Rating: 
Summary: Perfect Combination Of Size And Features
Review: I bought this camera when I was a music publicist. My main requirements were a camera that was not bulky, had easily learnable features (as in: "how do i save certain photos and erase the bulk of them? oh this little key icon allows me to protect images against accidental erasure, cool!") and produced images that would show up well on the web. The Nikon Coolpix 885 meets all these requirements. It's very light, fits comfortably in your hand and is pretty sturdy. The automatic settings (especially "scene") produce nice images and the manual setting is easy to master if you're so inclined. If you have Photoshop, almost any picture you take with this camera can be manipulated to look great. The 40 second video feature is great. Yeah, you're trading off lack of sound for longer image time but the quality is great and it's good for someone like me who needs to document stuff for work.Here are the things I've found as I've used my Coolpix: Get an extended warranty. I was shooting on the beach during a sandstorm and my camera got jammed and died. The warranty saved my butt- repairs would have been crazy expensive. I highly recommend getting a bigger memory card. I bought the 128 mb card and it holds about 150 images or, if I remember correctly, 30 or so of the 40 second videos. Also, if you're out and about, shooting for long stretches of time I strongly recommend getting a spare rechargeable battery. If I'm shooting over the course of a twelve hour day the battery starts to die out about 8 hours in. It will still "work" but it's slower to record images and the video viewfinder cuts out without warning. So yes- this is a GREAT mid-level digital camera. I definitely recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent quality camera - Value for Money
Review: I have had my Coolpix 885 for 6 months and am very happy with it. It is very solidly built and small in size, which is handy for traveling. I normally have the quality setting on fine, size setting on XGA and the picture quality is excellent, very sharp and clear. I especially like the on-camera feature that allows you to make a small file size copy of pictures for emailing. It takes the picture file size from 300 Kbytes to about 70 Kbytes while leaving the original untouched. I found the file transfer software supplied with the camera unsatisfactory - no bother though since I just plug the memory card into the computers USB port using a card reader. The computer then recognizes the memory card as just another drive. I then use Windows Explorer to transfer the pictures to my computer a very fast way to transfer pictures. The Scene mode is excellent for a point and shoot photographer like me, automatically setting up the camera for 12 different scene types. The Auto and Scene modes on this camera make it VERY easy to use if you want it that way. If you want to operate it manually it will also oblige. The cameras use of a Compactflash card allows me to use a memory card adaptor accessory to plug the card into my laptops PCMCIA card slot to place pictures onto the laptop, very handy when traveling. I would recommend obtaining a larger memory card than the 16 meg card supplied with the camera. I also love the ability to preview pictures on TV with the very easy to use video cable setup ? just plug the camera directly into the TV or VCR and view the pictures. This camera has more features than I will ever use but if you want to take quality movies a purpose built video camera is advisable. As with all still picture digital cameras, dont expect quality videos. The flash red eye reduction seems effective but its power over distance isn?t great This seems to be a common complaint with most digital cameras from the reviews I have read. Rechargeable batteries are a good idea ? the number of shots the battery is good for varies for each person depending on how they use the camera. I get about 80 shots per battery charge with the rechargeable battery and about 130 pictures with the disposable. I use the LCD screen all the time and frequently preview my pictures on the LCD screen with the preview feature. Its a good idea to always carry a spare battery. I found the owners manual comprehensive and easy to understand. Overall I am very happy with my purchase and having read reviews for many other brands I am convinced I bought the right camera for me. It is small, feature packed but very easy to use and value for money.
Rating:
Summary: This camera has everything you need......except sound
Review: I have owned the 885 for 1 year, I love it, you can take pictures in almost any condition, Its very easy to use,
The optional Fisheye Lense brings picture taking to a whole new level. Also the Wide angle lense almost doubles your picture size. The only thing wrong with this camera is it takes 45 second videos, Which is amazing, But it doesnt record sound.
I called Nikon weeks after I purchased it & They couldnt tell me why. I am now buying the 5700 which takes 60 sec. Videos with sound Also has an extra Megapixel & 8x digi Zoom.
All in All Its a Great Camera for the price.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent optics and software
Review: I have searched for several weeks for a digital camera, and although I own a Canon Elan 7e conventional SLR, I went ahead with Nikon and I am very pleased for having made this choice.
If you want to get a 3-4 MP camera, I would like to tell you why you should consider this camera:
1. Excellent optics. Very crisp pictures, good color adjustment. (you can always depend on Nikon because the commpany is dedicated to optical instruments in contrast to some other companies who produce digital cameras, speakers, PDAs, TVs, radios, keyboards etc at the same time! Makes sense?).
2. Size: It is compact and light but at the same time gives you the feeling of holding a camera and not some nonspecific electronic rectangular object (which I value very much).
3. The zoom: 3x optical zoom is not provided by other brands with similar value and MP. They all offer digital zoom and all of us know what that means!
4. Software: Very intuitive and easy to learn. I did not have to read the manual to understand the menus and that is a great plus. The Custom mode offers several settings from room lighting type to bracketing, and several other stuff that you will enjoy using. But the bottom line is, you actually can get to use the camera the way you want to just by the click of a single button.
5. The Macro mode: Fantastic! You can get close up from 1.6 inches and this is real. Try the other cameras and get a close up at that distance. I have tried but could not succeed. If you are going to use the Macro mode, be sure to try all the brands but when you try, you will see that Nikon has an excellent macro mode.
One problem I have encountered is the focusing sound the camera produces when it focuses. However, at day 2, I realized that it was due to the default continuous AF mode and when I switched it to single AF, there was virtually no sound. If that sound had persisted, the camera rating would have been 4 stars and I am so glad that you can actually get rid of that sound. Some people may not find it bothering but I did!
Amazon offered it at a great price when I bought it and I don't know if they will continue selling it because it is so good you don't need any better (unless you want to print pictures with sizes > 11x14 inches, where Coolpix 4300 or 4500 would be better suited to your intentions. However, for that paper size, remember that each shot will be of about 2 MB size)
I definitely recommend this camera to people looking for 3-4 MB range. Just try it before buying any digital camera. You will notice the difference.
Rating: 
Summary: I had high hopes for the Nikon brand name
Review: I loved the camera when it arrived. The first "serious brand" camera I've ever purchased (my prior Kodak DC200 digital had serious design flaws in the battery compartment, causing power "dropout" problems) and I really liked the compact size and the flawless optics. But, I'm now about to ship the camera back FOR THE THIRD TIME for repairs for the exact same problem. The zoom lens assembly has a recurring problem that causes the auto-focus to "lose it" after several zoom-in/zoom-out shots in sequence, and then all it'll do is say "SYSTEM ERROR" on-screen and refuses to power up. Needless to say, this has (Murphy's Law) happened during: 1. A wedding; 2. A 50th Anniversary; 3. 5 birthday parties; 4. A Christmas family reunion, some relatives arriving from Australia. It's also got a very disappointing power management issue. Well before the "low battery" icon appears, the camera will sporadically power down/reboot upon shooting a picture that requires the flash unit. Yes, it DOES flash, and yes it DOES store the picture. But then you miss the next 2-3 shots because the camera is busy rebooting. Really annoying. I am DEFINITELY unhappy with Nikon, and I receive no response whatsoever to my letters. My next camera will NOT be a Nikon. Plus, now I have to sell nearly a thousand dollars worth of accessories and batteries on eBay. Nikon's lost a customer for life here...
Rating:
Summary: I had high hopes for the Nikon brand name
Review: I loved the camera when it arrived. The first "serious brand" camera I've ever purchased (my prior Kodak DC200 digital had serious design flaws in the battery compartment, causing power "dropout" problems) and I really liked the compact size and the flawless optics. But, I'm now about to ship the camera back FOR THE THIRD TIME for repairs for the exact same problem. The zoom lens assembly has a recurring problem that causes the auto-focus to "lose it" after several zoom-in/zoom-out shots in sequence, and then all it'll do is say "SYSTEM ERROR" on-screen and refuses to power up. Needless to say, this has (Murphy's Law) happened during: 1. A wedding; 2. A 50th Anniversary; 3. 5 birthday parties; 4. A Christmas family reunion, some relatives arriving from Australia. It's also got a very disappointing power management issue. Well before the "low battery" icon appears, the camera will sporadically power down/reboot upon shooting a picture that requires the flash unit. Yes, it DOES flash, and yes it DOES store the picture. But then you miss the next 2-3 shots because the camera is busy rebooting. Really annoying. I am DEFINITELY unhappy with Nikon, and I receive no response whatsoever to my letters. My next camera will NOT be a Nikon. Plus, now I have to sell nearly a thousand dollars worth of accessories and batteries on eBay. Nikon's lost a customer for life here...
Rating: 
Summary: Nikon Coolpix 885 SYSTEM ERROR
Review: I purchased a Coolpix 885 in April 2002. Within a few weeks I encountered a "SYSTEM ERROR" message. I got the camera replaced because it was under new camera warranty. I recently tried to use the custom settings to take pictures in poor light and encountered the "SYSTEM ERROR" message again. I believe there is a problem with using this mode. Based on other reviews and given the lack of positive action to address this issue I could not recommend this camera. I have given it 1 star because I have taken around 950 good pictures using the auto modes only.
Rating:
Summary: Nikon Coolpix 885 SYSTEM ERROR
Review: I purchased a Coolpix 885 in April 2002. Within a few weeks I encountered a "SYSTEM ERROR" message. I got the camera replaced because it was under new camera warranty. I recently tried to use the custom settings to take pictures in poor light and encountered the "SYSTEM ERROR" message again. I believe there is a problem with using this mode. Based on other reviews and given the lack of positive action to address this issue I could not recommend this camera. I have given it 1 star because I have taken around 950 good pictures using the auto modes only.
Rating:
Summary: System Error problem over and over again
Review: I really love my Nikon SLR but would never again buy another compact nikon digital camera. At first I thought I had dropped the darn thing and cause the system error. Now I know better and it has something to do with bad design by NIKON. I am very disappointed and unhappy with this since it took me years to finally decided to spend the money and buy a digital camera. I would have never expected the stupid thing to die after only 1 year of use. If you want to get a digital camera, I think i would look up Canon. Well, atleast I haven't heard too much complaints from others that own a Canon.
Rating:
Summary: ALMOST perfect
Review: I recently bought this camera from Amazon as a replacement for a Sony FD75. The Sony FD75 is a 640x480 camera that writes to floppy disks and has a 10x Optical zoom. I was never very impressed with the optics of the Sony and wanted to upgrade. After a lot of research, I had narrowed the field down to the Canon Elphs, the Mionlta Diamage and the CoolPik 885. All were within the same price range, basic size, and feature set. The Nokia was the clear leader. Buyer beware, this camera is offered in two retail packages. The earliest package does not include a rechargable battery, and many outlets still want the same price for that version as Amazon charges for this version. The Amazon version has the rechargable battery, will still use the disposable battery, and, with no shipping, handling, and tax, is about the BEST deal I could find on this camera anywhere in the US. The Camera is full featured and has a wide range of custom, pre-set, and auto settings. The pictures are crisp, the colors vivid, and the details clear. Great optics. Unfortunately, the one complaint I have that keeps this camera from having a 5 star rating is the *significant* delay between pressing the shutter release and the actual image being taken. Not just recorded to the media, there is as much as a 1 second delay from the time you release the shutter button to the time the image is taken. For taking landscapes, snapshots, and other fairly static images, this is not a problem, but it renders the camera virtually useless for action shots, unless you have ESP. Taking pictures of my 1 year old daughter is very frustrating, because her attention span often doesn't hold until the picture is actually taken. Instead of her flashing a beautiful and charming smile, I get the side of her face as she turns to look at something else as often as not. Outside of this, I would recommend this camera as the best deal currently on the market for a full featured, very portable high resolution digital camera.
Late update: I discovered that the delay is caused by the red-eye reduction. By turning the flash off or selecting the non red-eye reduction flash mode, the delay between the shutter release and the picture being taken is reduced dramatically. Perhaps the only fault of this camera is the movie mode has no audio, in comparisson to other similar cameras that do. I considered the movie mode an added bonus, but have found it a great way to take small clips for my website that easily convert into streaming .asf files with the included software. In either case, I gave the camera a 5 star review after discovering the red-eye reduction delay. Honestly, it is probably like a 4.8 star item. It isn't perfect. $100 less and with audio, and it would be.
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