Nikon Coolpix P4 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Vibration Reduction Optical Zoom Reviews

• Dang good bargain

  
  By A151EZ1CYGYX3W on 2006-05-16
  Sure, it's not as stylish, light in the hand or has as many fancy options like you do in other digicams (Casio---great features but terrible optics) but what Nikon has here is an 8 megapixel camera that shoots dang good pics with almost full manual control and a Vibration Reduction system (which WORKS 'cause I took pics of cool signage the other day and did it from my car while driving in traffic and all the pics were sharp despite me going 30 mph and holding the camera with one hand out the window). It's many scene modes provide one with instant settings for when you don't have time to use the apeture priorty or apeture and shutter speed priorities. Macro mode provides extremely sharp detail. It also has a COPY mode that you use to take pics of newspaper articles or anything out of a mag or book. It shoots in b&w in this mode and the text is easily readable. It's AF system is excellent and fast. For the flash you have several options to choose from, including red eye reduction, which WORKS perfectly on portrait shots, and backlit.
  
  I've also got a Canon Powershot S2 IS and wanted a camera I could stick in my pocket and I'm glad I chose this Nikon after looking at Casio, Pentax, Sony and Kodak.
  
  The thing to remember about digital cameras when selecting one is to focus (pun intended) on the quality of the lens (Canon and Nikon are the best) and the image sensor and it's workings, again Canon and Nikon lead the field.
  
  So if you're looking for a digital camera stick to Canon and Nikon and forget the rest of them no matter how cool sounding or looking their digicams are. What you want in the end is a good clean sharp pic to print and to send via e-mail and both Canon and Nikon provide just that.
  
  

• Very good camera choice

  
  By A2UQK3DAZ8NO2T on 2006-06-25
  The Coolpix P4 has a lot of things going for it: 8 megapixels; sharp 3.5x zoom with Vibration Reduction; good quality 2.5" LCD; good in-camera menus; and good battery options.
  
  The VR should not be undervalued, even if this is a relatively short zoom for stabalization. It can aid in almost any situation, most notably low-light non-flash photos, and really enhances flash photography in low-light, so that we can see more of the background detail.
  
  In-camera post processing is truly enhanced with the "D Lighting" control. Essentially, this features allows you to lighten the darker areas of a photograph while not lightening the middle or light areas. This can help bring out underexposed backgrounds with flash, or allow us to see the eyes under that ballcap. It doesn't work perfectly (it sometimes lightens the shadowing that makes detail stand out), but it's a very welcome feature.
  
  The EN-EL5 battery is a bit larger than most cameras take, but it has good performance, and is reasonably priced. Additionally, you may use a Duracell CP-1 disposable battery. This is great! The problem with rechargable batteries are: 1) people forget to recharge them, and 2) they do loose their charge just sitting around. The CP-1 has a nearly 10 year shelf life, meaning it will be ready when you need it.
  
  Then why not 5 stars? Because it's size will be a bit too large for some (but just right for some, too); it's zoom isn't class leading (Canon Powershot SD700 gets to 4x); it's battery charger could be smaller (e.g. SD700); etc. But for some, it will be as close to perfect as is on the market.
  
  

• For me the P4 is adequate but not great

  
  By A1790D6BM0V5BQ on 2007-01-26
  1-25-07
  After my Nikon 4300 was stolen a year ago, I bought the Nikon P4 in April 2006. Bottom line: I get more photos that are acceptable with the P4 than with the 4300 but none is great. The 4300 occasionally produced superb shots with perfect color and incredible subtle detail.
  
  * My main interest is in photographing wildflowers. The macro mode does not focus as close as with the 4300, there is less detail and what detail there is is not as sharp, even with the "Max Sharp" option turned on. The color generally is not as natural and finely graded even with post processing. However, the P4 does not blow out highlights as crudely as the 4300 did. I can take pictures of yellow flowers in fairly bright light and still see some details of all the petals and the center.
  
  * The P4 only shoots in jpeg mode, with no raw option. That means that the 8 megapixel pictures are smoothed by the internal algorithm into a photo only a quarter of the size of the original. Three quarters of the information is discarded so much of the 8 megapixel power is lost.
  
  * In P mode I usually set the white balance at Cloudy, the sharpness at Max and the exposure at +3. This gives more pictures that are closer to accurate.
  
  * For photographing wildflowers I set the timer at 3 seconds so I can brace my hands against my chest or a rock and avoid the shake that comes with pushing the shutter button. VR on or off doesn't seem to make much difference in this situation. However, when the wind is blowing so that the flowers wave continuously, using VR Normal makes the difference between getting an adequate picture or a blurry mess. The 4300 could not take even adequate shots in any kind of breeze.
  
  * The P4 seems optimized for taking photos five to ten feet away from the subject in good but not super bright light. My photo of water lilies taken from the top of a bank about 10 feet away on a partly cloudy afternoon was extraordinary -- sharp, with perfect color and detail.
  
  * The 2.5" screen is excellent in all but very bright sunlight. 3" would be even better.
  
  * For lack of a better alternative, for now I will continue to use my P4 but plan to upgrade at some point to a DSLR, probably the Nikon D80, which gets the best reviews of all the sub-$1,000 models.
  
  

• VR & ISO Range needs improvement w/this cam

  
  By A2NOIWPJDD7WIQ on 2006-08-05
  I've already played around with my Nikon P4 for 3 weeks now. The only drawbacks for this camera is that the noise level gets obvious at ISO 200 and the fastest ISO is only 400 (why?!?). Not even turning the noise reduction feature on was enough to clean up the shots taken at low light conditions. With other point & shoot cameras having ISO speeds of up to 1600 and 3200 with noise reduction built in, it often baffles me why Nikon's new release of point & shoot cams with VR comes with such a limited ISO range. 8.1MP image quality is a major plus. This cam takes great photos but blurred shots are still unavoidable even with VR-Normal ro VR-Active on. I called Nikon's technical support to see if maybe my camera's VR function was defective. I was told that if my handheld aim was TOO steady that the VR would blur the shots (what?!?) - I was also told to turn it off if the camera was on a tripod. Looks like Nikon's VR technology still has a lot of work for improvement. Overall, the camera is worth having as a secondary camera to my D-SLR.
  
  
  

• Solid compact digital camera - bypass P3 and get P4

  
  By A3FPSY1M6G7XIB on 2006-09-17
  A good solid digital camera that accomplishes what it sets out to do which is to take EXCELLENT photos. Forget the features in these types of cameras (I prefer to use my dSLR whenever possible, but lets face it, its rarely practical to take a 5 pound camera with your everywhere). I tend to be a Nikon-brand snob (except for the excellent Canon s50/60/70/80 series) because the lenses are superior and the shots terrific. This is a camera designed to pop into your pants pocket or your backpack or purse, and go...The results are excellent. THe software included average. Bypass the 100.00 pricier P3 (which is the exact same camera with totally useless WiFi built in driving up the price) and go for the P4. The Vibration Reduction works! Took many photos from a moving boat the other day and everything was sharp and clear. Great color saturation. Good wide to zoom range coverage. A bit chunky in your hand, which feels great -- you don't feel like you are holding a deck of cards and shooting from a box...Highly recommended.
  
  
• Nikon Coolpix P4 review and comparison to Nikon D50 SLR
  By A2727U9SNZLYKM on 2006-11-09
  The camera works general good especially for times when bringing a larger camera is not feasible. I can put this camera in my pocket and use it at anytime. I love the movie mode I can shoot a movie until the storage space has run out, can't do that in my Nikon D50 SLR! With the 2GB memory card it equals to about 16 minutes. The video comes complete with sound and after burning to a DVD in the highest quality it looks clear and visible on a large 50" TV. I still like my Nikon D50 SLR better for taking regular photos though. For one reason the SLR will snap photos as quick as it possibly can with the shutter or flash as the only thing that will slow it down. The problem with the P4 when compared to the D50 is the D50 focus instantly where the P4 has a delay so when you're ready to take a photo the D50 takes it with no delay. This is really useful when the subjects are moving and you need to capture them in the frame before they move off. In many point and shoot cameras, that I've used, there is too long of a delay to take the photo and I've ended up with half a person or a blurred image and then that good shot is gone. The P4 has a slight delay because it needs time to focus it is worse when the camera flash is charging for low light situations. The two inch display is great, great for previewing images. The pictures I've taken so far have been sharp, rich in color and detailed. The vibration reduction is a good feature because I've noticed it is hard not to shake the camera just a little bit when pressing down the shutter button. I suppose there may not be a point and shoot camera without delay, but this one is better than most. A digital SLR is still the best camera, I think, not only for its fast shooting ability but also for its exceptional picture quality. So if you need a camera for portability and compactness then the Nikon Coolpix P4 is a great camera if you don't need such a small camera then go for a SLR camera which means: Single Lens Reflex, if you don't already know that means it basically means when you look though the eyepiece of the camera you are actual looking though the lens, you see exactly how the photo will fit and look. A camera such as Nikon's SLR D50 is one such example. If you have the money buy both, a point and shoot and SLR because each camera offers advantages over the other.
  
  
• Very Good Camera
  By AZPB4NVKSXVL on 2006-08-04
  I reviewed cameras exhaustively prior to purchasing the P4. I am very pleased with this pocket camera. It has some advanced features. I travel the world, often returning with SD cards loaded with hundreds of images. I rely on this camera for publishing photo albums and web pages upon my return to share with friends and family. The anti-shake technology seems to work great and the camera is very intutitive. Photo quality is excellent and I highly recommed this camera. Very minor complaints include: Wishing it was powered by AA Batteries since they're universally available just about everywhere I travel. Sometimes the dial on the top of the camera accidentally gets bumped onto 'video' mode when I take the camera out of my bag and I don't realize it until I snap a picture. So I have to train myself to check the dial before shooting a picture. The other cameras I looked at were the Panasonic Lumix and the Casio but many people said their products' photos can contain lots of 'noise' under low light levels. My P4 seems to do reasonably well - better than average - under low light levels although not perfect. I've shot some beautifuls sunsets! In summary - the P4 is a great choice!
  
  
• The best of everything in a compact package
  By A3UDQ0VDU3EPAR on 2006-09-05
  I bought this camera earlier this summer (2006) to take on a trip to Sweden because I wanted lots of versatility but without the bulk of my 3-year-old Sony digital. There are tinier cameras out there, but after some research I didn't find any with all the functions and range of capabilities of the CoolPix P4 (and the Nikon name, I admit, was also a selling point). The vibration reduction proved itself extremely useful: I took lots of photos from a moving bicycle on a dirt road (using one hand!) and they came out beautifully. I was also doing genealogical research while on this trip, and found that by using the "museum" scene function together with the macro dial setting I could take crystal clear color photos of 150-year-old archival documents using available light; this worked even better than the b/w of the "copy" setting an earlier reviewer mentions. Outdoor photos in a range of light from dawn to dusk, especially if I made use of the scene functions, came out with true-to-life, rich color; indoors I could often go without flash in surprisingly low light, but if needed, the flash in automatic setting seemed well-balanced, not washed out. I've been very happy with the quality of photography and with the ease of use: It works fine as a point-and-shoot you can hand to a kind stranger to take your photo, but also has the bells and whistles to please a much more sophisticated shutterbug. If you want a compact camera that can give you SLR-worthy results, I highly recommend this one.
  
  
• Nikon p4 - Great Point and Shoot
  By A6I5PHJIX5447 on 2006-12-21
  The Nikon p4 has to be one of the best point and shoot cameras on the market. There are very few to no instances where the p4 does not perform as hoped. The many different scene modes, selectivities, VR, and many other features give this camera a broad range of capability to which pictures turn out with great clarity. The pixel size of the picture to be taken can be varied so one can take a very sharp picture and fit around 250 on a 1 gig card or around 600 smaller pixel images on a 1 gig card. This allows great selectivity between pictures and does not force one to invest in a 4 gig card just to take a day's worth of pictures. The camera takes the clearest pictures I have seen from a point and shoot digital camera, and the color quality is amazing. Overall this is the best digital camera I have found, and I would recommend it to anyone in the market. If I do find anything that I do not like, I will update this review! If you have any questions or anything contact me, and I will be glad to try to answer them!
  
  
• Great Performance
  By A3LUKRI9V6C8HA on 2006-06-20
  This camera takes excellent pictures,VR feature works well.However,it picks up motor noise in movie mode,this creaking sound is really annoying.
  
  
• Disappointed
  By A1PBNWD17HFAP9 on 2006-11-10
  For starters, Im not a pro-photographer. Im not even an amateur. I just want to take decent pictures during special occastion. So, Im an average customer.
  
  Did I get what I wanted? May be not. Why? Here are the reasons:
  
  1. 8.1 Mp or 3.1 MP, it only matters how it performs at 1 MP or may be 3. The higher the resolution, the more complicated it gets. On an average, users like me prefer the lowest resolution due to space and quality. This camera does not handle the higher resolutions very well.
  
  2. Anti-shake: frankly, it sucks! I cant even take a decent picture at a higher resolution inside a room even with the VR-active. If you are like me, who shakes during taking pictures, the VR in this camera does not work very well.
  
  3. Auto-focus: It takes it own sweet time to focus and cant get it right more than half the time. You will be annoyed with the red-out-of-focus flashing most of the time. Even when it gets it right, the VR doesnt work well and you will end up screwing up the picture.
  
  4. Zoom: 3.5 zoom is not enough compared to what other offer at this price. But this is not a great disadvantage.
  
  Positives:
  
  1. Picture quality: When you dont shake the camera, and when you the auto-focus works, this camera takes fantastic pictures. But its hard to get the AF and VR working for your convenience.
  
  2. LCD screen: wide and beautiful. You cant miss any details.
  
  Summary:
  
  If you are an average customer like me, I recommend going for Canon or other Nikon cameras. This is my second Nikon and for some reasons Nikon get the VR and AF right. If you have continous trouble with the VR and AF as I have, you will be annoyed too. These two for me makes or breaks the digital camera.
  
  Overall: dont go for it...You will be disappointed.
  
  
  
  
• Camera like no other
  By A3NK8P2HML376F on 2006-06-30
  This is a camera that you dont know what its capable of until you use it. Clear pictures and an easy to use camera is all i needed and i got it.
  
  
• Faster response time than the Sony Cybershot I owned, but more out of focus shots
  By A1IANEBSMVGHS9 on 2006-10-11
  I can't say I don't like my Nikon Coolpix P4. With its 8 megapixels, the quality of the pictures is amazing beyond any doubt. Also, the range of situations that it can adapt to and the video it helps produce outranks all previous digital cameras I've owned (granted that I haven't had any digital SLRs).
  
  However, when I swithed from my previous 5MP Sony Cybershot to this camera, I was after getting a faster response time after pressing the shutter, which I guess I obtained. But in not loosing as many "Kodak moments" due to shutter lag, I've seen a deterioration in something else: I get many more out of focus pictures than I used to get with the Sony. So I end up shooting perhaps twice as many pictures, in order to get just as many nice ones in the end.
  
  Would I recommend it? I won't say "no", but I won't say it's that much better than a Sony. For my next camera (when the time comes for one), if I am still looking for something compact that fits in a pocket I may switch back to Sony. If not, I may toss it all away and go for an SLR. I suspect I may do that in less time than it took me to dump my Sony. ;)
  
  
• Great buy
  By A1V3QZYUM74H2H on 2007-01-10
  I am a in house graphic designer and needed a camera that took great high resolution photos to use for print. This camera is so easy to use and takes great photos - very little abberration! I even used it to take my bosses family portraits and his wife loved them. Highly recommend. Great buy for especially for the low cost.
  
  
• I Love Nikon Coolpix
  By A19JSVWCHPIGA1 on 2007-01-23
  This camera is great! It takes amazing pictures with incredible quality. The videos that it takes are equally impressive with great zoom and clarity. This camera is absolutely perfect for college or any recreational use and is very easy to use. I actually needed a head shot for an audition and i set the automatic timer to take a picture of myself and cropped it. When I picked up my pictures, the lady working said I needed a copyright release form because the pictures looked too professional. She finally gave them to me, but I guess that proves that the camera takes professional quality pictures!
  
  
• occasional photographer
  By A2MQGG0X9PDG3Z on 2007-05-12
  this digital camera has excellent resolution,user friendly with tons of options.i have used other friends digital cameras for events and get togethers and their cameras photos did not come out as clear as my photos did with this camera.i believe that nikon and canon are two of the best optical digital cameras on the market.also the overwhelming options that this camera gives you would easily satisfy most photographers.i have to say i am very pleased with it.
  
  
• Great Camera with 1 missing option
  By AI6OSMRCY2TG3 on 2006-11-03
  I have taken more than 500 pictures with this camera and am very satisfied with it.
  One thing would make it 5 star perfect. That's the addition of a range finder. It is difficult to frame pictures in bright sun light without it.
  
  
• Great camera easy to use
  By A21R8S9MRTWGSK on 2006-11-05
  We took this camera on a trip to Austrailia, Fiji, and New Zealand. VR was great and camera performed flawlessly. Would buy again.
  
  
• Dead after 8 months of light use...
  By A1T5B1GG9OAFVA on 2007-05-08
  
  I've been a loyal Canon user for years, but a friend recommended this camera, and based on the image quality he's getting, I purchased it. It was indeed a good camera, until the flash went out, and finally the camera is just dead. I've been trying to get Nikon to fix it, but no luck so far.
  
  Further, the camera has no viewfinder, only the screen on the back, which is somewhat useless in bright daylight.
  
  
• Nikon Coolpix P4 8MP Dgital Camera
  By A3E9TU1AU6GGIH on 2006-11-10
  I found this camera very easy to use and the photos come out clear with good qualty. I have yet to explore all the extra added modes and features but I have been very happy with it so far. Would recommend it.
  
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A283X080ZRK2GK on 2007-01-09
  This has been a great camera so far. There's a lot of options I haven't gotten a chance to use yet, but so far it's been easy and takes great pictures.
  
  
• Too fat
  By A28MQ13D5IZLVW on 2007-08-29
  I purchased the camera about a year ago. The photographs are just okay. Unfortunately, the body of the camera is fat and difficult to get in and out of your pocket or camera case. If you like carrying around a camera in your pocket for quick shots, this camera is not for you.
  
  
• Easy to use, good looking camera
  By A2VX9ZOBCD6QFV on 2007-09-17
  This is one very good looking camera. The steel body looks sturdy and stylish. It works great and the pictures are good. The outdoor pictures are excellent, but I wish they were a little sharper.
  
  The auto-flash option is a little annoying sometimes because it flashes even in moderate daylight making the pictures look darker than it actually is.
  Night pictures come out nice because of the powerful flash, better than a lot of other cameras I've used..
  
  Overall a good value for money.
  
  
  
• Great little camera
  By A2KWWVDK7DO80N on 2007-03-02
  The Coolpix P4 received lukewarm reviews when it was released in the spring of 2006 with a list price of $399, but you can forget all that. In Canada this camera retails for something less than $300 now, and that makes it a tremendous value. This camera features a very solid aluminum body, a large 1/1.8" 8.1 MP sensor, excellent Nikkor optics and optical VR. It even has a very good macro mode. Most importantly, it takes great photos. The VR is very effective: I have taken clean handheld photos as slow as 1/4 second. Even though it's a point and shoot and the Auto mode is fairly reliable, the P4 is clearly aimed at the advanced user, because you really need to know what you're doing if you want to take full advantage of its capabilities. I found that I got my best indoor photos when I set the exposure mode to aperture priority, disabled the flash and used the "Pre" function for white balance. If nothing else the P4 is great as an inexpensive, go-anywhere 2nd camera for the DSLR owner.
  
  
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 4.1 mp sent instead
  By A21GWHYKSTJBLW on 2007-10-27
  www.adorama.com adevertised the wrong item for the $80 price, and instead they sent me a Nikon CookPix 4600 4.1 mp digital camera instead. They told me a refurbished Nikon Coolpix P4 8.1 mp would be $170 instead. They said they would take back the Nikon Coolpix 4600 4.1 mp, but I decided to keep it, because for the price it still had a lot of features, and it works quite well. If a bargain seems too good, it might be a mistake. Nice thing about the Nikon Coolpix 4600 is that it uses less expensive AA batteries, and one can use the rechargeable metal hydride AA batteries in it. It does not have vibration reduction though and at 4.1 mp, it would not be as sharp in enlargements at 8.1 mp. Still, for now I am satisfied with it.
  See for yourself, Pictures at:
  
  http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=4n2z6kt.b8ygmzn5&Uy=-c282n0&Ux=0
  
  http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=4n2z6kt.3lsx96pt&Uy=4emiom&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Ux=0
  
  Of course I use to be a professional photographer at Polaroid 30 years ago.
  My only complaint with the Nikon CookPix 4600 with 1.5 inch LCD screen is that in bright sunlight it is hard to see the image. It gets about 80 to 100 pictures on two AA alkaline batteries without flash.
  Nikon Coolpix 4600 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
  
  

• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• PhotoPlus X2 Digital Studio
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade

• Nikon Coolpix Camera Case for 4200, 5200, 5900, 7900, P3 & P4 Digital Cameras
• SanDisk 2 GB SD Memory Card ( SDSDB-2048-A11, Retail Package)
• Nikon Leather Case and Battery Kit for Coolpix P3 and P4
• SanDisk SDSDB-1024-A10/11 1 GB Secure Digital Card (Retail Package)
• Nikon EN-EL5 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery for Coolpix P3, P4. P5000, S10, 3700, 4200, 5200, 5900 & 7900 Digital Cameras