Nikon Coolpix 4100 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Rating:
Summary: Good Camera
Review: First digital that I've owned. Find it very easy to use. If you're familiar with cameras at all, then using this camera should be rather intuitive.


Rating:
Summary: *Very* Disappointed
Review: I bought the Coolpix 4100 for two reasons:

1.) It was generally well-reviewed from several online sources.
2.) The price with package rebates was very good.

I was very diappointed with the performance of the camera once I got it home - my 4 year-old HP 2 megapixel camera is easier to use and takes better photos. The camera's poor performance is not due to any defect, since I purchased another Coolpix 4100 from a local source and it has the same poor performance. Nor is it operator error, since I'm not a novice - but a good consumer digital camera should give acceptable performance for most situations right out of the box for even novice users.

The GOOD:

1. Uses 2 AA NiMHs - I didn't experience excessive power drain as some people have complained.
2. Very lightweight.
3. Decent outdoor performance.
4. Good macro performance.
5. Low price.

The BAD:

1. Didn't like the new 128MB SD card I got along with the camera and would reject it on power-up about 1/2 the time.
2. Menu system sub-par, requiring several layers of navigation, although it does seem to keep settings after power-off.
3. Only ISO 50,100,200 equivalent speed - no ISO 400 as found in most 4 MP cameras.
4. Slow cycle time after flash usage.

The UGLY:

1. *TERRIBLE* autofocus system with no manual alternative. Failed to achieve focus lock in most low-light settings, and even when "locked", most of my indoor photos were blurred in the default camera setting and "Indoor/Party" SCENE setting. Only using the "Backlit" SCENE setting was I able to get even marginally acceptable photos indoors.

2. Poor image quality (when not blurred) compared to my co-worker's Sony DSC-P92 digicam in side-by-side tests.

3. Extreme ghosting in fluorescent lighting, even when white-balanced for that situation.

This camera (and the printer and SD card I got for the rebates) are going back...probably will get an A85 instead or stick with my trusty vintage Minolta X-700. Very, very disappointing for a Nikon product.

Rating:
Summary: Point, wait, shoot, and then wait some more...
Review: I bought this camera to replace an aging Canon Powershot A10, mostly for snapshots of friends and activities. After using it for a few weeks, I had to return it.

On the positive side, it boots up quickly if you disable the power-up animation. It's light and can be used with one hand. The zoom and the controls work smoothly, and battery life is long using only two AA batteries. The macro mode seems to focus well. Write times to the memory card are average. Outdoor photos are sharp and have good contrast.

On the negative side, it's SLOW. Everything about this camera is slow. Focusing is slow and not very good, especially indoors (restaurant level lighting, for example). The flash recharge is slow, but what's worse, the display shuts off when it's recharging so you can't review the picture. There are too many layers to the menu, and simple functions like cycling through the flash types require more than one button (bring up flash menu, select flash type using up/down buttons, and hit OK).

For a camera aimed at the point-and-shoot user, there's too much waiting. Missing a shot is worse than getting a bad shot, and that's what I found myself doing with this camera. I've used Canon and Olympus models in this price range, and they are both better alternatives.

Rating:
Summary: Nice first digital.
Review: I got this camera as a gift and it is the first digital camera I have had. I am very happy with it and my pictures are turning out better than ever. It is simple to operate and the menus are very easy to follow and navigate. I use it mainly for snapshots and for taking along while traveling when I don't want to lug my other camera along. Its small size is perfect for putting in a pocket or purse.

The quality of the pictures it takes is Very,very good. You can compare pictures from this camera (actually the 3 Megapixel version) and the Nikon D70 (Nikons top of the line digital)at image-resource.com. The pictures from the Coolpix are nearly as good as the ones from the D70! In fact you can compare pictures from almost any camera on the market. In my opinion the Coolpix is superior to many more expensive cameras. Check it out. In the close up setting the Coolpix is far better than almost every camera out there!

I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because the flash is only average, and you can get blury shots in low light. This camera does have a neat feature with its blur warning, if it reads that light is to low it will warn you. I am still learning this camera so there might be a way to adjust for this. Putting the camera on a small tripod for low light shots would solve this too.

Overall, I am very satisfied with how easy it is to use and the quality of the pictures it takes.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent camera
Review: I had the chance to try this camera before I buy it and I have to say that it was a lot better than other 4 megapixels camera and its very small size is very convenient. It is powerful enough to take great pictures during the day, at night or indoors with poor light, the autofocus feature works perfectly for every situation and the AA betteries last long enough. What I like the most is the video feature, I took some and then played them with Windows Media Player and I was very impressed with its image and sound quality.

Go for it! Great digital camera!

Rating:
Summary: Slow Flash, Auto Exposure?
Review: I've had the Coolpix 4100 camera for a few weeks now (about 300 photos). Size, weight, controls, menus are all easy to use. Outdoor, high ambient light photos and performance are excellent. File transfer to computer is very easy becuase the camera is recognized as an external drive.

Indoors, flash is necessary for every shot even in moderate light. Time for flash recovery is 7 to 8 seconds with fresh NiMH batteries. Flash range is very short (~6 feet).

I would not recommend this camera for anyone who will use it primarily for indoor photos with short times between shots.

Rating:
Summary: Great deal!
Review: It's the best deal if you wanna spend around 250$.

Rating:
Summary: Great camera!
Review: My family and I are very pleased with this camera. The picture quality is outstanding. It is very easy to use and is lightweight. I couldn't have gotten a better camera for the price!

Rating:
Summary: One word: GARBAGE!
Review: The shutter speed on this camera is so slow that it makes this camera worthless.

Rating:
Summary: Great small budget camera
Review: This is my second digital camera. I own Canon Powershot G2 and I am very happy with it but I was looking for a light, small camera to take it with me anywhere is the pocket or purse. Coolpix 4100 is a cheap, handy camera, very easy to use. You can take great shots with it. The only thing which may bother is the flash. It is not very strong so pictures taken with a bad light may be blurry. And everytime you take photo with a flash, you will need to wait few seconds before the flash recharges. However, for that amount of money, I think it is a great buy!