Dec 10, 2002 10:52 AM
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(Updated Dec 11, 2002 02:32 AM)
A bit of history to start with. I was looking for a good camera to teach myself photography, and was exploring the optical SLR options, believing that a digital camera would find it difficult to match the features and the versatility provided by a normal SLR camera - boy! was I wrong. The Nikon Coolpix 4500 - the camera I finally decided on, is the sleeker, lighter, much improved sequel to the Coopix 995 - it's sleeker and fits much better in your hand, has a much sharper LCD screen (albiet slightly smaller than the one in the Coolpix 995), has a magnesium alloy body as compared to the 995's polycarbonate body, not to mention a staggering 4 Megapixel (translating into an image size of 2,272 x 1,704 pixels).
A few of the features that make this camera ideal:
4X optical zoom (equivalent to a 38-155mm optical), plus a 4X stepless digital zoom. I should mention here, that the zoom is internal, so you don't have the lens popping out. Nikon claims that this zoom matches the zoom of some of their better sports camera.
Apart from the auto mode, it has 16 pre set point-and-shoot modes for specific situations, such as landscapes, beaches, night landscapes, etc. The icing however, are the Aperture Priority (you set the aperture, and the camera sets the shutter speed), Shutter Priority (you set the shutter speed, and the camera sets the aperture), Program mode (camera sets both, but allows you a bit of leeway) and the Manual Mode (you set both the shutter, as well as the aperture).
The built-in microphone and speaker, allows you to imbed a 20 second voice message to each of the photos. I have not used this as yet, but it does seem rather enticing.
Allows you to shoot in single shot mode, continuous mode - the camera will continue to take shots for the time the shutter is pressed - extremely useful for parties ;-) best shot selector - the camera will continue taking shots (upto 10) while the shutter us pressed but save only the sharpest option. This is generally useful if the object is moving, though I would rather go with the continous mode, and pick the shot I like the best, movie mode - I haven't used it so can't comment on it, and a few other options that I have no idea about.
The swivel design (210 degrees forward and 90 degrees backward) seems a bit weird at first, but once you start to use it, you realise the advantage that it has in taking a shot from a weird angle without necessarily twisting yourself into a weirder one.
The pop-up flash has normal, red-eye reduction and slow sync modes. In addition, it can also be synced with other Nikon Speedlights. The slow sync is specially useful, though nothing beats adjusting the aperture to compensate for the lack of proper lighting.
With the Saturation Control feature, you can toggle between Black & White and Sepia modes, and also reduce or enhance the vividness of the colours.
The White Balance feature allows you to compensate for daylight, incandescent light, etc. I found this extremely useful while taking some shots in a museum to compensate for the incandescent lighting. These are just a few of the features that I have tried my hand at - and these days, I discover something new just about everyday - the versatility it offers to the user is addictive. The complete manual control it allows, is ideal for the person who wants to learn and experiment with photography, and the ''digital'' nature allows you to make all the mistakes you want, without, literally , paying for them. The intuitive layout allows you to access all the features without too much of a problem.
The camera uses a Li-ion Battery EN-EL1 battery which takes about 2 hours to charge. It is pretty lightweight, and stretches for a fair amount of shots before discharging completely. Additionally, it is also possible to hook up the camera to a wall socket. The CompactFlash card which is provided along with the camera is pretty small, and you would need to invest in at least a 128/ 256 MB card. In short, this camera is great - whether you are a newbie out to learn photography, or an advanced user - you will relish the features which the camera allows you.
