CoolPix cameras are…. well… kewl!
There are many things that I am not – photographer is one of them. Nonetheless, I do like to take pictures. My last digital camera was a rather old Sony CyberShot. It died due to being dropped – NOT by me!! It was time for a new camera. I always anguish over spending nearly any amount of money so this purchase was no different.
I did my usual Internet research but had an unusual problem (for me). I had been carrying a $50 Best Buy gift card in my wallet for a couple years – it was time to use it. So, I marched into Best Buy to see what I could find.
The Nikon CoolPix 3100 was one of the less expensive name brand point and shoot cameras in stock. Nikon’s have served me well in the past so good enough – camera purchased. I should state that there are a few things that I look for in most electronics – a rechargeable battery is included, memory card included (or, if not, it is reflected in the price), the necessary cable is included, and a charger is included. In the case of this Nikon, the accessories included a Li-ion battery, 110 Volt AC adapter, USB cable, A/V cable, but NO memory card. It uses a standard Mini-SD memory card and the price was such that I didn’t feel like purchasing a card would push it over the top in price.
I’ve been using this Nikon for about three months. The hardest thing to get used to is how skinny it is! We consumers are constantly demanding smaller electronics so this isn’t a bad thing, just something to get used to (harder for a clumsy, fat fingered guy like me). I make sure I have the wrist strap on to avoid another death-by-drop scenario.
As with most 14 megapixel cameras, the image quality is pretty amazing. I admit that I typically have the resolution set down quite a bit. Images of 5-7 MB do little for me as I have to compress them to post on the web or email. I suppose I should make the leap and start taking everything in the highest quality and compressing everything that is less than magazine quality (the vast majority of my work!).
As with most modern point and shoot camera’s, this one has a trunk load of features, scene selection, settings, etc…
At some point I’d like to purchase one of the less expensive water proof enclosures (looks like a plastic bag with a lens) and try some underwater photos.
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