I'm a 21 year old student, studying and socialising in Aberdeen. When not giving my humble opinion o...
I'm a 21 year old student, studying and socialising in Aberdeen. When not giving my humble opinion on products, I enjoy ebaying, IRC'ing and posting on messageboards online and getting drunk offline. Quite a productive existance, let me assure you!
Member since:16.01.2004
Reviews:19
Members who trust:3
This camera arrived shortly before last Christmas (2003), exact reason unknown to me, and the rest of my family - although I suspect dad had decided to treat himself to a christmas present he really wanted. The Nikon Coolpix 775 is getting on a bit now, being over a year since it was first 'released'. So while it cost about £300 back then, dad was able to pick this up at 'almost' new from a well-respected local photography/lens shop for £120.
That might seem to be a lot of money to spend on what was effectively a second hand camera, but it was completely unblemished and came in the original packaging. The only thing that was missing was the flash memory stick( standard is 8mb I believe), so instead a 32mb replacement was provided. An additional battery was also thrown into the bundle.
The completed itinery was therefore composed of: - Camera - official battery, plus spare(unofficial). Battery charger. - Straps, case and leads - non-standard memory
card (32mb) - CD-rom + instruction manual - 1 year warranty
-- Camera -- Let's start with the technical stuff. This is a 2 megapixel camera, with a 5.8-17.4mm lens, with a 3x zoom capability. It is very light (180g), reasonably small and comes with a reasonable sized lcd screen.
Operation is simple. After going through the regular first-setup procedure, of charging the battery, and inserting both it, and the flash card - you simply turn a small slide button to on (this is located around your 'trigger'). It takes a few seconds to power up, during which time you can change the large rotating function dial, also located on the top of the camera, to "auto". Now you are ready to go.
Taking pictures is absurdly simple in "auto" mode. Just aim, use the zoom if required, and click, click, click. A nice touch is that after each picture is taken, you will get a quick preview (or still) of the picture you have just taken on the lcd screen, before resorting back to camera mode. So if the action picture you tried for went wrong, you will know so straight away. In that case keep clicking, or work your way through the very simple menu system, and browse, then erase those images that aren't required.
Once you've mastered the basics, you can try and experiment with the 7 other camera modes, which mainly account for different light levels. Some are quite usefull (portrait and party icons) some much less so. Still, only by experimenting will you find out what each mode is ideal for (though it is explained in the manual, I found the descriptions to not always hold true). Another nice function is the ability to take a 15 second movie.
A few minor niggles are that the screen sometimes switches off (for conserving power) a bit too quickly, when you are still actively using the camera. Secondly there is a delay between you pressing the shutter button, and the picture being taken, making action shots quite difficult to master.
However the picture quality and ease of use more than make up for this.
-- Battery -- The Battery lasts for about two hours, so for longer trips it is adviseable to take a spare, plus the charger. The charger is simple to operate (nothing to adjust). Just plug it in to a socket, plug the battery in, and presto. The battery is a Nikon EN-EL1Lithium Ion Battery Pack 7.4v 680mAh.
-- Straps, case and leads -- The camera comes with a wrist strap, and a leather case. A USB lead is provided for connecting the camera to your PC, while another type (sorry dont know the name) for connecting it directly to your television - great for when the non-technical (grand)parents are round.
-- Memory card -- The camera usually comes with a 8mb card, which really isn't large enough. However larger cards can be easily found. Our camera came with 32mb which at "medium" image quality can take up to 70 pictures.
-- CD-Rom + Manual -- The camera comes with the very useful NikonView software, with which you can quickly download and store images on your PC. The manual is fairly extensive too.
-- Warranty -- I'm unsure what the standard warranty is, but our model came with one year. Check this one out before you buy.
Overall, this is a fantastic little camera for what is now a really good price. It may no longer be top of the range, nor is it by any means the cheapest, but it is still one of the better cameras on the market. If you want a high quality, easy to usedigital camera, and can bare not having the latest model, then you should give this camera some serious consideration. Okay, so it isn't for serious professional photographers, but they wouldn't dream of spending so little money anyway.
Oh, I had better explain the title, hadn't I? Well according to the guy in the shop where we bought this little machine, this specific model was in great demand by the British troops who served originally in Afghanistan. I guess that says a lot about how tough, hard wearing and durable it is :)
I'd definetly recommend this camera. But do get a larger memory stick. Shop around and get a great deal either second hand(just saw one with a day to go on ebay for £60), almost new (photography shops), or just brand new.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Being very picky with that rating - it's a good op, but as I already have this camera and no technical know-how, I would really have liked a breakdown of all those settings you've been experimenting with rather than just a mention that the manual wasn't always any good!
jacqui_1 26.01.2004 02:48
I just got myself a digital camera recently. It was a kodak but like this easy to use which suits me. Great Op. Jacqui
Battery for Nikon Coolpix 775 (Li-Ion)match (compatible) for follow types:Nikon Coolpix ... more
775Productdetails:CE - tested virginLi-Ion - Lithium Ion battery 7,4 Vwith overcharging and overheating protectioneasy to use, 100% accurately fittingno memory effect (anytime load, without damaging the battery)brand-new premium brand cells equippedsuper long lifecorresponds to highest safety standardsyour previous charger, you can use to continue naturallyreplaces: EN-EL11A foreign manufacturers qualityContent of one package:Battery Nikon Coolpix 775 (Li-Ion)
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 4-5 business days......
This USB cable can download images from your camera/camcorder to your PC. On one end of ... more
the cable is a standard USB A male plug that will fit into your computer. On the other end is a USB plug which will fit into your camera/camcorder. All our digital camera/camcorder USB cables are specifically designed as replacements for the manufacturers original cable.
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days......
Ex-Pro Battery charger - Ultra Pro Travel Charger - Simple design including In-Car ... more
Adatper, European and UK Plug. Charges in an average of 2 hours ! Automatic Cut-Off on completion of charge, Charge indication lights. Works on 110-240v, Travel anywhere and use with ease ! 1 Year Warranty.
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Advantages: Semi-professional camera, feels and acts like an SLR, uses F mount Nikon lenses Disadvantages: Auto mode does not give as good results as coolpix cameras. Traditional poor documentation
chrisf 06.02.2004 ·
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