Good photos at a price - don't spend too much on the Coolpix 4300 (Nikon Coolpix 4300)

Member Name: potoroo99

Product:	Nikon Coolpix 4300
Date:	29/09/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great lens = good image quality, now extremely cheap

Disadvantages: now quite old, poor design, out of date features, slow startup, battery flap weak point, bulky

I am an enthusiastic amateur photographer completing Photography GSCE and A level, before going on to study biology. I continue with my photography, and over the years have used many digital cameras. I was given the Coolpix 4300, which was my main camera while I was at school. It may not be the best digital compact now, but, I have rediscovered it, as it is useful to have in my bag when I do not want to risk my newer, more expensive cameras to get damaged or stolen.


Technical Specifications

The spec for this Coolpix does not look particularly good in the current market. It has a pretty standard 3x optical zoom and 4MP (megapixels), and I am currently looking at a Technika in the 'Tesco direct' (like Argos) catalogue, which has 5MP for £29.97. However, megapixels are not as important as they are made out to be - the human eye can only process 8MP (at normal print size). So, unless you plan to significantly enlarge your images, you can live without 10 or 12 MP. In fact, too many megapixels squashed onto a small sensor can actually decrease image quality. Do not underestimate a good piece of glass, Nikon are a lens company above all else, so they can be trusted to produce excellent lenses. The lens contributes as much, if not more, to image quality than the MP number (above a threshold). The Coolpix 4300 exposes images well and actually takes surprisingly good quality images. To illustrate this, I uploaded a set of 5 totally unedited pictures taken on my holiday to Thailand when I posted my review on Ciao (by the same name). I don't know if I should be directing you over there, I think sample picture are particularly important for this review and I have included further analysis in the descriptions, and the Ciao XXL view will give you a better idea of the resolution. I have not mentioned digital zoom, as it is a totally useless feature on all digital cameras. Digital zoom is exactly like cropping an image on your computer; the more you use it, the more the image quality is degraded.


Design

The Nikon weighs 200g, which is light enough for any bag. The camera looks small enough from the front view, but it is actually quite a lot larger than any of the other compacts in Tesco direct, as it is 2 or 3 times as thick. I actually like this chunky quality makes it a bit more like a SLR to hold, but annoyingly it makes it too wide to fit into my coat pocket. The screen on the back is very tiny compared to current standards (only about 1"), and the resolution is inadequate for view images in any detail. There is a solid flap that conceals the CF compact flash card slot - this memory card format used to be the most used until the smaller SD card took over, but is still widely available and used in many pro DSLR cameras. A typical Nikon mode dial is on top, next to the on/of switch, and allows you to swap between auto, movie, scene, manual, setup and playback mode. The zoom in / out button is actually very nicely designed - it looks a switch and perfectly rests a thumb between the 2 sides, allowing you to zoom easily and smoothly with almost a joystick action. The Nikon Coolpix also has a metal ring around the lens, which can be used to screw in various lens attachments, such as fish eye, wide angle and macro. I haven't used this feature and don't if you can eve still get the attachments, but it could be interesting to give it a go.


Battery Flap Issue

I don't know it this has happened to anyone else, and while Nikon are normally well known for their excellent build quality, a tiny weak point on the Coolpix 4300 resulted in a photographic disaster for me. A few summers ago, my family and I took the trip of a lifetime to Thailand and I only had this camera with me. We travelled to Bangkok, then flew out to the small island of Ko Samui where we took a boat out to see the Ang Thong National Marine Nature Reserve. After stopping on a few tiny islands, we reached the largest one and climbed for hours up an extremely steep and rocky scramble before we finally reached 'The Viewpoint'. This is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life (as you can see by the uploaded photo taken on the way), it was absolutely stunning. I then leaned over the viewpoint wooden railing (with the camera very securely attached to my wrist) to take the perfect picture. At this moment, the catch that hold the battery compartment opened and I could do nothing but watch as the last remaining charged battery tumbled down a 200ft cliff. I was devastated!


Slow Start-up

One other issue with this camera is speed. The normal instinct when I see a good photo opportunity is to reach for my camera and flick the on switch, sometime even before it has left my bag, n order to react fast enough to catch the moment. While is works with every other compact camera, the Coolpix 4300 continually catches me out. I hold up the camera to take the picture to be greeted with "WARNING!! Remove Lens Cap!" in bright red letters. I must then remove the lens cap and switch it off and on again. I don't see why such a small camera needs a separate lens cap - the Panasonic TZ6 (which I have also reviewed) has a much larger lens and still manages the automated shutter you expect with a compact. Once you have restarted the camera, more often than not I still cannot take the picture because there is a new warning "WARNING!! Mode dial is no in the proper position" - this occurs when the mode dial is very easily knocked slightly out off place in my bag. By the time I have finally managed reach the bird has literally flown the nest and the photo opportunity is gone. Having said all this, once the camera is on, the autofocus is very fast, even in low light levels. The digital processing is not that slow either, so you can take another picture soon after the first.


Conclusion

The Nikon Coolpix is not as compact as the modern competitors; it has fewer megapixels and a few design issues. I would not recommend having this as your main camera if you are really into photography, or if you just want something convenient on a night out, regardless of image quality. However, the image quality of this camera is pretty good, and it feels great in the hand. If you can find this model as a low price, it makes a great backup / emergency camera. It takes great landscape, close-up and tourist shots, and if you don't want to spend a lot, it makes a great holiday camera (bring spare batteries!). I also think that this would be a great first camera for a kid. Try ebay and you could end up with a fantastic bargain (in the last fortnight, 4 have sold for less than £25!) - even with all the problems, I am not even considering selling mine.

If only image quality was the only thing that mattered- poor design, bulky body and out of date features mean that the Coolpix is not worth spending much of your hard earned cash on. However, if you find a cheap, there may be a compromise worth taking.

Summary: I love Nikon!

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