A Great Digital Camera With a Huge Problem

After spending the past three years with an Olympus digital camera that ate batteries like Rosanne eats Twinkies, I felt that it was time for a change. The prices of the better cameras had come down to reasonable levels and these reasonable levels suddenly offered a number of attractive options. Hence, the Nikon CoolPix 4300 that I got from my wonderful girlfriend for a birthday gift.

The Coolpix is the updated model of the Coolpix 885 camera and what an update it is. The biggest difference is the upgrade to four- megapixels. According to literature, the upgrade adds close a million (Yes, a million) pixels of resolution. Now I am a tech moron when it comes to technical terms, but when I saw the difference between the 4300 and the 885, I was amazed. The clarity is so much better; picture the difference between a digital TV and an old 1970's model Zenith. In other words, huge.

WHAT ELSE DID I LIKE:

1) The price is very reasonable. We all knew it would happen; digital cameras would add more extras and the prices would fall as the companies got into price wars in order to win market share. The price is listed as $499, but can be found for less. My girlfriend paid $425 for mine and I would guess that if the economy does not improve that $425 will be considered high in another few months. Either way, it is a great camera for the price.

2) The size is wonderful. My Olympus is akin to the size of two ham and cheese sandwiches wrapped in tin foil (Quite a visual- I know- but that was my lunch today). Yeah, not the easiest thing to carry around somewhere like Manhattan. In contrast, the 4300 fits in my shirt pocket. Yeah, this works a lot better when walking the streets of Manhattan. The only problem with carrying the 4300 in your breast pocket is that it will make you look like you have a droopy breast. For it's compact size, the 4300 is relatively heavy.

3) The 4300 is very easy to use, despite it's compact size. All of the control buttons are decent sized and spaced far enough apart that you will not hit one while meaning to hit another. You can hold and operate the 4300 with one hand, but I would make mention that it is made for the righthanded population; most of the control buttons are on the right side.

4) The technology is a big positive for the price. Do not get me wrong; if you are looking to be, or are a professional photographer, there are better options available. Of course, you should know that already. What the 4300 provides is a 3x optical zoom that is better than most that are similarly priced. The ability to add a lens- with an adapter- for even better photos. The 12 programmed scene modes that make it easy for the beginner to get started and put take excellent pictures right away. The ability to "add- on" for those who are more experienced. Finally, the comfort. The 4300 is truly a camera that is comfortable to hold and use. This is a big deal to me after using my ancient Olympus for a number of years. Heck, the Olympus weighed so much and was so large that you could develop tendinitis after a day of use.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:

1) Somewhere and sometime the technology companies of the world will figure out how to make a good battery. The EN-EL1 battery that is included with the 4300 is much better than what my old Olympus used (Four triple A batteries that needed replaced after eight photos!!!), but still not quite what I expect. I would recommend carrying multiple batteries of you are going on a trip or visiting a city. You just will not be able to take as many photos as you would like unless you have a second battery. My best guess is that you take 200 (or so) photos on a full charge. Yes, this sounds like more photos than you possibly dream of taking, but my guess is that these numbers are spread out over many hours and not of the highest quality.

2) For some reason- and the press has had a field day with this- Nikon continues to send out 16MB flash cards with their cameras. Someone needs to tell Nikon that the 16MB cards were great five years ago, but in this day and age they just do not cut it. The strange thing is that in this day and age you can get a 256MB or 512MB flash card without spending an arm and a leg to do so. I would think that Nikon would figure that the added cost would be worth the added performance. The bottom line is to keep in mind that if you take one full resolution shot, you have basically taken up the full MB's available.

THE FINAL CALL:

Would I purchase the Nikon CoolPix 4300 again? Yes, I would (And not because my girlfriend is looking over my shoulder). The thing to keep in mind is that I am not a professional, nor am I beginner in the digital camera world. I am simply someone who wants to be able to take good photos, with ease, and without spending an arm and a leg. The 4300 meets all of these needs. Is it the perfect digital camera? No, but for the price it is a good camera.

The main thing to keep in mind is that the price of the high end digital cameras will continue to fall. The technology and electronics companies of the world are fighting a fierce battle for market share and this means that prices will drop. They always do when it comes to technology, anyway. Therefore, you should keep in mind that there will be new technologies and better digital cameras that come to market and within six months they will start to become more and more affordable. I would guess that the Nikon CoolPix 4300 will become more affordable as the months roll by. Either way, it is an excellent digital camera.