Nikon's
Coolpix 775 adds another model to the line, one with a lower and
more affordable price ($399 US), intended as an entry-level camera that
retains many of the features and qualities associated with the brand name.
The Coolpix 775 is quite tiny: just under 9cm (3.5 in) across and a bit
more than 6.5 cm (2.5 in) high. When the camera is turned off and the
lens is retracted, the lens barrel is at the same level as the grip, making
the Coolpix 775 small and nearly square.
On-Off switch
fitted around the shutter release, and a Mode Dial with
a wide range of selections. All other controls are aligned on the edges
of the 1.5 inch LCD screen, on the back of the camera.
There,
the most dominant is the 4-direction selector whose right and left
arrows double as zoom controls, while the up arrow serves
as an On/Off switch for the LCD screen.
To
the right of the screen is the Transfer button, a new feature,
which marks the image for automatic transfer to the computer. Images can
be marked or unmarked at will, simply by pressing the button. Below is
the Quick button which allows a fast access to Playback while the
Mode Dial remains in an image recording mode. The system first presents
a thumbnail of the last image taken — in the upper left quarter of
the screen — and then presents the image full screen if Quick
is pressed a second time. In Playback mode the same button is used
to magnify an on-screen photo (2X).
Starting
from the left, the first button below the LCD screen is used to engage
Landscape, Macro, Self-timer, Macro with Self-timer.
Oddly, the sequence in which these are presented differs from the order
in with the symbols are printed below the button. The first push calls
up the self-timer, the second the landscape mode, the third the macro
mode and the fourth the macro mode/ self-timer combination.
The second button is for the Flash Modes, cycling through Auto
with Red-eye Reduction, Forced on, Slow Synch, Auto, Forced Off.
The
third button below the screen calls up the camera's menu. The menu is
composed of 2 parts, the first concerned with photographic settings, the
second with basic camera configuration.
The Nikon Coolpix 775 is one of the simplest cameras Nikon has produced
recently. With a 2.1 megapixel resolution, a 3X zoom lens, a diminutive
size, and quite intuitive operations, it should quickly establish itself
as a popular entry-level model.
