A blend of design elements originating
in the Coolpix 5400 with others from the recent Coolpix 8800,
the Coolpix 8400 is instantly identifiable as a member
of the Nikon family.
While the Coolpix 8400 shares
the 8-megapixel resolution of the Coolpix 8800, it differs
in its optics. Unlike the Coolpix 8800 which has a stabilized
10X zoom, the Coolpix 8400 is equipped with a shorter 3.5X
ED glass zoom that a wide angle (equivalent to a 24mm).
Just like the Coolpix 8800, the Coolpix 8400 is equipped
with a combination of a hinged LCD monitor, and an electronic
viewfinder (EVF).
The 1.8 inch, 134,000
pixel monitor is designed to be folded with its screen facing
the camera and its tough plastic back cover facing out, which
protects it. The monitor can be swung out to the left 180° and
then rotated forward up to 180°, making it face front,
and then swung back onto the camera's back so it can face the
user.
The electronic viewfinder (EVF)
provides an image composed of 235,000 pixels and has
a rubber eyepiece. In addition, a diopter correction on the
left side of the exit pupil makes it possible to adjust the
image precisely to one's eyesight.
Selecting either the EVF or the monitor for use is done
using a button, ,
placed on the back of the camera, at the 5 o'clock position
around the monitor. Moreover, if the monitor is closed while
it is active, the EVF is automatically turned on, and similarly,
if the EVF is active and the monitor is opened, the monitor
turns on.
Shutter Release and Power switch with
a row of three buttons aligned behind it:
The FUNC button works
in combination with the Command Dial(see further) as
a quick way to change shooting mode, or as in the case
of the Manual mode, to toggle back and forth between aperture
and shutter speed so that either can be changed using the
Command Dial.
The next button works by itself, changing the Flash mode each
time it is pressed:
Auto, Forced Off, Red-eye
Reduction, Fill Flash, Slow Sync with the first curtain,
Slow Sync with the second curtain.
The third button has a double function, depending on whether
the camera is in capture or playback mode:
In the capture mode, the
button, in combination with the Command Dial, controls
exposure compensation (± 2EV in 0.3EV increments).
In the Playback mode it serves to record a voice annotation,
up to 20 seconds long, which is added to the image currently
displayed on the screen.
Still on the top right side,
the Coolpix 8400 provides a Control Panel, that indicates
all the most important current settings of the camera,
such as aperture or shutter speed, metering mode, flash mode,
burst mode and focus mode, in addition to the number of images
that can be captured. Moreover, when necessary, the button
will illuminate the panel for up to 8 seconds.
The Mode Dial is to the left of the Control Panel.
The Mode Dial has 12 positions, 7 of which are capture modes:
Auto is a fully automatic
point and shoot mode that leaves the camera to decide all
settings and which has no menu. In this mode, the Coolpix
8400 focuses at the centre of the frame.
Program mode lets
the camera set both aperture and shutter speed while the
user has control over all other settings. And, by turning
the Command Dial, different combinations of apertures
and shutter speeds which would result in an equivalent
exposure can be selected (Program Shift).
Shutter Priority gives
control over the shutter speed while the camera selects
the aperture. The shutter speed range covers from 8 seconds
to 1/3000 second.
Aperture Priority gives
the user control over the depth of field by adjusting the
aperture from a range that covers from f2.6 to f7.9 at
the wide angle end, while the camera matches the selected
aperture to a shutter speed.
Manual mode
provides control over the shutter speed and the aperture,
each having the same range as indicated above. In addition,
the Manual mode provides access to a long exposure mode
that can be set up as either a Bulb or Timer mode. The
Bulb mode that can be used in combination with the Remote
Control (included), and the Timed Release mode allows pre-setting
the exposure time (30 seconds, 1, 3, 5 or 10 minutes).
The Scene position
is the access point for the 15 scene modes of
the Coolpix 8400.
The modes can be selected using the menu button and
selecting the desired Scene mode, or by pressing the FUNC button
and rotating the Command Dial, a wheel embedded
directly below the Mode Dial, and which is the Coolpix
8400's primary tool to change settings:
Portrait: softens the background
and allows the focus area to be selected.
Party/Indoor: the camera
focuses at the centre of the frame and the white balance
is adjusted to capture indoor lighting.
Night Portrait: uses the
slow synch flash mode and noise reduction if necessary.
Beach/Snow: compensates
for bright and reflective subjects such as snow and water.
Landscape: enhances outlines
and colours, and the focus is to infinity.
Sunset: emphasizes sunset
colours, and the focus is at the centre of the frame.
Night Landscape: uses a
slow shutter speed and infinity focus. (Use of a tripod
is suggested.)
Museum: for use where flash
photography is prohibited. Uses the Best Shot Selector
to ensure a sharp image.
Fireworks Show: uses a slow
shutter speed and infinity focus. (Use of a tripod is recommended.)
Close up: moves the lens
to the macro position and uses continuous focus. The focus
point is selectable.
Copy: is to copy text or
graphics as a black and white image with increased contrast.
Back light: forces the flash
to On to fill in the foreground. The focus is at the centre
of the frame.
Panorama Assist: allows
capturing a series of images that will be joined later
using software included with the camera.
Sports: gives preference
to a high shutter speed to stop action. The camera shoots
continuously while the shutter release is held down (approximately
2.3 frames per second).
Dusk/Dawn: captures the
weak light of dawn or dusk. Noise reduction is automatically
applied to images captured at low shutter speeds.
Movie Mode offers 5 movie types:
TV Movie captures a frame size of 640 x
480 pixels at 30 frames per second for
up to a maximum of 60 seconds.
Small Movie 320 records at a frame size of 320
x 240 pixels at 15 frames per second for
as long as there is space on the memory card.
Time-lapse Movie takes up to 1050 still images
at specified intervals and joins them to create a silent movie
with a frame size of 640 x 480 pixels and at 30 frames
per second (maximum movie time 35 seconds).
Sepia Movie records a movie of unlimited length
with a frame size of 320 x 240 pixels at 5 frames
per second.
B/W Movie records black and white movies at
15 frames per second and with a frame size of 320 x
240 pixels.
During Movie recording the exposure and focus are automatically
adjusted, but the optical zoom position is locked at
the first frame, and only the digital zoom is
available (maximum 2X). An electronic vibration reduction
(Electronic VR) is available with all formats except
Time-lapse movie.
The remaining Mode Dial positions are accesses to a variety
of settings:
Setup is the access
to the Setup menu which contains many of the basic
setting options for the Coolpix 8400. (See the Interface
and Software section of the review for an overview
of the settings contained in the Setup menu.)
Provides a quick access
to set the Image Quality and Size. (See
the Characteristics section of the review for more
information on the available image quality and size options.)
Sensitivity (50,
100, 200, 400 ISO or Auto, which selects the sensitivity
from 50 to 200 according to the ambient light).
White Balance: Auto,
Preset (set according to a white object under ambient light),
Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Speedlight,
or Shade.
The back of the Coolpix 8400 supports
all the other external controls. Fitted between the viewfinder
and the Command Dial and starting on the left, the first control
is the button
which serves to lock either the metered exposure or the focus.
Next comes the Zoom Control. The zoom control has
18 steps, and can move the lens from the wide angle end to
the telephoto in just over 1 second.
In Playback, the W side of the control can be used
to zoom out of image, or display thumbnails (4
or 9 photos per screen), and the T side allows zooming
into an image displayed
on the monitor with a possible magnification of up to 10X.
More buttons, two above and two
below, are positioned on either side of the Multi-Selector,
the 4-direction control on the right side of the 8400's back:
With one exception, the Auto mode,
which has no menu, this button displays the menu that
corresponds to the mode in use.
Serves as a fast access to
the Quick Review mode. When first pressed, the button
displays the last captured photo superimposed in the upper
left quadrant of the viewfinder or monitor's image. Pressing
it a second time displays the image full-screen and while
the image can be magnified for a closer look (10X), the
playback menu cannot be accessed.
The Enter button at the centre
of the Multi-Selector serves to confirm choices made in
the menus. In addition, when the camera is in playback
mode or in Quick Review mode, pressing the Enter button
instantly magnifies the image under review by a factor
of 3X.
Next is another button with a dual role, depending on whether
the camera is in a capture mode or in playback:
In the capture modes the button
serves to start the Self-Timer, providing a choice
of a 3 or a 10 second delay once the shutter release has
been pressed, and also allows the use of the Remote
control. In playback mode, or when the camera
is in Quick Review mode, the button serves to delete unwanted
images.
The Display button ()
on the other hand, always controls the information superimposed
on the EVF or the monitor. In the capture modes the button
cycles through 4 stages:
By default the Coolpix 8400 overlays
basic camera settings around the periphery of the frame, be it
in the viewfinder or on the monitor. By pressing the button
once a histogram showing the distribution of brightness in the
frame is added to the display. A second press of the button
removes all the superimposed information, but overlays a yellow
line grid as a aid to composition. Pressing the button a third
time removes the grid, leaving only the image coming from the
lens. Finally, pressing the button
once more returns to the default.
In Playback the button acts as
a simple toggle switch, moving back and forth between the current
information display (see the Characteristics section
for an overview of the information display modes available
in playback) and a display with only the image.
The two last buttons on the Coolpix 8400 are below the
monitor. The first on the right is, as explained earlier,
simply a switch between the EVF and the monitor. The second, controls
the focus modes. When held pressed and the Command Dial is
rotated, it serves to engage Manual Focus. The Manual focus
mode displays a little scale with a Macro icon on the left
side and a Landscape (infinity) icon on the right. Focus
is then adjusted by ascertaining sharpness on the monitor
or the EVF. Used by itself, the button cycles through:
AF, which is a standard auto focus which can focus
on a subject from 50 cm (1.8 ft) to infinity.
Infinity focus (),
which in addition to focusing at infinity, prevents the
flash from firing.
Macro focus (),
which offers a 3 cm (1.2 inch) focus distance to the subject
when the macro icon shown in the EVF or on the monitor
turns green.
The Coolpix 8400 is equipped with
both an automatically popped-up built-in flash and an accessory
shoe compatible with the optional Nikon Speedlights SB800, SB600 and
SC-29 and SC-28 synch cables for off-camera flash units.
The built-in flash unit of the Coolpix 8400 is listed as being able to
cover a range of 50cm to 8m (1.8 to 19.8 ft) when the camera sensitivity
is set to Auto (50 to 200 ISO).
If the appearance of the Coolpix
8400 is utilitarian, it is generally quite well designed ergonomically,
with one notable exception: an ill-placed neck strap post that
digs into the right hand as the camera is held. In other respects
however, the layout of controls is comfortable, including the
zoom control, which at first appears to be positioned a touch
too far towards the middle of the camera to be easily reached.
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Ergonomics
,
placed on the back of the camera, at the 5 o'clock position
around the monitor. Moreover, if the monitor is closed while
it is active, the EVF is automatically turned on, and similarly,
if the EVF is active and the monitor is opened, the monitor
turns on.
,
such as aperture or shutter speed, metering mode, flash mode,
burst mode and focus mode, in addition to the number of images
that can be captured. Moreover, when necessary, the 
button
will illuminate the panel for up to 8 seconds. 
Manual mode
provides control over the shutter speed and the aperture,
each having the same range as indicated above. In addition,
the Manual mode provides access to a long exposure mode
that can be set up as either a Bulb or Timer mode. The
Bulb mode that can be used in combination with the Remote
Control (included), and the Timed Release mode allows pre-setting
the exposure time (30 seconds, 1, 3, 5 or 10 minutes).
button
which serves to lock either the metered exposure or the focus.
(4
or 9 photos per screen), and the T side allows zooming
into an image 
displayed
on the monitor with a possible magnification of up to 10X.
)
on the other hand, always controls the information superimposed
on the EVF or the monitor. In the capture modes the button
cycles through 4 stages: 
controls
the focus modes. When held pressed and the Command Dial is
rotated, it serves to engage Manual Focus. The Manual focus
mode displays a little scale with a Macro icon on the left
side and a Landscape (infinity) icon on the right. Focus
is then adjusted by ascertaining sharpness on the monitor
or the EVF. Used by itself, the button cycles through:
),
which in addition to focusing at infinity, prevents the
flash from firing.
),
which offers a 3 cm (1.2 inch) focus distance to the subject
when the macro icon shown in the EVF or on the monitor
turns green.
