Nikon Coolpix 5400A solid update to Nikon's upper-midrange Coolpix. 5 megapixels, 4x zoom, tons of features!<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 07/12/2003 |
Video Out
Power
The
Coolpix 5400 runs on a rechargeable EN-EL1 lithium-ion battery pack, housed
inside the hand grip, or an external AC adapter which plugs into the right side
of the camera (available as a separate accessory). Nikon estimates that a fully
charged battery pack should provide about 110 minutes of recording time, with
the LCD monitor enabled. (Note that this year's EN-EL1 battery packs have a
capacity of 680 mAh. I don't have an older pack here to compare against, but
my notes from previous Coolpix reviews indicate that these packs previously
had a capacity of 650 mAh. - A bit under a 5% improvement.) Working with the
LCD monitor disabled will greatly increase battery life, and the ability
to switch the autofocus mode from Continuous AF to Single AF saves some battery
power as well.
| (@ 8.4 v) | (680mAh, 7.4v EN-EL1) |
Capture Mode, w/LCD | | 110 |
Capture Mode, no LCD | | 145 |
Half-pressed shutter w/LCD | | 108 |
Half-pressed w/o LCD | | 139 |
Memory Write (transient) | | n/a |
Flash Recharge (transient) | | n/a |
Image Playback | | 177 |
Overall, the Coolpix 5400 shows good battery life, better than much of the competition, but not as good as some. As always, I still strongly recommend purchasing a second battery along with your camera, and keeping it charged and on hand. Murphy's law clearly applies to digicam batteries, as they always pick the worst possible times to run out of juice.
Included Software
The Coolpix 5400 ships with Nikon View software for downloading, reviewing, and editing images. The application is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh platforms, and provides minor image editing and management capabilities. The application is loaded on a single CD-ROM, and a separate CD holds the software instruction manual.
In the Box
Included with the Coolpix 5400 are the following items:
- Lens cap.
- Neck/shoulder strap.
- A/V cable.
- 16MB "Starter" CompactFlash card.
- USB cable.
- Rechargeable EN-EL1 lithium battery.
- Battery charger.
- Nikon View and software instruction manual CD-ROMs.
- Camera instruction manual.
- Registration and warranty information.
Recommended Accessories
- Secondary battery pack.
- AC adapter.
- Soft case.
Lost Images? - Download this image-recovery program so you'll
have it when you need it...
Since we're talking about memory and image storage, this would be a good time
to mention the following: I get a ton of email from readers who've lost photos
due to a corrupted memory card. It's tragic when it happens, there are few things
more precious than photo memories. Corrupted memory cards can happen with any
card type and any camera manufacturer, nobody's immune. "Stuff happens,"
as they say. A surprising number of "lost" images can be recovered
with an inexpensive, easy to use piece of software though. Given the amount
of email I've gotten on the topic, I now include this paragraph in all my digicam
reviews. The program you need is called PhotoRescue, by DataRescue SA. Read
our review of it if you'd like, but download the program now,
so you'll have it. It doesn't cost a penny until you need it, and even then
it's only $29, with a money back guarantee. So download PhotoRescue for
Windows or PhotoRescue for
Mac while you're thinking of it. (While you're at it, download the PDF
manual and quickstart
guide as well.) Stash the file in a safe place and it'll be there when you need
it. Trust me, needing this is not a matter of if, but when... PhotoRescue
is about the best and easiest tool for recovering digital photos I've seen.
(Disclosure: IR gets a small commission from sales of the product, but I'd highly
recommend the program even if we didn't.) OK, now back to our regularly
scheduled review...
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