu driven and are hard to access, some of which are frequently needed (color balance, for instance). Too few buttons are controlling too many functions. Some functions are controlled by tuning the control knob with the right finger while simultaneously pressing a button with... the right finger!

- The viewfinder is a shame! Small, dark, no information, either on the screen (i.e. selection of focusing collimator) nor under it (shutter speed, etc). But worst of all, IT IS UNACCEPTABLY IMPRECISE, showing only a fraction of the field and suffering from important parrallax error.

-The auto focus works well in broad daylight but becomes unreliable in not-so-dark lighting conditions. It would have benefited from an assistance light from the camera. YOU WON'T KNOW THAT AF FAILED UNTIL ITS TOO LATE (at printing time)

-Flash metering is imprecise, the flash control incomplete (must adjust flash zoom by hand)

-etc. I will sell mine soon

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: I wanted to take sunrise and sunset photos, difficult lighting situations at best. I AM ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDED.

Weakness: 110% customer satisfaction - highly recommended - AAAA++++ from a beginner who just wanted to take sharp, clear pictures without a lot of hassles!

I have nothing for sale!
Have only used it for night photography without flash.
I can't find anything to complain about. I point and
SHOOT! Half a second later I see the picture and if it
isn't quite perfect, I make an adjustment and keep on
shooting. I did buy a larger flash memory card with
super-fast storage capability. I take 200-900 pictures
in an evening, every evening -
will send hotmail samples as time permits to interested individuals anywhere.
Haven't read the 200+ page manual yet, all I know is how
to set the focus on infinity and this disables the flash.
I have the most incredibly astounding sunset photos that
I've ever taken or seen. I only shoot for an hour or two at night and have never had battery trouble. Sometimes I even forget to charge from one night to the next. The files are huge and allow for major cropping and still have remarkable detail. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER but the camera makes me feel like one - smile.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Very High quality photos. Easy to change user settings. The swiveling LCD is great for easy viewing and protecting the LCD when the camera is not in use.

Weakness: Poor Battery life. The light sensor is close to the Shutter area,so keep your fingers clear of it!(easy) Video mode indoors is Dark...can't seem to find a setting yet to lighten it up...but I will!

The Lens/Cap problem mentioned in the prior review has been corrected by Nikon. It also wasn't a guarantee that if you left the cap on when powering up the camera it would kill the camera. I know...I did it several times before I installed the new firmware, and the camera never failed. It's VERY easy to download a firmware patch for the camera from Nikon's website. Just follow the instructions and it's done in a couple minutes.

So, whats not to like? Ok, the battery, but just find a DigiPower external battery pack for $35 or so, I still haven't killed the first charge on the pack. It should last 12 to 15 TIMES the lithium Ion battery thats included....but I digress....

Pictures are great! Great color and clarity. Lots of user settings. GREAT manual. Just take the time to read it if you want to learn more than just the Auto settings. Transferring photos is easy. The Camera basically acts as card reader. The included Panorama software is AMAZING.

Lots of Lenses available for this camera! Get it!

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Nikon Coolpix 5000 5 Megapixel Compact Camera

Strengths: Amazingly detailed photos - 5 million pixel does make a difference, quality workmanship, manual mode for all parameters, excellent macro capability, includes 32MB CF

Weakness: Non-incorporated lens cap (if you turn the power on without removing the cap, the camera becomes unusable and you have to send it to Nikon), battery charger does not serve as an AC adapter

I shelled out relatively big bucks for the Coolpix 5000 since I wanted to make sure that my first digital camera would not leave me disappointed.

In a word, I was astounded. Resolution of photos is incredible and I have only tried the 'medium' level so far. I didn't realize that it would be better than film!

As a beginner I wanted a camera that I could just point and shoot, but that would also allow me to expand as my experience grew. One of the primary reasons I purchased the Coolpix was that it has a wide range of composition adjustability (f-stop, exposure, ISO, etc.) that can either be handled automatically or by the user.

I was also impressed with the overall quality. The body is magnesium alloy, everything is solid, and controls are well placed.

The monitor can either be stowed to avoid scratches, placed in the usual location on the camera back, or swiveld out and rotated (even facing forward for self-portraits) to suit the conditions. I didn't think this was necessary before I started taking shots; now I find it indispensable.

The optical view finder is accurate and includes macro marks.

Focus speed and lag time between shots seem to be average, but are fine for normal usage.

The flash has good range and color reproduction is excellent.

I am very pleased with the Coolpix 5000. It takes high quality photos and has every possible feature to satisfy many types of users.

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Nikon Coolpix 5000

Nikon Coolpix 5000 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.69 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #121 standard digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...

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