Nikon Coolpix P4

Reviewed July 2006

Introduction

The Nikon Coolpix P4 is one of two new Nikon cameras that share the same body style, the other being the Coolpix P3. The P4 offers an 8.1 megapixel resolution a 3.5X Nikkor zoom and a 2.5-inch monitor. IN addition, it integrates Nikon's Vibration Reduction system (VR).

Four controls are positioned on top of the P4. On the right, a small power button recessed into the surface of the camera is flanked by a tiny green LED that glows green when the camera is on.

To its left is the 2-stage shutter release, which locks the auto exposure and the auto focus when pressed and held at the halfway point.

• VR Normal: is the default mode. The camera detects and smoothes out panning movements. Vibration reduction reduces only vertical shake when the camera is panned horizontally, and only horizontal shake when the camera is panned vertically.
• VR Active: is designed for severe shaking, such as when shooting from a moving vehicle. This mode does not detect panning movements.
• Off: turns off Vibration reduction when it is not required, such as when the camera is mounted on a tripod.

The Mode Dial is the last control on top of the P4, and is positioned almost at the centre of the camera.

The Mode Dial has 9 positions, five of which are for capture modes, while the four others serve to set specific parameters.

The P4's capture modes are bracketed by the Auto and Movie modes:

Auto is the simplest mode of the camera as the camera handles all settings. This mode has no menu.

	Programmed Auto lets the camera select the aperture and the shutter speed, but provides a menu for other settings such as ISO sensitivity, white balance, metering pattern, auto focus, etc. In addition, it is possible to select alternative combinations of aperture and shutter speeds that will result in a similar exposure (Flexible Program), while favouring depth of field, or speed to capture action (see further).
	Aperture Priority Auto operates much like the Program mode but allows selecting the aperture while the camera matches it to a shutter speed. With the zoom lens at the wide angle end, the apertures start at f2.7 to f7.6 in 10 steps and at the telephoto end range from f5.3 to f7.3 in 4 steps.
	The Scene position of the dial provides access to the P4's 16 Scene Modes. When the Scene position is selected, the camera automatically returns to the last used Scene mode. However, pressing the MENU button displays the list of Scene modes, represented as icons. Nine of these have a black corner, indicating that these modes offer the possibility of controlling colour saturation and/or sharpness. Portrait (Face AF) Portrait Party/Indoor Night Portrait Landscape Panorama Assist Night Landscape Beach/Snow Sunset Dusk/Dawn Fireworks Show Back Light Close Up Museum Copy Sports
	Next is the Movie mode, which offers different frame sizes, but all at 30 frames per second: TV movie 640 (default): captures a 640 x 480 pixels frame size with sound. Small Size 320: captures a 320 x 240 pixels frame size with sound. Smaller Size 160: captures a 160 x 120 pixels frame size with sound. Time Lapse Movie: captures up to 1050 images at a 640 x 480 pixels frame size, which the camera then assembles into a silent animation at 30 frames per second, for a maximum of 35 seconds. The interval between each shot must be specified at the outset. Movies, with the exception of Time Lapse Movies, last as long as there is space on the memory card, or in the 32MB internal memory. Focus can be set to Single AF, which locks it at the first frame, or Full-Time AF, which allows the camera to follow a moving subject. Worth noting however, the sound produced by the Full-Time AF will be recorded as well. The zoom position is locked at the first frame, the white balance is set to Auto and the metering is set to Matrix, neither of which can be changed. A 2X digital zoom (up to 4X with Time-Lapse movie) is available and only VR Normal mode is available for Vibration Reduction.

The next position on the Mode Dial is to access the SETUP menu, which serves to set the basic settings of the P4 (see the Interface and Software section of the review for a detailed list of the settings contained in this menu).

The final three positions of the Mode Dial offer a direct access to:

All the other external controls of the P4 are clustered on the right side of the 2.5-inch, 150,000 pixel monitor.

At the top is the zoom control, which as is now common, also serves when the P4 is set to the Playback mode. The side presents captured images as an index, placing first 4, then 9, then 16 thumbnails per screen each time it is pressed, while the can be used to magnify parts of an image up up to 10X.

Moreover, as with other recent Nikon Coolpix cameras, the T/ side offers an additional function, as indicated by the icon. When a menu is displayed on the monitor, pressing the T side displays a short explanation of the option that is currently highlighted, or if the Scene selection screen, of the highlighted scene mode.

Under the zoom control is a round button labelled MENU that displays the menu for the current camera mode. To its right a oblong LED lights to indicate the readiness of the flash.

Next down is the 4-direction control that rings the OK button whose primary function is to confirm menu selections, but which also serves to start the automatic transfer of images when the P4 is connected to a computer running the software Nikon supplies with the camera.

The 4-direction control itself serves to navigate the menus, and to review captured image while the camera is in Playback mode. In addition, all four directions control functions while the P4 is set to a capture mode, each displaying a short menu on the monitor:

Two other buttons are aligned horizontally below the 4-direction control. On the left the button starts the Playback mode, which, if it is maintained pressed while the camera is turned off, while turn on the camera directly in the Playback mode, without extending the lens. While on the right, the button serves to delete unwanted images.

With the P4, the information superimposed on the image can be modified.

Set to a capture mode, the camera superimposes the current mode on the monitor, along with the flash mode, the memory in use (internal or card), the image size and quality settings, the remaining number of images that can be captured using the current memory. Moreover, when the shutter release is pressed halfway, the camera displays the selected aperture and shutter speed.

Going through the Setup menu, a composition grid can be superimposed on the image, or most of the information displayed atop the image can be removed.

Set to the Playback mode, the image is presented with the capture date and time superimposed, along with the folder name, the image's file name, its memory location (internal or card), its resolution and quality settings, and its position within the group of photos in the folder.

Still in Playback, pressing the OK button presents the image as a thumbnail at the top left of the monitor with its histogram, which illustrates the distribution of brightness throughout the image, is displayed below. While the right side of the screen reveals the shooting parameters, including the capture mode used, the exposure compensation, the shutter speed and aperture, and the ISO sensitivity.

The Coolpix P4, with its limited number of external controls and their easily remembered placement has a good ergonomic design. Moreover, the fact that the Mode Dial can be used to change some settings without have to go through the menu is quite efficient.

Similarly, although the P4 has no optical monitor, its LCD monitor has a relatively high definition and is sufficiently bright to remain visible even under direct light.