Product Description

Set your sights on a higher level in digital photography. Designed for the person who is passionate about photography, the Nikon Coolpix 995 merges the well-known Nikon Coolpix-style camera body with all the advantages of digital technology. Its 4x Zoom-Nikkor lens gets you close to the action, and the 4x stepless digital zoom let you capture intricate details missed by other cameras.At any distance, Coolpix 995 takes sharp, clear pictures with brilliant color through its 3.34-megapixel CCD. High-resolution images contain a wealth of information that result in pictures with exceptional clarity and detail. Versatile exposure controls and multiple flash modes maximize your creative potential in any shooting situation. Tailor image resolution levels to meet your exact needs, and download images with a few simple mouse clicks through the standard USB interface for Plug and Play compatibility with the latest PCs and Macintosh computers. Nikon Coolpix 995. Simply a higher standard in digital photography.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8204 in Camera & Photo
• Size: Medium Size
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: 25047
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Platforms: Macintosh, Windows NT, Windows, Mac OS 9 and below, Mac OS X, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, PowerMac, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server
• Dimensions: 3.20" h x 5.50" w x 1.60" l, .86 pounds
• Memory: 16MB
• Display size: 1.8

Features

• 3-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create prints up to 11 x 14
• 4x optical plus 4x digital (16x total) autofocus zoom lens
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash memory holds 19 images at default resolution
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses dedicated lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (included)

Amazon.com Product Description
The Nikon Coolpix 995 builds on the versatile swivel design of the Coolpix 990 and 950, with features such as a new multimode pop-up flash that helps reduce red-eye considerably, and a handful of inventive creative controls, including white-balance bracketing, four-color saturation modes, and a 50-step manual focus mode. Its 3.34-megapixel CCD sensor captures high-resolution images (maximum of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels) for quality enlargements, and the 4x optical zoom Nikkor lens provides the 35mm photography equivalent of a 38-152mm zoom. This is currently the highest zoom range in the Coolpix line (as of July 2001). The Coolpix 995 also has a 4x stepless digital zoom, 256-element matrix metering, an advanced autofocus system, QuickTime movie mode for movies up to 40 seconds long, multiple automatic exposure modes, and a 1.8-inch LCD monitor with 6x zooming playback.

One of the best reasons to choose the Coolpix 995 is for the quality Nikkor optics and the ability to add any (optional) Coolpix converter lenses and accessories. There is even a multiflash sync terminal for attaching up to five external Nikon Speedlights. The camera's 4x optical zoom lens incorporates two aspherical elements (10 elements in 8 groups overall) for optimal performance in a compact design, plus it features super-integrated coating (SIC) for incredible sharpness. In macro mode, you can focus as close as 0.8 inches from your subject. Other interesting features include the ability to shoot subjects in motion with a high-speed full-resolution image capture at three frames per second, an improved shutter speed of 1/2,300 per second, and a fast maximum ISO setting of 800. There is also a noise reduction mode on the 995 to minimize digital artifacts and help capture excellent images at long exposures.

To sweeten the deal, the Coolpix 995 comes with rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charger, Lexar 16MB CompactFlash memory card, USB cable for high-speed connectivity, multiple software products (even a program that allows users to edit their QuickTime movies), lens cap, and neck strap. It is covered by a one-year warranty.

Customer Reviews

Great camera, but not without limitations
Strengths:

1. 4x optical zoom. Most digicams in this price range only have 3x, and most lower-priced cameras only have a 2x or no zoom at all.

2. Pop-up flash. Many owners of the Coolpix 990 and 950 have significant red-eye trouble. Popping up the flash on the 995 gets it far enough away from the lens to eliminate most red-eye troubles.

3. High resolution. 3.3 megapixels in a quality camera like this is more than enough for most serious amateurs. The only time this will become a limitation is if you want to make obscenely large prints (probably 16" x 20" or larger, and even then I don't think it would be a significant degradation) or if you want to crop significantly and make an 8" x 10" or something in that range. I have been very pleased with my results, even in...

4. Auto mode. The 995 has a steep learning curve if you want to really take advantage of its full feature set. But its auto mode is intuitive enough that you can take the camera out of the box and start taking quality shots immediately. The auto mode is no more complicated than any point-and-shoot camera. Excellent feature.

Weaknesses:

1. 16 mb CompactFlash card. This one is really a joke. Nikon should have included at least a 32mb card and probably a 128. I strongly suggest purchasing a larger CF card immediately. Most CF cards have fallen to the 50 cents per meg range now (January 2002), so you should be able to get a good name-brand 128mb CF card for $60 or so. Do it. Now.

2. Digital zoom. Worthless. The pixellization is horrendous, and unless you have a huge amount of light the lens speed is such that you really need a tripod to avoid camera shake.

3. Lens speed. With no zoom the aperture is f/2.6. The further you zoom, the worse it gets. If you don't have a tripod, I strongly suggest one (the 995's mount is sturdy and well-made, by the way).

4. No case included. Again, something you definitely need. I've had very good luck with LowePro, and they're reasonably priced.

5. Complicated menu system. To take advantage of all the features of this excellent camera, you really need to spend significant time reading the manual and exploring the extensive menu system. Not for the faint of heart.

I've given 4 out of 5 stars, with one star removed due to the above weaknesses. But this is a fantastic camera. I've had mine for only about three weeks and I've already taken more than 300 shots, many of them excellent. I highly recommend it.

Easy Workarounds and TIPS
Oh the Debates in our household. - She wanted something cheap and cheerful - me having done photography for a living, wanted something I could control, a camera that wouldn't fight back. This was the the perfect solution. (Except that she wasn't so cheerful that it wasn't so cheap!)

A - Auto setting- a simple point and shoot
M - Manual in the loosest sense of the word gives access to the miriad functions and adjustments available.

I suspect that many of the problems other users have reported have come from not reading the instructions sufficiently, I still find myself refering back to it every so often to make sure there's something I've not missed. That said the manual control options are very straightforward if you already know ones f-stop from ones elbow...

Complaints that the 995 produces softer pics than the 990 arise I suspect, from the fact that the 990 automatically applies more sharpening in-camera. Enter the 995's menu and change its auto sharpening setting to max and the result is an image so sharp yer eyeballs bleed. personally I prefer to back off from crystal tip clarity and apply sharpening later with Photoshop if neccessary. At least the 995 allows control.

The same is also true with colour saturation. here I habitually adjust the 995 saturation to +1 which really brightens up our cooler British colours but there's also the option to go the other way- right back to black and white images.

Yes- Total manual control of aperture and shutter speed is impractically fiddly, however there is a very practical and effective workaround.

In P - program mode, adjusting the thumb dial cycles through the various combinations of Apperture/shutterspeed whilst maintaining correct exposure with its insurpassable matrix metering system. BUT if you want to adjust the estimated exposure, touch the function 2 button, It's right there, right between the thumb dial and the shutter release, just where you need it. Touch that and then use the thumb dial to exposure compensate + or - 2 stops. I find this way far easier than adjusting the Apperture and shutter independantly so I've no complaints.

Finally - the hotshoe issue. The Nikon speed flash is marvelous piece of kit and when I used to work with one it's TTL system NEVER let me down (much!). However at over 300 quid over here for the flash and another 90 just for the bracket!! tieing us soley into that system seems just a wee bit small minded and besides, I have a perfectly servicable Mecablitz CT45 already thankyou very much Mr Nikon san.

Here's how I use them together
Set the camera to aperture priority, and match its aperture to the flash's output setting. You can't connect the flashes lead directly to the nikon so instead connect it to a photo electric 'slave' sensor. My tiny slave has a sucker on it so I can stick it anywhere! Activate the cameras on board flash. position the slave so that it is triggerd either by the flash directly or by the flash reflected back from the subject. The slave sees the flash from the camera and triggers the CT45 which I bounce off the ceiling. Works a treat, well usually.

I love this camera, it comes everywhere with me. That's the final bonus, It clicks 'flat' and slips neatly into my jacket pocket.
Couldn't do THAT with my 35mm kit!

Great camera with tons of features
I will start off by saying I've had a CoolPix 800 for 1.5 years and was very satisfied with it. However, as I progressed with learning photography, the camera did not allow me to do all I was wanting to do. The 2x zoom got old having to deal with the teleconverter which did not allow a wide shot to be taken while on without a periscope effect. The lack of settings control wore thin as I experimented with more advanced picture scenes. I decided to upgrade to the 995 with the 4x zoom being a big factor in my decision along with allowing more control. I now had 4x zoom without my cumbersome teleconverter and could trick it to use my wide angle WITH the flash. Note: That is with the old WC-E24 lens, not the WC-E63. You'll still get a 'shadow' by trying to use the flash with the WC-E63 lens. Here is what I've gained from my use thus far:

This camera is suited for those who want more control. Auto mode works pretty well for anyone just like my 800, but if you aren't going to take advantage of the Manual mode, you may be paying for too much camera. That being said, I had gotten used to my CP-800 doing most of the work. I was completely mortified in the beginning that my 'better' 995 was producing much softer, almost out-of-focus pictures. As others have mentioned, READ READ READ the manual. I'm still in the learning process of this camera since I do not take pictures every day. However, I have absorbed more knowledge of how to use this camera. My pictures have now exceeded what I could do with the CP-800 after tweaking image sharpening, overriding shutter/aperture/etc settings, and turning continuous AF off. The latter reduces lag in taking pictures and stops most of that clicking noise the lens part makes (normal for this camera).

The camera has tons of features and it pays to check up on how to use them. ISO settings go up to 800, although the pictures genuinely turn up noisy (use noise reduction!). Try also 'bulb' (ISO 100) if you have a tripod and steady night subject - it'll turn out vastly better. The QuickTime inclusion was a nice bonus, but more of a gimmick. This is no digital video camera. The new rechargeable battery is wonderful. I thought this would be bad, but with only one extra battery, I was able to shoot around 200 pictures with the second battery still going. Be sure to get the 8x or higher speed CF cards as the writing lag will drive you crazy on the old 4x ones. The 16MB that comes with the camera is 8x. The new Quick Review is great to quickly see your picture while being able to still take another. You can even zoom in on your pictures while reviewing them to get a better idea of what you got (or didn't get) in the picture. The pop-up flash reduces red (and evil green cat/dog) eye while also allowing the WC-E24 to work (don't tell it that the lens is there and it'll work without a nasty shadow). There are many more resolution settings with a 3:2 setting for those wanting a 35mm-sized picture. TIFF is available in 2048x1532 and 3:2 (2048x1360) for those 'perfect' shots. I could go on and on about all of these features, but I'm limited in space :-). It's sufficient to say that most everything is selectable and it takes a while to get used to all of them.

The CP-995 is a great camera for those wanting more from a digital camera. Those wanting a quick, out-of-the-box camera may want to look to some of Nikon's less feature-filled cameras (CP-800 is highly recommended!) The 995 really shines once you start to learn to use the features. It will take some time to figure which settings work best, but the results are absolutely worthwhile. Feel free to ask me any questions on the camera.