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Nikon Coolpix 4300 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

Nikon Coolpix 4300 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty cool pics
Review: Coming up to 1000 pics with this camera now and this Coolpix does the job. A slightly older design, but now down in price to compete with the newer kids on the block, so look out for the deals. Feeling feels solid in the hand with a pleasingly positive shutter button, it is slightly heavier than the competition which helps to steady your shot when you capture the moment.

In the 'green' all auto mode it produces pretty good results with a low button count. Switch to the scene mode (fireworks, sunset etc) and you don't have to worry about f-stops and apertures, your pictures will also benefit. There is also enough scope for the developing photographer to explore in the manual mode. Manual white balance, shutter speed and focussing are all here although there are only 2 true apertures from which to choose. So sit down, get a tripod and read the manual - the menus at times can be a little esoteric. Take some time to play at home and become familiar with the camera, it's well worth it.

Essential accessories:
- Battery - this camera does not take AA's so buy one or two 3 rd party batteries
- Compactflash cards - again 1 or 2 128MB (or larger) cards don't go crazy and get a huge 4GB CF - buy a couple of smaller cards rather than one large one - you will sit on one, drop one in a cup of tea one day, transfer regularly and you won't lose you precious pics
-Card reader - less than $10 for a PC card for your laptop or not much more for a USB reader - save your batteries and faster transfers

A day shooting about 120 pics will use up approximately one 128MB card and 1 battery (using LCD, shooting 4mp JPEGs etc) so don't get caught out, stock up!

Pros:

-Clean, sharp images that print nicely at 6x4" 5x7" size (4mp is more than enough for this and gives you a little leeway for cropping)
-Superb macro out of the box - very easy to get great results
-Not too button heavy - 'auto' modes yield good pictures without delving in the manual
-Uses cheap, readily available Compactflash media
-Feels solid and comfortable in the hand, heavier and less plasticky than Canon A70/80

Cons:

-Proprietory battery - not AA so you're stuck when you can't recharge you Li-ions, but 3rd party battery so far is cheap and running well
-Lens cap - it will get on your nerves
-Huge shutter lag (5-6 secs) when LCD is turned off good for saving battery, bad for catching the action

But go to a shop, pick it up, play with it then buy it on Amazon!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good pictures, loud, slow, and a bit big.
Review: Overall: Good for the price, and the quality Nikon optics.

But it is slower than I imagined - comparing it to other camers that use a different metering system with the "red light laser" thingy.

That plastic cap - I got use to it - don't worry about that.
The battery - I NEED ONE THAT LASTS LONGER!
The pictures - great 4mp quality with plenty of handy scene modes
The extras - I wnat to get a wide angle lens soon.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Don't buy this camera to photograph very young children.
Review: My sister told me, right before my daughter was born, "you will want to take that camera and smash it into a wall!" She was right! Several times I have wanted to do just that. The lag time between each shot is just too long to capture those instant events. I have to take 20 to 40 shots to get my daughter smiling (I am not kidding). Little children and babies won't hold a smile or a pose for long. I have missed so many shots...it is depressing. Also there is a pre flash or a flash indicator which alerts my daughter to close her eyes...I am not a professional...so I really don't know what this accomplishes.

The quality of the shots you do get is very good as far as detail and crispness go but they definately lack something in the color arena. If you use auto setting the flash captures the action very well but the color suffers. My photos look too grey and harsh. If you use the "scene" setting the flash and the colors are very true and natural but the picture comes out fuzzy no matter what you do...either you move a little or the subject does (one mode is "party" and I would like to see the blurry fuzzy pictures of people dancing). If you don't use the flash in auto...you will also get slightly fuzzy pictures. I have spent hours color correcting my pictures and it is a lot of work. I would put up with it though if it would snap the darn pictures more quickly.

Also the photo cap is just completely "gimicky" and unnecessary. My daughter continuously wants to grab at it when I am trying to take a picture. It dangles within her reach. It also has ruined several shots I took of her laying down and I was standing over her and I did not see it hanging in the view...but in the image pic you see baby and right over her head a dark blob.

Battery life is very good. I can snap oodles of pics before charging. You can take clear detailed pictures up close if you use auto setting with the flash on.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Camera
Review: This is an excellent camera, especially for those not too into the very expensive SLRs but still want good quality pictures. What i love the most is that it gives you the ability to store to CF cards. Its a big plus for me becuase i can interchange the card between the camera and my Clie PDA.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The perfect Camera.....if you are a rock.
Review: I bought this camera with very high expectations and for the most part it has done a good job. It takes wonderful pictures even in extremely dark areas with or without a flash. It captures beautiful color and detail has a great zoom and tons of options. The problem is unless you have a tripod with you at all times it is nearly impossible to get a good picture without any blur. This is not only from my experience, but also from friends and family who have used it as well. I even set it on a level rail and set the timer to take the picture and it came out blurred. So unless you want to carry a tripod all the time I would suggest buying one of the new Kodak cameras.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Forever to power on and too long between pics taken
Review: When you power on the Nikon 4300, it takes forever to be ready to take a picture (over 5 seconds). After you have taken one picture, you will have to wait another 5 second you can take another picture. So disappointed. -JP

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I bought a Nikon Coolpix 4300 when it first came out, and from the very first day I found it not only gives me excellent photos but also is incredibly easy to use. We have a Canon Elph at work, and I can never remember how to view and trash the photos, but with the Nikon it's so intuitive that I was able to do everything without reading the manual. One of these days I will read the manual - I know there must be some features I'm not yet using - but I use this camera frequently and to date haven't been at a loss to do anything. It is also small and light, so I just leave it in my knapsack so it's available always. Downloading to the computer is also a snap. This is an excellent camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: More applause for Nikon
Review: We had a Nikon FM 35mm for mega-years which was a dependable work horse that always got the picture despite sea air, sand, etc. we subjected it to. When we decided to "go digital" we turned to Nikon and picked the Coolpix 4300, knowing little about digital cameras and depending on Nikon's reputation of making excellent cameras.
We have not been disappointed. I don't use the LCD screen to frame a shot, preferring to do it the old fashioned way and the dangling lens cap isn't a problem since I was used to that too. We do a lot of travel and I keep the camera in SCENE mode so I can point and shoot, often at 70+mph from the passenger window. My thumb naturally rests on the zoom, making it fast and easy to use. The coolpix 4300 has NEVER failed to get the picture for me. We carry a charged battery with us but have never had to use it before day's end. My only complaint is buying a 128 mb card when half that size would have been more than adequate, if we had only known.
The Coolpix 4300 is just heavy enough to steady your shot and fits your hand perfectly. Very user friendly and very simple to use with a wide range of options for artistic experimentation. I have cropped photos then printed to 8" X 10" and they were not grainy and the colors and saturation were very true.
I can't say enough good things about the Nikon Coolpix 4300 and I highly reccomend it to anyone wanting an excellent digital camera for the money.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great little camera!
Review: I love my Coolpix 4300! This is the camera that finally convinced me to give digital a try after 25+ years with my trusty Pentax SLR, without making a huge investment. The 4300 was easy to use right out of the box, and after a few sessions with the owner's manual, easier still. It's so user friendly that even my nine-year-old son is now a confirmed shutterbug, taking macro photos of the bugs and amphibians he finds out in the woods!

We've had the camera for about six months now, and have used it for landscapes, portraits and sports shots - all of which have excellent detail, except for those in the maximum digital zoom mode, where there's quite a bit of loss in clarity. All the scene modes work well, although I believe the landscape mode blurs the details just a bit. Indoors, night time, and fireworks modes do a great job of making the correct settings for us. Included Nikonview software is very basic and nothing to write home about. The camera itself is small, very portable and easy to pack along for hiking trips.

Gotta-have accessories: We use a USB card reader to download images directly from the card, and speed is not an issue at all. I don't think it's unreasonable to wait 1-2 seconds per photo. You will definitely need to supplement the included 16mb memory card which only holds about 8 pix. I have a 128mb which I clear out frequently, so I have no complaints about photo storage. You'll also need a back-up battery, but they're very reasonably priced and reliable, too.

Bottom line - don't be afraid to take the plunge. This is a nice, affordably priced camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Look no further than the Coolpix 4300
Review: After 3 months of use I am a huge fan of this Nikon camera. The battery has only drained once and it gave me ample warning before shutting down. It's ease of operation and small size, with a well designed handle, allows one to hold it with one hand securly. The VERY best feature is the quality of the photos it takes, especially in "auto mode". I've printed high quality photos on my very basic printer using glossy paper. It goes everywhere with ease. Personally, it's better than any camera I've seen.


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