Nikon CoolPix 990Nikon updates the hugely successful Coolpix 950, with 3.34 megapixels and numerous enhancements<<Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests :(Previous) | (Next): Camera Modes & Menus>> Page 8:Operation & User InterfaceReview First Posted: 3/1/2000 |
Operation and User Interface
As with the previous 950 model, we greatly appreciated the ease of the user interface on the Coolpix 990. The 950's interface was great, but the 990 goes quite a bit beyond it, making for what we feel is the best user experience in the industry. The LCD menu system is available for novices, or for less commonly-used controls, but experienced users will find they can make virtually all the most necessary adjustments without resorting to the LCD screen. Once you learn where the functions are, operation is quick and intuitive, thanks to the multiple control buttons and the excellent use Nikon makes of the black/white LCD readout. The inclusion of programmable Function keys simplifies operation even more, letting you assign common combinations of settings to a single key. Exposure compensation, exposure mode, ISO value, image quality and size, as well as focus controls (manual focus setting, macro, and infinity focus) and flash mode, can all be adjusted without the LCD. The small topside status display panel provides feedback for all these settings in a very clear fashion. When you do have to delve into the (very extensive) LCD menu system, navigation via the rocker toggle is easy, intuitive, and very rapid. In Record mode, the menu system is split into 3 pages of options(!), and a nice touch is the tabbed interface, by which you can jump between pages with only a few clicks of the rocker toggle, rather than having to scroll through every option to get to one buried on the second or third screen. Most of the camera's functions are controlled by a combination of hitting a button and turning the command dial. Functions that are accessed in this manner are delineated on the camera body with a very light purple lettering. This system makes it extremely fast and efficient to change settings without eating up too much battery power by using the LCD menu system. Control layout is also very logical, allowing one-handed operation for commonly-changed functions, requiring a two-handed approach only for manual focus setting, ISO, flash mode, and size/quality adjustment.
Control Enumeration
LCD Data Readout: Located on top of the camera, this readout displays status of a wide range of camera functions. More importantly, as noted above, you can manipulate and set most of these functions by using the camera controls and readout display together, letting you avoid the LCD menu system. This both saves power, and makes the camera functions much faster to navigate.
Shutter Button: Located on top of the camera and encircled by the Power/Mode dial, this button sets focus and exposure when halfway pressed and fires the shutter when fully pressed.
Power/Mode Dial: Also located on the top panel of the camera, surrounding the shutter button, this dial selects between Off, Auto Record, Manual Record and Play modes.
Mode/Func.1 Button: Located on the top panel, this button selects the exposure system mode (Program, Flexible Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual) when held down while turning the command dial with the camera in Manual record mode. This button can also be programmed through the Setup menu to access various exposure functions with a single button actuation.
+/- / Func.2 Button: Located directly to the right of the Mode button, this adjusts the amount of exposure compensation (from -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps) when held down while turning the command dial. This button can also be programmed through the Setup menu to access various exposure functions.
Command Dial: Located on the top right of the camera, this dial is used in conjunction with various controls in Record mode to adjust exposure options. In Play mode, the dial cycles through the five information pages associated with each captured image, giving the user an unparalleled amount of information about the exposure (image information page, camera firmware page, image adjustment page, exposure histogram and focus confirmation).
Monitor Button: Located on the top of the rear panel of the camera, this button recalls or cancels the color LCD screen information display and viewfinder.
Menu Button: Located directly to the right of the Monitor button, this button pulls up the settings menu in all capture modes as well as in Play mode. Pressing it again cancels the menu.
W and T Buttons: Located further to the right from the Menu button, these buttons control the optical zoom in all capture modes. Likewise, when the digital telephoto option is enabled, these buttons control the amount of digital zoom (from 1.1x to 4.0x). In single-image playback mode, pressing the "T" button repeatedly zooms in on the image (you can scroll around in the zoomed image by using the rocker toggle control). Pressing the "W" button cancels zoomed playback.
Rocker Toggle Control: Located on the right side of the LCD monitor, this button features four arrows that allow the user to navigate through the LCD menu system and make selections in Record and Play modes. We found menu navigation on the Coolpix 990 particularly straightforward, in that all menu actions are taken via the rocker toggle: There's no need to confirm a selection by pressing a different button. Different menu items are selected via the up/down arrows on the toggle control. Pressing the right arrow selects that item, generally taking you into a sub-menu. Pressing the left arrow takes you back out again. Once in a sub-menu, the up/down arrows again step between items, while a right-arrow selects. This process continues until you arrive at the final point of selection, upon which another right-arrow actuation makes that selection and returns you to the main menu. We were also pleased to see that we could left-arrow from the initial screen, to go to a set of tabs that let you quickly jump from menu screen one to two, or to the setup screen very quickly, without scrolling through all the menu entries first. All this takes much longer to describe than do: The 990's menu design and use of the rocker toggle made it by far the quickest system to navigate we've seen yet.
In Play mode, the right and left buttons scroll through captured images one at a time. As noted above, in zoomed playback mode, this control lets you scroll around within the enlarged image.
Manual Focus/Macro Button: Located directly beneath the LCD display, on the left side, this button has several functions. When held down while turning the command dial, this button controls the manual focus option in Record mode. Also in Record mode, this button (when pressed on its own) cycles through Infinity focus, Macro and Self-Timer modes. In Play mode, this button acts as the Delete command for the currently displayed image (designated by the trash can symbol). In a welcome addition, Macro and Self-Timer modes can be used at the same time, even though they're controlled by the same button. (As you cycle through the modes accessible with this button, one mode has both macro and the self-timer enabled simultaneously.)
Flash/ISO Button: Centered under the LCD panel, this button cycles through the flash modes (Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye Reduction and Slow-Sync). In Manual Record mode, this button cycles through the variable ISO settings (Auto, 100, 200, 400 and dEF). In Play mode, this button pulls up a four or nine image index display of all captured images.
Quality/Size Button: Located directly to the right of the Flash button, this button cycles between image quality options (Basic, Normal, Fine and Hi) in all record modes. In any record mode, this button also cycles through the image size settings (3:2 2048 x 1360, VGA 640 x 480, XGA 1024 x 768 and 2048 x 1536) when held down while turning the command dial. In playback mode, if the currently-selected picture is a movie sequence, this button initiates playback of it.
Dioptric Adjustment Dial: Located directly beneath the optical viewfinder (on the underside of the lens half of the case), this small, black dial adjusts the viewfinder to accommodate eyeglass wearers.
Follow Imaging Resource: