I love my film cameras (also Nikon), but there are many advantages to owning a digital camera. Not only can you see your results right away, but the digital nature has some cool advantages - want to shoot in B&W? Don't change film, just change a camera setting. The viewfinder in the 5700 will also show in B&W! That's pretty cool. At a decent resolution with moderate compression, I can get 1,100 images on a ... 256 MB card. Yes, that's one thousand one hundred - at a quality that will produce a very decent 8x10 print. How many rolls of film is that?

Of course the Nikon quality is exceptional, from the ED glass in the optics to the very strong alloy body. I do not feel that the size is too small, but I do find the positioning of the right camera strap a wee bit awkward.

If you do consider digital, with the 5700 or not, I do recommend buying extra memory cards - the prices are low and the 16 to 32 MB cards that usually come with the camera will fill too quickly, especially if you want to use the full 5 MP resolution. Also, battery life is a problem. Buying those ... lithium batteries for the 880 (same battery as the 5700) nearly bankrupted me until I bought Nikon's rechargable battery system (which the 5700 comes with - kudos to Nikon). Buy an extra battery or two - you will not regret it! Indeed, shell out the bucks for the 5700, you won't regret that either.

75 of 75 found the following review helpful:


Great Camera  Dec 12, 2002
This camera takes amazingly detailed pictures and the colors are very true to-life. I have been taking all of my pictures in FINE mode (the highest quality JPEG but not as high as the RAW mode) and can't imagine anything better. I have printed out 8x10s on my 3 year old HP 970, and ordered prints through Snapfish. I have to keep pulling them out to look at them because I can't believe how clear they are.
On my computer screen (17" Sony Trinitron)I can blow up pictures of my 3 year-old daughter to life size with no pixelation. In fact, they get clearer initially as I zoom in because the picture resolution is greater than the screen resolution. Nice software suite included which makes it easy to remove red-eyes, crop, etc. I don't even bother with the red-eye flash mode anymore, just clean it up on the computer. Plug-and-play with Windows XP is awesome.
I have read other reviews about being unable to use the autofocus indoors which I don't understand. I bought this camera as gift for my wife and have been taking most of my pictures in our basement in very low light conditions over the past two weeks. If I zoom into a dark corner from 40' away, it might take a few seconds but it always works. After reading the manual when I first bought it, I did change the autofocus option to "Spot" from "Matrix". This lets the camera just try to focus on the very center of the viewfinder/subject. I went outside this evening and took a pictures of a neighbors' Christmas lights approximately 200' from my house and didn't have a problem with the autofocus. The only problem I see with the autofocus would be with someone who was shooting action photos. The autofocus does take a second or two to lock in.
After the first day, I haven't even used the LCD. To me it's much more natural to look through the viewfinder, and I haven't had any problems with it. The camera fits perfectly in my hands; nice grip.
The only issues I have seen with it so far are relatively minor to me (but they may be a bigger issue to someone else).

1. Short battery life. You will need at least 2, maybe 3.
2. Save yourself some gas (or postage) and purchase at least 256 MB of memory when you buy the camera. The card that comes with the camera is useless. It's pointless to have a 5 MP camera if don't have the memory to store hi-res images. You can fit about 104 on a 256 MB card in fine mode.
3. Doesn't come with a power adapter. You may want one.
4. Nikon does not support filters on this camera. I have traded e-mails with Nikon and the reason they don't is because filters will cause vignetting on most of the range of the 8x zoom. It does come with lens cap.

Overall I am extremely satisfied with this camera.

98 of 100 found the following review helpful:


Review from a persnickety photographer  May 10, 2003
My first real film camera was a Pentax Spotmatic 35mm SLR. My current film camera is still a Pentax Spotmatic. To those whom it matters, that should say it all.

In the store, I compared the Coolpix 5700 with the Minolta Dimage 7i. The Minolta starts up faster, due to the manual zoom optical system. However, the musical tone it makes is very unprofessional and calls attention to itself. The Nikon does a mechanical initialize and then with a slight tone is ready; more like a pro's camera. The Minolta has larger displays (viewfinder and LCD) that make changing settings easier. (I wish the Nikon's displays were that size!) However, the Coolpix's LCD viewer (normally placed against the back of the camera to protect it from scratches) can be rotated to most any angle required, including downward to facilitate holding the camera overhead and still being able to compose shots. Try that on your 35mm film camera!

For manual focussing, the Minolta has a manual focus ring, but it requires a lot of turns to go from infinite to macro (very slow if you are used to the focus ring of a 35mm SLR camera) and the display is pixelated in some way that makes it difficult to determine when an area is in focus. The Coolpix 5700 requires pressing buttons, but gets there quicker and the focus is more like the ground glass of a 35mm SLR camera.

In the automatic mode, the Coolpix 5700 is hyperactive, always busy checking and adjusting focus. I found that annoying. I guess it reduces battery life, too. So, I set the user modes to check focus only when the shutter button is halfway down. Once the camera has set the focus, a picture can be taken as fast as a film camera. In very low light, the camera may have a problem finding the focus point. In this case, you can either manually focus the camera, or use a pocket flashlight to momentary shine on the object - the camera will lock in instantly.

In the studio, the Coolpix 5700 works as good as any 35mm SLR for portraits. By swinging the LCD display outward, a portrait can be composed easier than it would be peering into the viewfinder of a 35mm SLR camera. The results are equivalent to 100 ASA 35mm Kodak Ektachrome film, with the advantage of being able to get a print within minutes. I have an HP Deskjet 932 and use HP Premium Plus glossy paper. I get a print that is as good in quality as a regular glossy print from film, except that the dot pattern from the ink jets is visible on close inspection - instead of the normal soft grain of photographic film.

In the field, the LCD and viewfinder displays stand up to all but direct sunlight. I wear glasses, so light does stray into the viewfinder - however, I get that with all cameras. I have developed the technique of shading the top of the camera with my hand and this technique works fine with the Coolpix 5700. I find that the camera snuggles nicely in my hands. Some reviewers report encountering a problem with the right eyelet - I wonder if they are holding the camera correctly? The correct way is shown in the manual, similar to the way you would properly hold a 35mm SLR camera. Also, the editorial reviewer states the camera may be a bit too small considering its functionality. That's an interesting comment. I find that in the field, smaller is better as long as the camera is rugged (which the Coolpix 5700 appears to be). A small camera is less obtrusive and less of a burden when wandering around all day long in a crowded air show.

There are so many functions built into this camera that there is almost nothing you cannot do with it. Hoever, the big disadvantage of this camera is having to negotiate the complex menu structure to find all these functions. I have problems with it at times and I am very experienced with computers at that! That slows down making certain changes, sometimes requiring a check of the manual to locate a certain setting. With some planning and programming the user modes, you can limit this problem when shooting in the field by setting each mode for a certain type of situation that might be encountered.

The final word: Pentax Spotmatic 35mm film cameras have been my friends for many years. They are now relegated to the closet, replaced by the Nikon Coolpix 5700.

101 of 104 found the following review helpful:


The ALMOSt pro Digital camera for under [$]  Sep 17, 2002 By Mike Walker "Filmmaker and Photographer"
This camera rivals the [$] pro cameras on the market. Add a 1 Gig IBM Microdrive and you can take 134 photos in the high res. Raw format which will easily make a perfect 13x19 print that is true photo quality. The minimum density is fantastic so skin tones are beautiful, I was shooting with a Nikon N80 and scanning the transparencies with a Canon 4000 DPI scanner. That is both expensive and time consuming. This camera is about 80% as sharp as that combo...but with a better contrast range! My average session with a model is 6-8 rolls. With 2 microdrives I can achieve that quaintly with no computer necessary! And the cost of a single drive is recouped in 3 sessions (Film and processing costs eliminated).
Cons: Horrible low light sensitivity...Slow saving in the HiRes modes and the camera controls TOTALLY lock up while the cache is written to the disk/drive (after 3 consecutive shots in HiRes ONLY). You can shoot, but not change ANYTHING manually. This problem disappears in the JPEG modes which are fine for many applications. Autofocus is slow at extreme telephoto setting and in low light. AND the shutter release button delay is intolerable when using flash or in low light.
So if you want to do a lot of action photography pick another camera. If however, you want the sharpest image for the least money then buy the Nikon Coolpix 5700. And buy several extra batteries and as large a storage device as you can afford.

235 of 256 found the following review helpful:


This camera will drive you insane!  Sep 15, 2003 By Bill
I read the user warnings: impossible low light autofocus, poor manual focus with no distance indicator, battery eater, buttons on the side can't be found when you need them but always hit by accident, no filter threads. I thought, "It's a Nikon. Must be operator problems." I was wrong.

This camera has a good flash and works well with Nikon external flash units, but there's a catch. The camera will not focus under conditions when you normally need a flash! No focus assist light, and the manual focus...you've got to be kidding: Hold down a button on the side of the camera while turning a knurled wheel on top. Under really bright conditions, you can sort-of tell when the image is in focus, but under those conditions, you probably don't need manual focus. If you think maybe you'll just estimate the distance under dim light and dial it in, well guess what? The focus distance indicator is a bar which slides between a flower and a mountain. How's that for precision measurement!

Yep, it eats batteries. Buy two spares ($$ ouch!) and a rapid charger plus a car adapter. You'll always have batteries on you mind when you use this camera. You can turn off Continuous Autofocus and reduce battery drain, and noise, significantly, though.

I found a press-on adapter for $25 to use standard threaded filters. That helped, but should not have been necessary on a $900 camera.

And just wait till you hit the file type button by mistake--and discover you've changed from Fine (JPEG) to RAW, and have to wait 45 seconds for the 15MB file to save to CF, while you scratch your head trying to figure out what happened.

Yes, the menus are a little complex and mastering the extensive feature set may take a while, but that's to be expected with this many features, although some would be better placed for quick access. Built-in macro focusing is good, too, but an aperture smaller than F8--at least F11 or F16--might give the depth of field you need for close-up photography. The 8:1 zoom is nice, with 35mm equivalent of 280mm, but the wide angle end is weak with only 35mm wide angle instead of the more usefull 28mm equivalent. And given the price of this camera, image stabilization should be included for hand-holding the telephoto zoom.

But it's the low light focus that will drive you screaming into the night. A helper pointing a small flashlight or a laser pointer at your subject will help the camera to focus (you'll get used to the Canon people laughing at you), but you'll still be guessing on the composition, since the viewfinder display goes nearly black in low light. If Nikon could at least update the firmware to display manual focus distance in feet--that would be a help, but just try and contact anyone interested! You get referred to the incredibly lame FAQs and "knowledge base" every time!

If you really want the precision framing of TTL viewfinders on a digital, save your money for a true digital SLR.

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