Nikon CoolPix 885More Pixels, More Features, (a little) More Money - Nikon extends their sub-compact Digicam line!<<Viewfinder :(Previous) | (Next): Exposure & Flash>> Page 5:OpticsReview First Posted: 9/19/2001 |
OpticsThe Coolpix 885 features a 3x Zoom Nikkor lens with an 8-24mm focal length (equivalent to 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera), and an f/2.8-4.9 maximum aperture, which varies depending on the focal length setting. Protected by a removable plastic lens cap, the lens barrel telescopes outward from the camera body when the camera is powered on in any Record mode and retracts back into the camera when powered off, or when set to Playback or Setup modes. The optical glass lens consists of nine elements in eight groups, with a focal range of 12 inches (30cm) to infinity in normal shooting mode, and 1.6 inches (4cm) to infinity in Macro mode. Minimum coverage area in Macro mode is an impressive1.61 x 1.21 inches (40.82 x 30.62 millimeters).
In Auto, Scene, and Movie modes, Focus is automatically set by the camera's autofocus system, in either Single or Continuous AF modes, using a through-the-lens (TTL) contrast detection system. Single AF, which is activated when the LCD monitor is turned off, sets focus whenever you depress the Shutter button halfway. Continuous AF, which is automatically engaged when the LCD monitor is turned on, adjusts focus continuously as you move the camera around, or as the subject changes position within the frame.
You can adjust the camera's focal range by pressing the Focus / Self-Timer / Info button below the LCD monitor. The default setting automatically focuses on subjects 12 inches (30cm) or more from the lens. By pressing the Focus button twice, you can fix the focus at Infinity (indicated by the mountain range icon), which automatically disables the camera's flash. Infinity fixes the lens on the furthest possible focal point, so objects in the distance will remain in focus. Pressing the button a third time activates the Macro (close-up) mode (indicated by the flower icon), which allows the camera to focus on subjects as close as 1.6 inches. (Note though, that the minimum focusing distance is only attainable with the lens set fairly far toward the wide angle position. The little tulip icon on the LCD screen that indicates macro mode turns yellow when the lens is set to the position that permits maximum closeups.) The focus/self-timer button also activates the Self-Timer function in Normal or Macro Focus modes, with a shutter release delay of 3 or 10 seconds, depending on how you press the shutter button. (See the subsection on the self-timer option in the Exposure section below for more details.)
In CSM ("custom") mode, you can use the Focus button to select one of 49 preset focus distances, from 0.10 feet (0.03 meters) to infinity, by holding down the button while you adjust the Zoom control. To access the Manual Focus mode, you have to enable it in the CSM menu. (Why? - It's hard enough to find & access that we doubt anyone would accidentally turn it on, so why the added complexity of forcing a menu selection to enable it?) The focus distance is displayed in the top right corner of the LCD monitor. In certain Scene modes, the Focus button can only be used to set the Self-Timer function, and in Movie mode, it sets only the Macro and Infinity functions.
Perhaps the most complicated set of features on the Coolpix 885 is the "Focus Options" sub-menu in the CSM mode. Focus Options has four choices: AF Area Mode, Autofocus Mode, Focus Confirmation, and Distance Units. When engaged, AF Area Focus divides the scene into five focus areas -- one center area and four surrounding the center area (above, below, left, right) -- each marked by a set of brackets. AF Area "Auto" automatically selects the focus area based on the subject. It chooses the area with the closest object to the lens. AF Area "Manual" allows you to manually select one of the five focus areas by pressing the Arrow buttons on the Four-Way Arrow pad. In both cases, the "active" focus area is indicated by red brackets on the LCD monitor. While it adds some complexity to the camera, the AF Area Mode option can be invaluable for dealing with off-center subjects.
Autofocus allows you to choose between Single or Continuous AF modes while you have the LCD monitor on (it automatically reverts to Single AF when the monitor is turned off). This is a particularly important menu item, because unless you designate Single AF, the Autofocus default is Continuous AF, when the monitor is turned on, which produces an extra drain on the battery. Focus Confirmation adjusts the screen image to reflect areas of focus by sharpening the outline around the focused object(s). (This one takes a keen eye to be able to view it on such a small screen, but we found it surprisingly effective at providing visual feedback during manual focus operations.) Finally, Distance Units simply sets the Manual Focus units to feet or meters.
The Digital Zoom function is activated by zooming out to the maximum telephoto position (3x) and then continuing to hold down the "T" Zoom button for two seconds until Digital Zoom is engaged. As you continue to press down on the "T" button, the image magnification increases to a maximum of 4x. However, it achieves this magnification by interpolating data from the center portion of the CCD's active area, rather than enlarging the scene optically, thereby decreasing image quality and increasing image "noise" and artifacts. Digital Zoom can be useful for low-resolution imaging, like Web pages, but it does not provide the quality magnification of an optical zoom lens.
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