Editorial Review:Product Description:The CoolPix P50 is an 8.1-megapixel compact digital camera aimed at photographers after a bit more control. Features that make this a classic camera are the optical viewfinder, stable grip and a functional body design. The optical Viewfinder takes pictures in any type of lighting conditions. The Nikon CoolPix P50 camera also offers High-Sensitivity mode up to 2000 ISO, which automatically selects the optimal light sensitivity setting to further prevent blurred shots when shooting in lower light or when capturing fast-moving subjects. 3.6x Optical Zoom-Nikkor Glass Lens with 28mm wide-angle capability covers a range from panoramic landscapes to close-up portraits. Built-in flash range - Wide 0.5 to 5.9m (1' 7.7 to 19' 4.2), Tele 0.5 to 2.8m (1' 7.7 to 9' 2.2) Focus range from lens - 50cm (1' 7.7) to infinity, Macro close-up mode 5cm (1.9) to infinity Mode dial provides intuitive operation that makes it easy to achieve the desired shot Orthodox lines that truly befit a camera deliver the looks to please purists Languages - Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Greek, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai and Turkish Battery life - Two AA alkaline (supplied), lithium or Oxyride batteries, two EN-MH1 rechargeable Ni-MH batteries (optional), AC Adapter EH-65A (optional) System Requirements - Mac OS X 10.3.9, 10.4.x, Windows Vista (32-Bit), Windows Home Edition and Professional Dimensions - Width 3.8 x Height 2.6 x Depth 1.8 (94.5x66x44mm) excluding projections Weight - 160 grams (5.6 ounces) without battery and SD memory card
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Works very well
After reading lots of reviews for different cameras, I decided this one was the best for my needs and budget. Thanks to all of you who have written about your experiences, good and bad, with various cameras!
I got my camera yesterday evening and promptly started taking pictures with it in various environments. I am pleased with the results indoors and outdoors, in bright light and dim. I have even photographed my laptop's screen and, just tonight, the outside of the restaurant where my daughter works. All the pictures came out great! Good colors and contrast.
I took most of the pictures of the restaurant at night using the "HI ISO" setting with the flash disabled. Aside from being a bit grainy (which I expected), I found that the neon signs in view were a little blurry--an inevitable consequence of the demands placed on the aperture by the varying brightnesses, I assume. I also took a couple of pictures of the restaurant with the flash enabled. The neon signs were clearer then, since the contrast with the non-illuminated parts wasn't so great.
My non-negotiable criteria for a camera included a cost under $200 and the use of AA batteries so I am not dependent on charging proprietary batteries when I am traveling overseas. This camera met both of those criteria. Another feature I very much like is its "old fashioned" dial on top to select the basic modes. I much prefer this to the onscreen selection wheel common to many cameras these days.
If you're looking for an inexpensive but high-quality camera, get yourself one of these. You'll get your money's worth.
Rating: 
-
Think twice before you buy this camera!
This camera had all the features I was looking for at a price I was willing to pay. Technical support is important to me because even point and shoot digital cameras now need some explaining to operate that the manuals generally don't cover well or at all. I'm not technical savvy and Nikon's tech support is available 24/7. I took a few pictures to try the camera out but quickly discovered the pictures wouldn't transfer to my PC. When I called technical support, the tech had to email me a special transfer program and help me install it, which was OK. However, I'm used to using an editing software and the Kodak and Canon cameras I've tried transfer the pictures directly into the editing software in your PC. Nikon doesn't have their own editing software so they sent me Kodak's to install. The big catch is their transfer program doesn't put the pictures into the editing software and when I called for help they said since the software isn't Nikon's, Nikon doesn't support it so they couldn't tell me how to get the pictures into the editing software! I was totally left in the lurch and though I tried to figure how to do it myself, nothing I tried worked. I considered this a defective unit since all the components didn't work the way they were supposed to and I sent the camera back. Before I did, I was able to look at the pictures that transferred even though they were only in thumbnail size and I wasn't pleased with the picture quality. Recently I have tried a Canon, a Nikon and a Panasonic...all of which were defective in some way and had to be returned. I never had these kinds of problems with the two older Kodaks I have. It's just over time the Kodak picture quality has gradually deteriorated and I wanted to be able to take really sharp, clear pictures. So far I haven't found a camera that even works right, let alone takes decent pictures. This is all very discouraging. I haven't given up finding a better camera yet, but things don't look very promising. Good luck finding a good one !
Rating: -
FAR exceeded my expectations!!!
I bought my first digital camera in 1999, a Sony Mavica for $1,000. It only took crappy 640x480 photos, and wrote the images to a floppy disk.
When I bought this camera, for a little over $100, I wasn't expecting much. But the camera FAR exceeded my expectations!
I was looking for a wide angle digital camera that I could just hook up to the computer (via USB) for transfer. This camera fits the bill.
I also appreciate the camera's ability to quickly and easily switch between Autofocus mode, Macro mode and landscape mode.
The image quality is excellent!! No jpg distortions, fine color.
It comes with its own software. Don't install it!!! The software is useless. Use Apple's iPhoto instead. It works flawlessly with iPhoto.
My only regret is all the time I spent fretting whether or not I should get this camera. I'm glad I got it.
Rating: -
Great for the price and size!
This a great little camera with tons of really quality features in a compact body. I love that the camera is so small and yet takes amazing pictures at 8mp. The main plus out of this camera is that it is small yet you have the control over the photos that you might not have with other cameras this size or smaller. It has manual exposure controls and an optical zoom.
The other side to those two features is that their isn't enough control. It leaves you feeling teased unless you are in perfect lighting. You can only choose between 2 aperture settings in manual mode and it picks those two f-stops for you. This means you aren't able to play with depth of field at all. :(
Also, while it does have an optical zoom, it isn't very long and for $50 more you can get the p60 which has a much nicer zoom and the viewfinder is electronic.
The only problem there is that the p60 is a little larger. Not by much mind you, but the cost (over my budget) and the size (wasn't comfortable with it in my pocket) made me choose the p50 instead.
Overall, i am very happy with my new camera, and it seems to fit my shooting style very well. Between the many features it brings (quick shooting, many cool settings, and great size) and the amazing price... it made a nikon lover out of me.
Rating: -
Excellent Features, Great Value!
Confession: I've only had this camera one week, so I'll update this entry if new facts warrant. Having said that, this is a terrific camera for those qualities that I value. The essence of great photography for my skill-level means being able to take A LOT of pictures inexpensively (deleting a bunch and fixing the rest in the "studio" of the desktop) and this camera not only does that well, but much better than previous cameras I've owned. I tested about 15 cameras in a few different stores before I settled on the P50 and I highly recommend it.
First: the body is extremely comfortable to hold and well designed to fit in the hand (with a textured rubber surface where the fingers go, nice touch). It has a matte-black finish that I love--it stands out from a pile of cameras, and promises not to show scratches as easily as the other metallic-silver cameras I looked at (and have owned). It's thicker than the ideal snap'n'shoot camera (almost exactly cigarette-pack size) but usually those cameras require some kind of proprietary battery, which leads me to:
Second: I specifically wanted a camera that utilizes AA batteries. I've been burned on this one before and I don't want to tie my photography to a battery-and-charger combo that is both expensive to replace and requires adapters for international travel. That in itself has been an expensive choice when I relied on disposables but at least they were easily obtained when I needed them. Kudos to this camera, I've put it through several days of use and the (included with the purchase) batteries are still hanging in there--my previous Casio would have burned through a few pair of disposables by now. Note to the environmentally conscious: I also have rechargeable batteries but I don't want to use them until I have baselined the camera's performance on the batts it came with.
Third: Picture quality so far is terrific. I transferred the memory card directly from my (far more expensive) Casio into this camera and could thus compare picture quality side-by-side. I even hooked this camera directly into my large-screen TV (cables included) for a slide show and the results were great, even with 'normal' resolution shots. What was extremely surprising, and pleasing, was:
Fourth: The movie quality. I shot a few movies and the playback on the big screen was equal to the video camera I purchased two years ago. I still have 13 minutes worth of movie space left on the 1G SD card in the camera (with about 80 pics and 3 movies already on it). I have no idea how much movie space I could get one 1G, but with 8G cards costing around $30 I am thinking that I may never use that video camera again!
Fifth: Camera rejuvenated quickly after flash shots, and under normal light conditions I could take successive pictures fairly quickly. Not instantly, but pretty close. After my last few digital cameras I am extremely pleased--not SLR response but very good.
Sixth: Price. $150! For what I value in a camera, it's a steal.
Drawbacks: Function spin-dial on top. I think that's a carry-over from film photography that I would be happy to dispense with. I prefer all controls on one surface (except for the trigger, of course), but that's me. I happen to have a AA battery charger left over from a previous camera purchase, but that would be nice to have in the basic package as well (instead of the clear plastic mounting stand, which went directly into the trash). I know it's a lot to ask for $150, but that's the difference between four and five stars in my opinion.
Otherwise, this P50 is just about the perfect camera: it allows me to capture large amounts of quality imagery easily and inexpensively (which I can refine with my desktop software into the ideal pictures). Good job, Nikon!
