The interface of the Coolpix 8400 is in most respects identical
to the one developed for the Coolpix 8800. Information is presented
legibly, be it in the viewfinder or on the monitor, and camera
settings can be ascertained at a glance.
The other aspect of the Coolpix 8400's interface is the menu
system, and in this area the comments we made when we reviewed
the Coolpix 8800 are as applicable to the Coolpix 8400 as they
were to the Coolpix 8800. While the concept of a shortcut menu
is laudable, the design as it is here turns out to be more
of a hindrance than a help. Far too often the needed option
is not one of the 6 that are presented immediately, and the
result is that an extra step is required to reach the required
setting. In our opinion, an option to turn off the "My
Menu" system would have been useful. And, moreover, in
the future Nikon engineers may want to see if an entirely separate
menu dedicated to the most commonly accessed options and accessed
through a separate button — a system used by a number
of other manufacturers — might not be a better alternative.
One menu on the Coolpix 8400 is "stand-alone" and
is only accessed when the Mode Dial is to the Setup position.
The Setup menu is spread over 3 screens:
Language:offers a choice of German, English,
Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Japanese, Simplified
Chinese, Traditional Chinese, or Korean for the interface.
Date: serves to set the internal clock/calendar
of the Coolpix 8400, and decide both home and destination
time zones.
Folders: selects the folder into which photos will
be saved.
Monitor Options has 6 sub-options:
Release Speed: applies to the P/A/S/M modes
and serves to reduce the shutter lag — the time
between the moment at which the shutter release is
pressed and the time at which the photo is captured — at
the expense of the image quality displayed by the monitor. Normal gives
priority to the quality of the image displayed on the
monitor. Quick Response gives priority to the
shutter release speed lowering the monitor's image
(the recorded image quality is unaffected).
Review Options: also applies to the P/A/S/M
modes and serves to decide if a just captured image
will be displayed for a second post capture.
Brightness: to adjust the bright of either
the EVF or the monitor.
Hue: to adjust the colour hue of either the
EVF or the monitor.
Start-up Display: to select whether the EVF
or the monitor will come on first when the camera is
turned on.
Welcome Screen: to choose whether the Nikon
logo, or a selected image, or nothing will be displayed
when the camera starts.
Seq. Numbers has 3 settings:
On: numbers images consecutively, irrespective
of card formatting, or the use of new folders.
Off: restarts file numbering from 1 when a
new folder is created, a new card inserted, or the
card is formatted.
Reset: clears the last file number from memory.
Shutter Sound: On or Off, decides whether or not
the camera will make a sound when the shutter release is
pressed.
Auto Off: decides the length of time until the camera
shuts down automatically when it is inactive (30 seconds,
1, 5, or 30 minutes).
CF Card Format: to format the memory card.
Controls makes it possible to assign other functions
to two of the external buttons: FUNC and AE/AF-L:
FUNC button which can be set to access User
Setting, White Balance, Image Quality, Image Size,
Sensitivity, or Continuous modes.
AE-L , AF-L button which can be set to lock
both exposure and focus, or Exposure only (AE-L), or
AF only (AF-L).
Shot Confirmation: On or Off. When On this option
briefly flashes the Self-Timer lamp after the shutter has
released.
Info txt: creates a text file that stores all the
shooting data for every photo captured with the camera.
USB: provides for Mass Storage or PTP which allows
printing photos directly from the camera to a PictBridge
compatible printer.
Video Mode serves to decide the video out signal:
NTSC or PAL.
Reset All: returns the Coolpix 8400 to its factory
defaults with the exception of the Language, the date, the
Video Mode and the USB protocol.
Date Imprint: selects whether or not the date will
be imprinted permanently atop the image. Three options are
available: Off, Date, or Date and Time.
Firmware Version: displays the installed firmware's
version number (in the case of this test camera, Version 1.1).
A printed manual is included with the camera. Running at just
over 150 pages, the manual details all aspects and functions
of the camera, providing illustrations and detailed explanations.
Software
For the past year, all new Nikon
cameras have included software called Picture Project Version
1.1. In North America, the package is composed of 3 CDs. One
disc provides the Windows version, another the Mac version, and
the third disc contains the Reference Manual for the software
in various languages.
Picture Project uses
an interface that does not follow the standard conventions
for most of the software currently in use and the result is
that in many ways it is counter-intuitive, and that for instance,
a simple task such as opening an image requires either reading
the software's instruction manual, or a lot of trial and error,
which regrettably leads to frustration.
Once the basics are figured out however, it is possible
to do some editing to images, and see the Exif data.
Images can be auto corrected for Red-eye,
or even Auto enhanced. Moreover, some editing is possible
for Brightness, Colour Saturation, Sharpness, Photo Effects
(black and white/sepia), Straighten (rotation), or D-Lighting,
(a fill-flash effect).
As part of the Picture
Project disc, Nikon also includes a full copy of Panorama
Maker 3 from ArcSoft.
The program is designed to assemble photos captured using
the Coolpix's Panorama mode, creating sweeping panoramic
images by stitching them together nearly seamlessly.
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Interface & Software
