Two new cameras in the Coolpix range (1 Viewer)

Regards

Mark


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Official News Release from Nikon UK
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Release Date: Thursday February 12, 2004

Two new additions to the Nikon Coolpix range

Nikon have announced two additions to its Coolpix consumer line-up; the Coolpix
4200 offering a 4.0 effective megapixels and the Coolpix 5200 which incorporates
a 5.1 effective megapixel CCD. Both cameras feature a newly developed 3x
Zoom-Nikkor lens with a focal range of 7.8 to 23.4mm (equivalent to a 38-114mm
lens in 35mm format). This compact lens unique to both the Coolpix 4200 and the
Coolpix 5200 ensures optimal clarity through the use of a glass ED element and
aspherical elements, resulting in a significant reduction in aberration.

With an elegant aluminium exterior, both cameras feature the stylish grip design
which comes as standard to the Coolpix range. These light weight and compact
cameras feature controls which are conveniently situated on the back of the
camera body, enabling highly intuitive operation and providing easy access to
each camera's 15 Scene modes. Each of these modes enables simplicity for
shooting a variation of subjects, while four modes offer a Scene Assist
function, making shooting easier still.

New to the Nikon Coolpix range, both cameras incorporate automated reduction of
the "red-eye" effect. Advanced Red-eye Reduction is fully integrated into the
Nikon image processing system within the camera and once enabled operates
without the need for any user intervention.

The Coolpix 4200 and the Coolpix 5200 achieve rapid power-up and swift, precise
autofocus, allowing photo opportunities to be seized at any time. The two
cameras also offer high-speed continuous shooting, allowing the user to capture
fast action as it happens. In addition, they both have an easy-to-see GUI,
enabling the user to select desired settings and functions in minimal time, with
minimal effort.

White balance offers a choice of Automatic, Preset and 7 Manual modes. What's
more, it divides the shooting area into segments to determine the most
appropriate setting for the capture of faithful colours. There is also a white
balance bracketing function that takes a series of three shots at different
white balance settings with just a single press of the shutter release button.

The Coolpix 4200 allows high-quality TV-size movies to be recorded at a rate of
15fps, whilst the Coolpix 5200 offers movies with audio, recorded at the smooth
rate of 30fps.
All recorded movies and images can be automatically imported into the included
Nikon PictureProject software, opening up a whole new range of possibilities for
the digital photographer. Enabling organization, editing, and design
capabilities for images in a unified, user-friendly interface, this exciting new
software from Nikon will also allow the addition of new features as the market
evolves.

For storage convenience at any time, both the Coolpix 4200 and the Coolpix 5200
are equipped with approximately 12MB of internal memory, allowing the storage of
a substantial number of shots without the need for an SD memory card.
The two compact digital cameras are compatible with both Li-ion rechargeable
batteries and lithium disposable batteries.

As a result of the high-level specifications, both the Coolpix 4200 and the
Coolpix 5200 achieve prints that can be enlarged up to A4 size whilst still
retaining an admirable level of quality. Printing can also occur without the
need for a PC, by simply connecting the camera to a PictBridge-compatible
printer via the included USB cable.

The Coolpix 4200 will be available from June
The Coolpix 5200 will be available from May
The recommended retail price for both cameras is yet to be confirmed



Coolpix 4200 Feature Highlights

Superior image quality
The newly developed compact lens of the Coolpix 4200 ensures optimal clarity
through the use of a glass ED element and aspherical elements. It has also been
specially designed to retract to an extent that complements the camera's slim
design. The Coolpix 4200 offers the imaging power of 4.0 effective megapixels
and a newly developed D-SLR-based image processor, which together maintain
exceptional clarity.

Swift, intelligent operation
With rapid power-up and quick, precise autofocus, the Coolpix 4200 allows the
user to seize photo opportunities in an instant. It also features a clear LCD
with an easy-to-see GUI, which makes operation even smoother still, and offers
Advanced Red-eye Reduction, which provides automatic in-camera correction.
Convenient and useful in a range of situations, Advanced Red-eye Reduction also
activates automatically upon selection of Night portrait mode.


Coolpix 4200 Major Features

* Newly developed compact lens: f=7.8-23.4mm (equivalent to f=38-114mm in 35mm
format) including 2x aspherical elements and 1x ED glass element.
* 4.0 effective megapixels
* Newly developed D-SLR based image processing engine
* 1.5-in., 110,000-dot TFT LCD monitor with brightness adjustment
* High precision Multi-Area AF
* Offers 5 focus areas (when using Autofocus mode)
* Allows manual selection of the focus area with Manual Area Focus mode
employing 99 areas
* Allows focus to be locked on the centre of the frame with Central Area Focus
mode
* AF-assist illuminator enables more accurate focusing when shooting subjects in
low-light situations
* High-quality white balance
* Offers a selection of Auto, Preset, and 7 manual modes
* White Balance bracketing automatically takes 3 consecutive shots using
different white balance settings with just a single press of the shutter release
button
* Advanced Red-eye Reduction provides automatic in-camera correction. Useful in
various situations, it also activates automatically upon selection of Night
portrait mode.
* High-speed continuous shooting at approx. 1 fps
* High-quality TV-size movies can be recorded with sound at a rate of 15fps
* 15 Scene modes including four with Scene Assistance function - Scene modes
with Scene Assist function (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait); Other
Scene modes (Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night landscape, Close up,
Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back light, Panorama assist)
* Easy-to-see user interface
* 12MB of internal memory enables the storing of images without use of an SD
memory card
* High-quality output supports prints of up to A4 dimensions
* Direct printing is made possible through support of PictBridge*
* When used with PictBridge compatible printers.
* Compact, long-life batteries
* Compatible with two types of thin, high-capacity batteries
* Li-ion rechargeable battery EN-EL5
* Lithium disposable battery CP1
* Swift power-up for stress-free operation
* USB interface for rapid image transfer
* Nikon PictureProject software (supplied) features a user-friendly interface
and highly versatile functions, such as red-eye reduction, plug-in modules,
communications functions, (Auto Update)
* Supplied accessories* comprise Strap, USB cable, Li-ion rechargeable battery,
Battery charger, Nikon PictureProject Software CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide, and
Instruction manual
* Optional accessories include AC adapter EH-62A, Soft case, Waterproof Case
WP-CP2**, and SD memory card

* Standard accessories may differ by country
** Not available in some countries and area.

Coolpix 4200 Specifications

Type Digital camera E4200
Effective pixels 4.0 million
CCD 1/1.8-in. primary colour CCD (4.13 million total pixels)
Image size 4M (2,272 x 1,704), 3M (2,048 x 1,536), 2M (1,600 x 1,200), PC (1,024
x 768), TV (640 x 480)
Lens 3x Zoom-Nikkor; f=7.8-23.4mm (35mm format equivalent to 38-114mm)/ f/2.8 -
f/4.9; 7 elements in 6 groups (one ED lens and two aspherical lenses); Digital
zoom: up to 4x
Autofocus Contrast-detect TTL AF
Focus range Approx. 30cm (1.8") - 8; approx. 4cm (1.6") - 8 at wide zoom
position in macro close up mode
Focus area Auto (5-area automatic focus selection), Manual (99-area manual
focus selection), Centre-focus area selection available
LCD monitor 1.5-in.; 110,000-dot low-temp. polysilicon TFT transflective LCD
with brightness adjustment; Advanced brightness control LCD
Storage media Internal memory: approx. 12MB, SD memory card
Shooting modes Auto, Scene Assistance (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night
portrait), Scene (Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night landscape, Close
up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back light, Panorama assist), BSS (Best Shot
Selector), Image adjustment, Image sharpening, Saturation control, Auto exposure
bracketing, White Balance (Auto, Preset and 7 manual modes), WB bracketing,
Digital zoom (Max. 4x), Noise reduction, Self-timer (3 sec., 10 sec.)
Movie TV movie (640*) at 15fps, Small size (320*) at 15fps, Smaller size (160)
at 15fps
Capture modes Single, Continuous (1fps), Multi-shot 16 (16 frames 1/16 in size),
5 shot buffer
Exposure metering Matrix metering, Centre-weighted metering, Spot metering
Shutter Mechanical and charge coupled electronic shutter
Shutter speed 4-1/2,000 sec.
Aperture Electronically controlled preset aperture
Aperture range Two-step (f/2.8 and f/4.8 [Wide])
Built-in Speedlight Auto, Red-eye Reduction Auto (Advanced Red-eye Reduction),
Anytime Flash, Flash Cancel, and Slow sync.
Interface USB, Audio Video output (NTSC/PAL)
Power requirements One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (Supplied), One CP1
Lithium Battery (Optional), AC adapter EH-62A (Optional)
Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 88 x 60 x 36.5mm (3.5 x 2.3 x 1.4 in.)
Weight Approx. 155g (5.5 oz.) (Without battery and SD memory card)
Supplied accessories* Strap, USB cable, Audio Video cable, Li-ion rechargeable
battery EN-EL5, Battery charger MH-61, Software CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide, and
Instruction manual
Optional accessories AC Adapter EH-62A, Soft Case, Waterproof Case WP-CP2**,
and SD memory card


* Standard accessories may differ by country or area.
** Not available in some countries and area.



Coolpix 5200 Feature Highlights

Superior image quality
The newly developed compact lens of the Coolpix 5200 ensures optimal clarity
through the use of a glass ED element and aspherical elements. It has also been
specially designed to retract to an extent that complements the camera's slim
design. The Coolpix 5200 offers the imaging power of 5.1 effective megapixels
and a newly developed D-SLR-based image processor, which together maintain
exceptional clarity.


Swift, intelligent operation
With rapid power-up and quick, precise autofocus, the Coolpix 5200 allows the
user to seize photo opportunities in an instant. It also features a clear LCD
with an easy-to-see GUI, which makes operation even smoother still, and offers
Advanced Red-eye Reduction, which provides automatic in-camera correction.
Convenient and useful in a range of situations, Advanced Red-eye Reduction also
activates automatically upon selection of Night portrait mode.


Coolpix 5200 Major Features

* Newly developed compact lens: f=7.8-23.4mm (equivalent to f=38-114mm in 35mm
format) including 2x aspherical elements and 1x ED glass element.
* 5.1 effective megapixels
* Newly developed D-SLR based image processing engine
* 1.5-in., 110,000-dot TFT LCD monitor with brightness adjustment
* High precision Multi-Area AF
* Offers 5 focus areas (when using Autofocus mode)
* Allows manual selection of the focus area with Manual Area Focus mode
employing 99 areas
* Allows focus to be locked on the centre of the frame with Central Area Focus
mode
* AF-assist illuminator enables more accurate focusing when shooting subjects in
low-light situations
* High-quality white balance
* Offers a selection of Auto, Preset, and 7 manual modes
* White Balance bracketing automatically takes 3 consecutive shots using
different white balance settings with just a single press of the shutter release
button
* Advanced Red-eye Reduction provides automatic in-camera correction. Useful in
various situations, it also activates automatically upon selection of Night
portrait mode.
* High-speed continuous shooting at approx. 2.5fps
* High-quality TV-size movies can be recorded with sound at a rate of 30fps
* 15 Scene modes including four with Scene Assistance function - Scene modes
with Scene Assist function (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait); Other
Scene modes (Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night landscape, Close up,
Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back light, Panorama assist)
* Easy-to-see user interface
* 12MB of internal memory enables the storing of images without use of an SD
memory card
* High-quality output supports prints of up to A4 dimensions
* Direct printing is made possible through support of PictBridge*
* When used with PictBridge compatible printers.
* Compact, long-life batteries
* Compatible with two types of thin, high-capacity batteries
* Li-ion rechargeable battery EN-EL5
* Lithium disposable battery CP1
* Swift power-up for stress-free operation
* USB interface for rapid image transfer
* Nikon PictureProject software (supplied) features a user-friendly interface
and highly versatile functions, such as red-eye reduction, plug-in modules,
communications functions, (Auto Update)
* Supplied accessories* comprise Strap, USB cable, Audio Video cable, Li-ion
rechargeable battery, Battery charger, Software CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide, and
Instruction manual
* Optional accessories include AC adapter EH-62A, Soft case, Waterproof Case
WP-CP2 **, and SD memory card

* Standard accessories may differ by country or area.
** Not available in some countries and area.


Coolpix 5200 Specifications

Type Digital camera E5200
Effective pixels 5.1 million
CCD 1/1.8-in. primary colour CCD (5.26 million total pixels)
Image size 5M (2,592 x 1,944), 3M (2,048 x 1,536), 2M (1,600 x 1,200), PC (1,024
x 768), TV (640 x 480)
Lens 3x Zoom-Nikkor; f=7.8-23.4mm (35mm format equivalent to 38-114mm)/ f/2.8 -
f/4.9; 7 elements in 6 groups (one ED lens and two aspherical lenses); Digital
zoom: up to 4x
Autofocus Contrast-detect TTL AF
Focus range Approx. 30cm (1.8") - 8; approx. 4cm (1.6") - 8 at wide zoom
position in macro close up mode
Focus area Auto (5-area automatic focus selection), Manual (99-area manual
focus selection), Centre-focus area selection available
LCD monitor 1.5-in.; 110,000-dot low-temp. polysilicon TFT transflective LCD
with brightness adjustment; Advanced brightness control LCD
Storage media Internal memory: approx. 12MB, SD memory card
Shooting modes Auto, Scene Assistance (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night
portrait), Scene (Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night landscape, Close
up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back light, Panorama assist), BSS (Best Shot
Selector), Image adjustment, Image sharpening, Saturation control, Auto exposure
bracketing, White Balance (Auto, Preset and 7 manual modes), WB bracketing,
Digital zoom (Max. 4x), Noise reduction, Self-timer (3 sec., 10 sec.)
Movie TV movie (640*) at 30fps, Small size (320*) at 30fps, Smaller size (160)
at 30fps
Capture modes Single, Continuous (2.5fps), Multi-shot 16 (16 frames), 5 shot
buffer
Exposure metering Matrix metering, Centre-weighted metering, Spot metering
Shutter Mechanical and charge coupled electronic shutter
Shutter speed 4-1/2,000 sec.
Aperture Electronically controlled preset aperture
Aperture range Two-step (f/2.8 and f/4.8 [Wide])
Built-in Speedlight Auto, Red-eye Reduction Auto (Advanced Red-eye Reduction),
Anytime Flash, Flash Cancel, and Slow sync.
Interface USB, Audio Video output (NTSC/PAL)
Power requirements One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (Supplied), One CP1
Lithium Battery (Optional), AC adapter EH-62A (Optional)
Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 88 x 60 x 36.5mm (3.5 x 2.3 x 1.4 in.)
Weight Approx. 155g (5.5 oz.) (Without battery and SD memory card)



Supplied accessories* Strap, USB cable, Audio Video cable, Li-ion rechargeable
battery EN-EL5, Battery charger MH-61, Software CD-ROM, Quick Start Guide, and
Instruction manual
Optional accessories AC Adapter EH-62A, Soft Case, Waterproof Case WP-CP2**,
and SD memory card


* Standard accessories may differ by country or area.
** Not available in some countries and area.



Picture Project System Requirements

Macintosh
OS Mac(r) OS X (10.1.5 or later)
RAM 64MB or more recommended
Hard disk 60MB required for installation
Display 800 x 600 with 16-bit colour (full colour recommended)
Others CD-ROM drive required for installation

Windows
OS Windows(r) 98SE, Windows(r) ME, Windows(r) 2000
Professional, Windows(r) XP Home Edition, Windows(r)
ProfessionalXP Professional pre-installed models
RAM 64MB or more recommended
Hard disk 60MB required for installation
Display 800 x 600 with 16-bit colour (full colour recommended)
Others CD-ROM drive required for installation

Thanks for that Mark :t:

I am eagerly awaiting the announcement of the new models this February. I was hoping for something like a 6 mp model of the CP4500 design in which I'd be really interested.

At present I'm considering a mega zoom model for 0-30 yards as opposed to a mega pixel model for digiscoping.

The only alternative at pesent seems to be a DSLR such as the 300D/10D for coupling with a scope.

Hi Ian

Yes I too was hoping for for a 6 Mp model to replace the 4500. Hopefully one will be in the pipeline soon.
I've managed to subscribe to Nikon's press releases so will keep you all posted as soon as I know anything.

Mark

Thanks for that, Mark. I wonder, would you be kind enough to give me a bit of advice?

Having been dipping my toes into the pond of digiscoping this last two days (despite the miserable weather here), I am coming to the conclusion that the reason the 'old' style Nikons were so good for d/s was that they had:

a) a large viewing screen that twisted and so allowed decent chance of good focus and easy viewing being achieved, and...

b) a short distance between the front lens element and the sensor / 'film' plane (i.e. about the same as that of the human eye), thus allowing a decent non-vignetted image to be achieved without having to use the camera's zoom facility overmuch.

I have found in my tests that my current camera (Fuji S602), and neighbours' Olympus and a Sony Mavica all have far too wide a lens distance to allow for a decent image without zooming in, whereas another neighbour's old 2mp Nikon works a treat. The use of the camer'as zoom to allow a full screen image seems to give too much magnification overall and, with the darker resultant image, diffcult focusing.

So... as these two new Nikons don't have the old and large twisting viewing screen, are they going to be any better than lots of other similar makes - often at much lower prices?

scampo said:

Thanks for that, Mark. I wonder, would you be kind enough to give me a bit of advice?

Having been dipping my toes into the pond of digiscoping this last two days (despite the miserable weather here), I am coming to the conclusion that the reason the 'old' style Nikons were so good for d/s was that they had:

a) a large viewing screen that twisted and so allowed decent chance of good focus and easy viewing being achieved, and...

b) a short distance between the front lens element and the sensor / 'film' plane (i.e. about the same as that of the human eye), thus allowing a decent non-vignetted image to be achieved without having to use the camera's zoom facility overmuch.

Click to expand...

Hi Steve.

That sounds about right Steve. My first digiscoping camera was an Olympus 960. I used it for just over a year and had some excellent results with it. It had a protruding lense with internal movement, so you could stick it up to the scope without the lense actually moving during zooming. The reason I upgraded to a coolpix 995 to be honest, was that it was the camera of choice. I did try another Olympus but it just would not work, the vignetting was impossible.
Apart from the above the features that appealed to me were:
A. Being able to fix an adaptor to the front via the screw thread, thus making it a very stable sturdy set up.

B. The amount of available accessories.

If you want my honest opinion Steve hang on a few months and see if Nikon do replace the 4500 (there is a rumour circulating that that's the last swivel model). A replacement will hopefully be at least 5 Mp and have lost that awfully small screen and gone back to the 1.8". There is at least 1 well respected digiscoper (Graham Catley) who does not use the swivel bodied coolpix. Instead he uses a coolpix 880 against a Swaro' scope. Some of his photos are truly superb. The 4300 is the replacement to the 880 and is currently at a bargain £249!!

Hope this has been useful.
Mark

It took me quite a time to recognise why cameras are so different (I'm sure a good search on BF might have enlightened me, though - but experience is all, as they say).

There has been a lot of hoo-ing and haa-ing about the delights of Swaro for digiscoping and I was a bit worried to put my Nikon up against my son's Swaro. In the event, using the old Nikon camera borrowed from a neighbour, the images were extraordinarily good (and oddly the Nikon was for whatever reason easier to use than the Swaro with that camera).

This surprised me because the Nikon's zoom is not quite as wide as the Swaro's and its eye relief is also a tiny bit less; but despite these theoretical "plus points" for the Swaro, the Nikon even at 75x, was easy to focus and amazingly sharp.

So - it's off to visit my old friend in Moffat's Cameras in Loughborough tomorrow for a bit of trying out. By the way, for anyone in this area, I can wholly recommend that shop to anyone as an "old-fashioned" place that helps you more than can be believed and which matches anyone else's prices.

Just noticed a Nikon Coolpix 950, similar to the one I borrowed from a neighbour, is on eBay and so far has leapt up to £156-00. This is surely a truly daft price for a discontinued 2.1mp digicam and maybe reflects a) it's popularity with digiscopers or b) the general silly state that eBay gets itself into and which makes it not worth bothering any longer!

The cost of any future repair to that camera would be utterly prohibitive and render it suitable only for the wpb; and at 3-4 years of age, the chances of repair are fairly high, I should think.

Noticed a 995 going, too - at least it's a bit newer and 3.3mp; but again - the chances of repair are surely high and the cost would again render it a dead duck. Judging by the email names it is being bid for by birders; seems very risky to me.

I would'nt touch that 995. It is obviously going to cost an arm and a leg to repair otherwise why sell it as faulty? As for that 950, I would have thought that anything under £200 would be a decent buy. It is surprising how well the swivel bodied Nikons hold their price, working 995's are still fetching in the region of £350 ON EBAY.

Regards

Mark

But how long they will work for is a real risk, I should think. £300+ is a crazy price for an unknown quantity imo. We had a one year old (just out of warranty) Canon in for repair; they quoted £550-00 - the camera cost £600; better models were by then available at £450-00.

For once, I feel for the camera shop owners. I don't think they dare stock much in the way of digital - and taking p/ex must be a no-no.

scampo said:

a) a large viewing screen that twisted and so allowed decent chance of good focus and easy viewing being achieved, and...

b) a short distance between the front lens element and the sensor / 'film' plane (i.e. about the same as that of the human eye), thus allowing a decent non-vignetted image to be achieved without having to use the camera's zoom facility overmuch.

Click to expand...

Last year I wrote up a page on what causes vignetting while digiscoping.

http://www.jayandwanda.com/digiscope/vignette/vignetting.html

So far, the various "cases" have born out that it the issue is quite simple. You are very much on the right track with (b). But to be more precise, the issue is that the exit pupil of the scope must (ideally) coincide with the location of the entrance pupil of the camera lens. If this is accomplished, the camera has the opportunity to see the scope's entire FOV. This is directly analogous to our placing our eye up to the scope's eyepiece. The complication is that the entrance pupil of a camera lens is typically somewhere well past its front lens element. This makes the situation more like when someone is wearing glasses while looking through a scope. The entrance pupil is well behind the "front element". To make matters worse, different lens designs and different zoom settings can affect the location of the entrance pupil. So experimentation and observation are needed to determine how much eye relief a particular lens/camera should have.

I don't know much about the CP950, but if it works better with your shorter eye relief Nikon eyepiece, then there is a good chance that the camera was simply placed too close to the eyepiece of the Swarovski. Also consider that the new 20-60x Swarovski eyepiece shifts its eye relief from about 20mm at 20x to around 16-17mm at 30x and beyond.

Just as with your eye and a long eye relief scope, it is possible to move the camera too close to the eyepiece and also cause vignetting. This is unusual with birding eyepieces and more common with the longer focal length of "astro" eyepieces with longer focal lengths.