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Nikon CoolPix 885 More Pixels, More Features, (a little) More Money - Nikon extends their sub-compact Digicam line! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet CoolPix 885 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on CoolPix 885 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Executive Overview :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 3:Design Review First Posted: 9/19/2001

Design
The Nikon Coolpix 885 is very similar in design to its predecessors, the Coolpix 880 and 775. The all-black camera body is constructed of high-impact polycarbonate, with aluminum reinforcements along the top and around the lens barrel. A large hand grip on the right and a telescoping zoom lens on the left, contribute to the 885's "miniature SLR" appearance. The body is very compact, measuring only 3.7 x 2.7 x 2.0 inches (95 x 69 x 52mm) and lightweight (7.9 ounces / 225 grams without the battery), making it a very comfortable camera to carry in one hand and nearly weightless when dropped into a coat pocket or purse. At the same time though, the large hand grip on the right provides a comfortable grip, and easy access to the controls.

The front of the camera features the flash, optical viewfinder window, Red-Eye reduction lamp and 3x zoom lens. When the camera is powered on, and the Mode dial is set to any of the capture modes, the lens extends about an inch from the camera body. It likewise retracts when the camera is powered off. The lens is protected by a removable plastic lens cap, which features a spring-loaded lock and a small strap to attach it to the camera (to prevent loss). Also part of the camera front is the hand grip, which wraps around the battery compartment inside.

The top panel contains the Shutter button, surrounded by the On / Off switch, and a large Mode dial with six settings: Playback, Movie, Auto, Scene and Custom (CSM). Missing is the black-and-white LCD display that was provided on the 880 -- always helpful for cutting back on monitor use.

The memory card compartment resides on the right side of the camera, with a set of ridges on the back panel to push open the plastic cover. Inside the compartment, at the bottom, is a small black button that when pushed, pops out the CompactFlash card far enough to easily grab the edge and pull it out. (Well, "easily" is relative: We again complain about the orientation of the memory card, which places the small lip at the back of the card against the body of the camera. No problem removing the card if you have good fingernails, but could be quite a bit of trouble otherwise.) A small rubber flap next to the memory card door covers the DC In connector, and the wrist strap eyelet is located at the top of the panel. We liked the way the flap can be swung aside to access the connectors, alleviating concerns about fatigue of rubber flaps that must constantly be flexed to access the ports they protect.

The left side of the camera is relatively smooth and featureless, except for a small Video Out port at the bottom.

The majority of controls reside on the camera's back panel. At the top left is a real-image optical viewfinder with two LED status lights on the right side: one to indicate flash power and the other to show the status of the autofocus, digital zoom, and images being written to the memory card. To the right of the viewfinder is a four-way arrow pad designated as the Multi Selector button. It serves many functions, such as scrolling through saved images, adjusting focus areas, and navigating menu selections. In shooting modes, the top button scrolls through monitor display options. Above the arrow pad is the Transfer button, which automatically uploads images to your computer or the Internet, and at the very top of the back panel is the lens Zoom button. On the right side is the CompactFlash compartment door, which is opened by pushing the raised ridges in the middle of the door to the right.

Below the viewfinder on the left side is the 1.5-inch color LCD monitor, with four external control buttons underneath. The EV / Trash button (left) is used to control Exposure Compensation; Shutter Speed, ISO, and Aperture settings (in CSM mode only), and to delete single images. The Focus / Self-Timer / Info button (center, left) switches between Focus modes (including Self-Timer), adjusts Manual Distance (CSM mode only), and scrolls through the information display in Playback mode. The Flash / Index button (center, right) controls the built-in flash while in Record mode, and switches from full-frame to Index preview in Playback mode. The Menu button (right) calls up the on-screen menu for the current operating mode and scrolls through multiple pages. A Quick Review button, located under the four-way arrow pad, brings up the most recently recorded image and displays it as a thumbnail in the upper left corner of the monitor.

The bottom panel houses a plastic threaded tripod mount and the battery compartment door, which are too close to allow for quick battery changes while the camera is mounted on a tripod (something we pay close attention to when working in the studio, although it may not be much of an issue for the average user). The tripod socket is also made of plastic. We normally strongly prefer metal tripod sockets, but recognize that the light weight of the Coolpix 885 makes a metal socket less necessary.