The Nikon Coolpix 2200 is a 2 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens. For a 2 megapixel digital camera it has an excellent feature set and the image quality is also impressive. If you are looking for a digital camera that you can use almost as soon as you have taken it out the box then the Nikon Coolpix 2200 fits the bill nicely.
It is small and lightweight, without by tiny and will slip into a jacket pocket or handbag without any problem. Therefore you can carry the Nikon Coolpix 2200 with you wherever you go and never miss a shot.
There are obviously plenty of digital cameras to choose from with very similar specifications so the main question is, "Should you select the Nikon Coolpix 2200 ahead of the competition"?
For anyone buying a digital camera in this range there are four or five key issues. The first is picture quality, the second is the feature set, the third is ease of use, the fourth is cost and the fifth seems to be does the camera look good.
Image Quality
Although this is Nikon's entry level digital camera the Nikon Coolpix 2200 scores highly when it comes to image quality. To ensure good quality pictures a digital camera must have a high quality lens. The Nikkor lens in this camera certainly passes the test and produces clear, sharp images. In my tests pictures taken outdoors always provided true, vivid colour and macro (close up) pictures were particularly good.
One of the biggest bugbears of digital camera owners is the quality of images produced by their cameras when they are taking pictures under artificial lighting, indoors. Here again the Nikon Coolpix 2200 does very well for a camera in this category.
Features
In my view this is where the Nikon Coolpix 2200 scores heavily. There are very few 2 megapixel cameras around with a comparable set of features.
If you want to you can simply turn the camera on and start shooting in automatic mode. In fact I am sure that many, many owners will always use automatic mode and be very happy with the resulting pictures.
A step up from automatic mode, the Nikon Coolpix 2200 has what I would describe as a semi automatic mode with a number of pre programmed scene and assist modes.
The scene modes are Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk, Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light and Panorama Assist. The available assist modes are Portrait, Landscape, Sports and Night Portrait.
Pre programmed modes are where the camera has been set up to take the ideal picture for you. Say for example you take a picture on a snowy day using the Beach/Snow scene setting. The camera optimises the exposure to play down any glare and reflection from the snow that might otherwise spoil the shot.
The assist modes are similar to scene modes, but take the concept further. For example to help you to take portraits the Nikon Coolpix 2200 lets you specify if the subject is standing to the right, left or centre and if you are taking a portrait of couple. Once you have told the camera the type of portrait you are taking it sets up the best possible exposure and focusing for you.
As well as the scene modes you can also adjust the settings for White Balance and Exposure Compensation. There are also Colour Options including Black and White and Sepia. The Nikon Coolpix 2200 also has Best Shot Selector and Continuous Shooting features. The Best Shot Selector is an advanced feature for a camera in this bracket.
If you like the idea of taking short movies on your digital camera then the Nikon Coolpix 2200 takes colour movies with sound.
For when you want to appear in the picture too there is a 10 second self timer. One more useful feature is that you can add up to 20 seconds of audio commentary to each picture that you have taken.
Ease of Use
O.K. so there are lots of good features, but how easy is it to understand them and bring them into every day use? It is quite simple to use every function that the Nikon Coolpix 2200 offers if you are prepared to spend a little time getting to know your camera. The controls on the back of the camera are well laid out and clearly marked. The main dial has a few more settings assigned to it than a lot of cameras. Don't be put off by this as I think this simplifies the camera and puts more of the features literally at your fingertips.
As with any digital camera you will need to become familiar with the menu system to get the most out of the camera, but I found the menus well thought out and you can soon find your way around them.
You can review images at the touch of a button. They are played back for you on the LCD screen. Deleting images that you don't wish to keep is also simple.
Cost
At the time of writing you can buy the Nikon Coolpix 2200 for around £130. In my opinion that is very reasonable.
Style
Some digital cameras are designed with the emphasis very much on style. Whilst I wouldn't say that about the Nikon Coolpix 2200 it is a bright, silver, camera that looks fine by me. If you are particularly style conscious then there are better models out there. If you are looking for a highly portable camera that takes good pictures then that is a fairly accurate description of this camera.
Batteries / Memory Cards
The Nikon Coolpix 2200 runs on 2 AA batteries or a single CRV3 battery. The camera did use the batteries up quickly, so investing in some rechargeable ones is likely to pay off in the longer term. Unlike previous Nikon cameras in this range it stores images on SD memory cards. It also has an internal memory of around 14.5MB. Although that is "nice to have" you will soon fill up the internal memory, so make sure you either have an additional memory card added in as part of the deal or that you budget for some extra memory.
Conclusion
I would have no hesitation in adding the Nikon Coolpix 2200 to your shortlist if you are looking for a 2 megapixel digital camera with a standard (3x) zoom lens. If you are looking for a digital camera with the same feature set, but with a little more power then check out its big brother the Nikon Coolpix 3200.
You will be hard pressed to find a better feature set in a digital camera in this price bracket. The wealth of different scene modes are very useful to someone who wants to take good photos without having to dig too deeply into the mechanics of the camera. With the image quality to back it up there can't be many better 2 megapixel cameras around than the Nikon Coolpix 2200.
| Nikon Coolpix 2200 Summary |
| Description: | 2 megapixels and 3x optical zoom. |
| Ease of Use: | 7 |
| Features: | 7 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 7 |
| Indoors: | 7 |
| Value for Money: | 7 |
| Style: | 7 |
| Movie Mode: | 6 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 72 |
| Verdict: | As an entry level camera this works well as it have a 3x optical zoom. Good pictures and easy to use. |
| Review Date: | April 2004 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images |
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