Help with coolpix camera

Rob85635

Well, I had decided to purchase the Nikon Coolpix 4500 since so many have recommened it but it is now discontinued in the US. Is there another model coopix that I might buy that is as good or better at macro photography. I was reading how well the 4500 does on close ups so I decided to get it but it is in low supply. They still have new ones on Ebay, but if it has been replaced by a better model I would rather get the upgrade.

Thanks for any advice. Oh, by the way, I went to a Circle K yesterday and recieved a 1952 D Lincoln in change in MS condition. I am guessing MS61-62, not worth a whole lot but i was surprised at the mint luster and its condition. Who would spend a MS Wheatie?? Anyway I will post a picture of it when I get my new camera, whatever I get.

Rob the Newbie

nwcs

I'd get the newer one, too.

earlwbollinger

I would suggest to not buy one off of Ebay.
You taking a considerable risk that it is defective.
Buy one from a good store that has a real return exchange policy.

orie

I have a Nikon Coolpix 2100, 2 pixels, that works fine for me. The newer model is a 2200 that sells for around $150. My sons a photo journalist and his opinion is you don't gain much with more pixels. He says, "it ain't the equipment, it's the operator".

ddbird

The new 4300...is supposedly Very good for close ups. Normally about $499, but I have seen it go on ebay for about $250. If you buy on ebay, make sure it comes with the factory warranty though!

goldrush00013

<< <i>I have a Nikon Coolpix 2100, 2 pixels, that works fine for me. The newer model is a 2200 that sells for around $150. My sons a photo journalist and his opinion is you don't gain much with more pixels. He says, "it ain't the equipment, it's the operator". >>

JRocco

I recently got the Nikon Coolpix 4200. Great camera. I am still trying to learn how to get the most out of it. Shoot me a PM and I can get you the name of a great camera shop that will ship anywhere and has great prices. I can't take pics for the life of me , yet it can capture some nice pics.

Rob85635

Im getting a bit confused... do you all think I should not buy it on ebay if I get it? I was looking at the auction at the bottom.

If I don't get the 4500 is the 4300 just as good for close ups? You mentioned that it was good but is that something you know from personal experience? I am really interested in a good close up camera and want to spend less than $500.

This kinda sucks, I been looking for so long and still cant make up my mind, there are just so many cameras out there, hehe.

Rob the Newbie Auction

ddbird

I have been looking for good cameras...and I found that the 4300 is very new...and very good at close ups. Some board members here I have talked too said it would do a great job. If you can afford it, I would not buy on ebay, only if your on a tight budget. I dont think you will go wrong with any of the NIKON Coolpix series...all pretty much have a very high end macro mode. There are some other threads about which cameras people use with some sample pics. Good luck

Good Thread about cameras!

orie

I bought my Coolpix new with warranty off ebay. Shortly after I got it the lens froze out. Sent it to Nikon for repair and there was no problem with the warranty. Nikon is very, very slow. Over a month slow.

Barry

I would suggest buying from a reputable retailer. I buy lots of stuff on Ebay, but I won't buy a computer and I won't buy a camera there. Too many bogus deals in those areas. One of my favorites (with competitive prices) is B&H Photo. Check any of the camera/photo message boards, and you'll find them very highly regarded.

Rob85635

Thanks for the advice Barry, but they don't carry the Nikon 4300. Anyone else have ideas where I can buy a 4300?

Rob the Newbie

K6AZ

It's looking like the 4300 has been discontinued. They have a new model, the 5200 which has even better specs. Here is the info at Newegg. I've done business with Newegg for quite a while, and they are fast and good to do business with.

5200 at Newegg

Rob85635

4500 - discontinued, 4300 - discontinued... ACK, whats a guy to do. Next I will hear the 5200 is discontinued, hehe. So anyone use a 5200, is it good for macro / coin pics?

Rob the Newbie

Rob85635

What do you think of this auction? The feedback is very good and very high Coolpix 5400?

Rob the Newbie

airplanenut

The 4500 was discontinued last summer... it's a fabulous camera. It's advantage is the extreme closeups, and the swiveling lens, which means it doesn't need a copy stand (just a mini tripod you can take anywhere)... I strongly recommend the 4500.

Jeremy

Zulan

Good choice!!! I think I will bid on it!!!!

FrattLaw

Consider the Olympus C-5050, some of us use that one as well. I taught Mark Feld how to use his over the phone and if anyone knows Mark -- he is, well let's say, technically challenged, so if he can use it and get great pics anyone can.

Here's one with the Olympus.........




Michael

Strat

I wouldn't buy a digital camera on EBay either. I'm sure many transactions turn out fine, but I've heard stories of no manuals, missing accessories and the like. This link is from Amazon, and you can at least use it to do some product research. Since I've just been through the process of researching cameras, I can tell you that it was helpful to research Amazon, then visit local stores to try out the cameras. The Nikon Coolpix line is highly regarded. Best of luck with your choice.

Coolpix 5400

Rob85635

The Amazon price is definately competative. Any comments on that auction I linked? Not sure if Zulan was being sarcastic or serious. I like it because of the included accessories.


5400

Rob the Newbie

100proof1957

do a search via pricegrabber.com

Strat

Rob,

I took a look at the Ebay auction you've linked, and noticed that some of the accessories are included with the Coolpix camera anyway . In other words, you're not gaining as much as he's saying. However, the carrying case and tripod are valuable additions, and those two items are not normally included.

K6AZ

As some others have stated, I wouldn't touch a DC on eBay. Most of these are grey market items, usually with no or very limited warranties, and do not come with the accessories that the retail packages offer. I would strongly advise dealing with an authorized retailer. Trying to save a few dollars is not worth it on these.

goldrush00013

<< <i>I have a Nikon Coolpix 2100, 2 pixels, that works fine for me. The newer model is a 2200 that sells for around $150. >>








Don't waste your money on the high end models. The 2200 is all the camera you'll ever need for close ups.

I have the old 2000 and it takes great pics close up.

WWW

Buy it new and from a reputable dealer. For me, I buy a lot of gear from newegg.com and highly recommend them.
Most of the really nice Nikons have been discontinued. I use the Nikon CP 5000 and love it. I've also used the CP 5400,
it's replacement and the awesome CP 8700, but neither can hold a candle to the 5000 or the 4500 for that matter (when it
comes to imaging coins). The other Nikons mentioned in this thread are very worthy contenders and should also be considered.
A very good website exists that might help you in making a final determination: Digital Photography Review

RBinTex

Coolpix 5200 is a new 5-megapixel wonder at only $499.

K6AZ

<< <i>Coolpix 5200 is a new 5-megapixel wonder at only $499. >>



$429.50 at Newegg

Rob85635

Well, the dust has settled and a decision has been made. Thank you everyone for your support and advice. I took the general consensus of the members here and decided against an Ebay purchase. I considered the Coopix 4500 (import only now), the 5200, the 5400, the Nikon D70 (to expensive), the olympus C-5050 and a few others.

I decided to go with the Coolpix 5400 and ordered it yesterday from Newegg. I spent a bit more than I wanted, and was hard pressed to pick between it and the 5200 in the end, but the 5400 supposedly has better macro abilities. It can focus down to 1 cm I believe. Thanks again for all the advice and I look forward to posting my first pictures. I think I will start with the 52D Lincoln I got in change the other day. Not a high dollar coin, but I was tickled to get a MS wheatie in change, it is nice and shiny. I will ask for you all to help me grade it when I post the picture.

Thanks to everyone.

Rob the Newbie

mgoodm3

Let me know when you get your 5400. I can give you some tips on making it work better for macro.

earlwbollinger

Im getting a bit confused... do you all think I should not buy it on ebay if I get it? I was looking at the auction at the bottom.

Well the problem is that a lot of these cameras are defective in some way.
Thus they try and unload them on Ebay.
The warranty may or may not be honored by the camera maker as the seller may not be a authorized dealer.
I have seen some items as for sale in Asia or Europe only, wind up for sale in the USA. When you have a warranty
problem, your stuck as the camera company will likely not honor the warranty. Watch out for odd model numbers, etc.
Now if you buy one from one of the reputable dealers selling on Ebay, your in pretty good shape.
The problem is determining who is reputable or not.
I prefer to buy from a local large chain store, like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, and so on. If I have a problem right away
I can take it right back to the store and get another one.

jom

Go for any Nikon. Their Macro modes are the best. I have a Coolpix 950 (very early model) and it still works great. If I ever upgrade it'll definately be a Nikon...no question.



jom

Rob85635

Well my new camera has arrived. I ordered initially from Newegg but there was a problem with my address, so rather than call me they cancelled the order. I went and looked and sure enough, I was listed with the correct zip code but the incorrect state. I think that when I filled out the membership document I accidently hit the scroll button on my mouse and went from AZ to NY. Anyway, I called them to try and straighten it out, they told me that I had to call Federal Express and find out why they had the problem with my address and that they had cancelled my order. Newegg told me that I would need to find out what the problem was and re-order. The guy was short and wanted to hang up so I let him. Anyway, their loss.

I bought it for a few more dollars from Buy.com and it arrived yesterday, I have it now and have no idea what I am doing. hehe. What an abundance of features.

mgoodm3, I will take you up on your offer for help with the Macro feature and how to use it. I will of course experiment and read the manual but any hints would be appreciated.

I will post some close ups of some coins as soon as i figure out how to take the best pictures. I look forward to all your help as I have some coins I have questions about and would love some expert input.

Thanks for all the help,

Rob the Newbie

ddbird

Cool...I think Ill go with the 4200...more in my budget!

mgoodm3

I sent this to someone else who had a 5400.

If you want to play with the camera more, these are the settings I use. I sent this to another forum member with a 5400 yesterday.

1. For shooting coins I use Aperture priority mode "A" on the big dial. The aperture is set on the small dial. The camera sets the shutter speed. I tend to use higher aperture numbers (shows what the aperture is in the lower right of the screen as F7.6 for example) to get a good depth of focus. If you are taking pictures at an angle you want enough depth to the focus to get the closest and farthest parts of the coin in focus. If you are trying to get color out of Morgans and shooting at an angle, I would stick to an aperture of 7 or more.

2. I allow for manually setting the focus area (by the round "joystick button) on the lower right of the camera. Get this by hitting "menu" button, go down to and click "show all menus". Keep hitting down button on joystick until you get to page 2 and click on "focus options", then hit "AF area mode", Then click "manual". Now when you're taking pictures it will show 5 brackets on the screen, the red one is where it is focusing. You can move that red area around with the joystick button. (I often use the outside one to get the coin out from under the camera a bit more). If shooting at an angle I focus about 2/3 to 3/4 up the coin ( i think it tends to focus on the slab which is in front of the coin and cheating up will put the focus plane at about the center of the coin that way).

3. I meter the exposure off the place where it is focusing off of. Hit "menu" , click "metering", then click "spot autofocus area".

4. Macro focus. Hit "AF" button. White mountain will show up first, hit it again and you get a flower. Flower is macro mode. You want to keep that flower green. If it's white you have too much zoom on the lens. It only allows good macro focus with a tiny amount of zoom. Hit the "AF" button again And it will keep the macro mode but add the auto timer feature to the exposure (sounds like you found that already). But you gotta keep the flower green or macro won't work properly.

5. White Balance. Turn the big knob to WB. Hit right arrow on joystick on "White bal preset" The camera will do a little jig. click down to "measure" and hit the center button on the joystick. Do this with a piece of white paper below the camera with the lights on the you intend to take the pictures with. You should get and accurate white balance as long as you don't change things too much.