Nikon Coolpix 5900 5.1-megapixel digital camera

Features
Inputs and Outputs Notes
Supplied Software

Features

LCD Monitor: The Coolpix 5900 has a 2" amorphous silicon TFT transflective LCD monitor featuring approximately 115,000 pixels and a five-level brightness adjustment. The LCD monitor has approximately 100% horizontal and vertical coverage in the shooting mode.

Optical Viewfinder: In addition to the LCD monitor, the camera has a real-image viewfinder with a 0.31x-0.77x magnification and approximately 75% horizontal and vertical frame coverage.

Optics: All Coolpix digital cameras feature the exclusive Zoom-Nikkor lens for superb image quality. Every aspect of the lens manufacturing process is controlled by Nikon. Each Zoom-Nikkor lens is designed for the specific camera and CCD combination. The Coolpix 5900 has a 3x, pro-quality Zoom-Nikkor ED lens that is equivalent to a 38-114mm lens in 35mm photography. Coupled with a digital zoom of 4x, the Coolpix 5900 has a total zoom of about 12x.

Multi-Selector: The multi-selector, a round 4-way button on the back panel, allows you to navigate through the camera's menus and make selections for most camera settings.

Image Sensor: The Coolpix 5900 features a 1/1.8" (8.933mm diameter), high-density CCD imager with a total pixel count of approximately 5.26-million pixels. The effective pixel count is 5.1-million.

Built-in Memory: The camera has a built-in 13.5MB internal memory for storing still images and movies with sound.

Optional Recording Media: In addition to the built-in memory, images can be recorded onto SD (Secure Digital) Memory cards. When an SD Memory card is inserted in the camera, the images are automatically recorded onto the card. When no card is inserted, the images automatically record to the internal memory.

Image Quality: For each image size setting, you can choose one of three image quality settings:

• Fine: suitable for enlargements or high quality prints; 1:4 compression
• Normal: suited to most applications; 1:8 compression
• Basic: suitable for pictures that will be distributed by e-mail or used in web pages; 1:16 compression

Image Size: The Coolpix 5900 records still images in JPEG format, and movies in QuickTime format. You have a choice of 5 still image size options and 3 movie size options:

Shooting Modes: Using the top-mounted rotary mode dial, you can set the camera to suit your level and style of photography. The shooting mode choices include:

• Auto Mode: The Auto Mode is a simple point-and-shoot mode in which the majority of camera settings are controlled by the camera. This mode is recommended for first-time users of digital cameras.
• Scene Mode: The camera gives you the option of 12 Scene Modes. The camera settings are automatically adjusted to suite the selected scene. The Scene Modes include:
  • Party/Indoor: Shots include details of the background behind the main subject, or to capture the effects of candlelight and other indoor background lighting
  • Beach/Snow: Vividly captures the brightness of subjects such as snow fields, beaches or sunlit expanses of water
  • Sunset: Preserves deep hues seen in sunsets and sunrises
  • Dusk/Dawn: Preserves the colors seen in the weak natural light before sunrise and after sunset
  • Night Landscape: The slow shutter speed is used to produce stunning night landscapes
  • Close Up: Used to capture vivid colors in close-up shots of flowers, insects and other small objects, with the background artistically blurred
  • Museum: Use indoors where flash photography is prohibited or in other settings in which you do not want to use flash
  • Fireworks Show: Slow shutter speeds are used to capture the expanding burst of light from fireworks
  • Copy: Provides clear pictures of text or drawings on a white board, business card or in other printed matter
  • Back Light: Use when light is coming from behind your subject or when your subject is in the shade but the background is brightly lit
  • Underwater: Use when taking underwater photographs using the optional WP-CP4 waterproof case
  • Panorama Assist: Use to take a series of photographs that you will later join to form a single panoramic scene
• Assist Modes: The camera gives you 4 "Assist" modes to help you compose your shots. Framing guides appear in the monitor to suggest a position in the frame to place your subject.
  • Portrait Assist: Main subject stands out clearly while background details are softened, lending the composition a sense of depth. Includes Portrait Left, Portrait Right, Portrait Couple, Portrait Close-up, and Portrait Figure framing assist modes.
  • Landscape Assist: Use for vivid landscape shots that enhance outlines, colors and contrast in such subjects as skyscrapers and forests. Includes Landscape, Scenic View, Architecture, Group Right and Group Left framing assist modes.
  • Sports Assist: High shutter speeds freeze motion for dynamic sports shots. Includes Sports, Sport Spectator and Sport Composite options.
  • Night Portrait Assist: Provides a natural balance between the main subject and the background when shooting portraits against a backdrop of night scenery. Includes Portrait Left, Portrait Right, Portrait Couple, Portrait Close-up, and Portrait Figure framing assist modes.
• Setup Mode: This mode allows you to display the setup menu to perform the following tasks:
  • Welcome Screen: choose the welcome screen displayed when the camera is turned on
  • Date: set the time and date
  • Monitor Settings: select startup with viewfinder or monitor, hide or display the monitor indicators and adjust brightness
  • Date Imprint: imprint pictures with the date and/or time of recording
  • AF Assist: choose whether the AF-assist illuminator lights when the subject is poorly lit
  • Sound Settings: turn button and startup sounds on or off, and select the volume of the shutter sounds and startup sounds from Loud, Normal or Off.
  • Blur Warnings: choose whether or not to perform a camera shake check
  • Auto Off: choose how long the camera will remain on before turning off to save power
  • Format Memory/Card: formats internal memory or memory cards for use in the camera
  • Language: choose a language for camera menus and messages
  • Interface: set the USB (PTP or Mass Storage) or Video Mode (NTSC or PAL)
  • Auto Transfer: choose whether or not to set the Transfer Marking option to the picture taken
  • Reset All: reset camera settings to their default values
  • Menus: choose the type of camera menus (Text or Icon)
  • Firmware Version: displays the current firmware version
• Movie Mode: Make movies with sound. You can select TV Movie (640 x 480) at 30 or 15 frames per second (fps), Small Movie (320 x 240) at 30 fps, or Smaller Movie (160 x 120) at 30 fps.

Face Priority AF: When in the Portrait Assist mode, the Face Priority AF mode will automatically find the subject's face and focus on that, ensuring a great portrait every time.

Menu Help: The menu features a Help button that instantly displays an explanation of all functions on the Main Menu.

AF Area Mode: AF Area Mode determines how the focus area is selected. You can select from the following modes:

• 5-Area AutoFocus (Auto): The camera automatically selects one of the five focus areas containing the subject closest to the camera. The 5 areas include the center of the frame and the area directly to the left, right, above, or below the center.
• 99-Point (Manual) AF: The user manually selects one of 99 focus areas using the multi selector to move the focus area up, down, left or right. You can select a focus point in an area 11 positions wide and 9 positions high.
• Off: When AF Area Mode is turned off, the camera defaults to the center focus area.

Sensitivity: Sensitivity is the digital equivalent of film speed. When set to Auto, the sensitivity is equivalent to ISO 64 under normal conditions. When lighting is poor, the camera will automatically increase sensitivity, permitting faster exposures, and minimizing blur caused by inadvertent camera movement, up to a maximum equivalent to ISO 200. You can also manually choose 64, 100, 200, or 400 ISO settings.

Image Sharpening: When Image Sharpening is activated, the camera automatically processes pictures to emphasize the borders between the light and dark areas of the picture, making the edges seem sharper. You can select Auto, High, Normal, Low, or Off.

Image Adjustment: Image Adjustment is used to adjust contrast automatically for optimal results before recording pictures to the memory or memory card. You can select Auto, Normal, More Contrast, or Less Contrast.

White Balance: White balance is used to preserve natural colors under different types of lighting. The white balance can be set to: Auto, Preset (measured by the camera for the current lighting condition), Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent FL1, Fluorescent FL2, Cloudy, Shade, and Speedlight (with flash).

Exposure Compensation: You can alter the exposure from the value suggested by the camera, making pictures brighter or darker. You can adjust the exposure from -2.0 to +2.0 EV in 1/3 steps.

Continuous Shooting: You can choose one of three continuous shooting modes:

• Single: The camera records one picture each time the shutter release button is pressed.
• Continuous: The camera takes pictures continuously while the shutter release is held down. Pictures are recorded at a rate of about 2 frames every second. The camera records about 17 pictures when the camera set to 5M Normal (2592).
• 5 Shot Buffer: The camera shoots at about 2 fps as long as the shutter release button is pressed, but only the last five shots are saved to the memory card.
• Multi-Shot 16: Each time the shutter release button is pressed, the camera takes 16 consecutive "thumbnail" images at a rate of about 2 frames per second, and arranges them into 4 rows of 4 images (648 x 486 pixels) in a single frame measuring 2592 x 1944 pixels.

Best Shot Selector: The BSS is recommended for situations in which inadvertent camera movement can produce blurred pictures, or when parts of the image are prone to under- or over-exposure. When BSS is on, the camera takes shots while the shutter-release button is pressed, to a maximum of ten. The images are compared and the sharpest picture is saved to the memory or memory card.

Color Options: There are 5 special effects color options to choose from: Standard Color, Vivid Color, Black-and-White, Sepia, and Cyanotype.

Noise Reduction: At slower shutter speeds, noise in the form of randomly-spaced, brightly colored pixels may appear in pictures, particularly in shadows. When taking pictures in dark places, it is recommended that Noise Reduction be used.

Focus Range: The focus range is 1' to infinity in normal mode and 1.6" to infinity in Macro close-up mode.

Flash Modes: The Coolpix 5900 has a built-in Speedlite flash with a range of 1' to 14' 8" (W) and 1' to 11' 5"(T). You can choose from the following flash modes:

• Auto: flash fires automatically when lighting is poor

• Auto with red-eye reduction: pre-flash fires before main flash to reduce red-eye effect

• Flash cancel: flash will not fire, even when lighting is poor

• Anytime Flash (fill flash): flash will fire whenever a picture is taken

• Slow Synch: auto flash combined with slow shutter speeds

In-Camera Red-Eye Fix: If the camera detects red-eye after the pre-flash has fired, advanced red-eye reduction processing is used to further reduce red-eye, slightly increasing the time required before the next picture can be taken.

Metering: The Coolpix 5900 offers a choice of four metering methods for determining how the camera sets exposure:

• Matrix: The camera utilizes a 256-segment matrix metering method, comparing measurements from multiple areas of the frame with a library of typical compositions to produce optimal exposure for the entire image.
• Center-Weighted: For use with portraits, the center-weighted metering method adjusts exposure according to lighting at the center of the frame, but still preserves background detail.
• Spot: Camera measures light in area shown by circle in the center of the monitor, and ensures that the subject in the metering target will be correctly exposed, even when the background is much brighter or darker.
• Spot AF Area: The camera links spot metering to active focus area when auto or manual focus area is selected.

D-Lighting: D-Lighting can be used to brighten dark or backlit subjects. While playing back an image, you can select the D-Lighting function, apply it, and save the corrected image without harming the properly exposed areas of the image.

Voice Memos: Using the camera's microphone, you can record a voice memo during full-screen playback. Voice memos are recorded as long as the shutter release is held down, to a maximum length of 20 seconds.

Playback Menu: The playback menu contains the following options:

• Print Set: Select pictures for printing on a DPOF-compatible devices, specify number of copies and information to be included on each print.
• Slide Show: View pictures in the internal memory or on the memory card in an automatic slide show with about three seconds between pictures. Maximum slide show duration is 30 minutes.
• Delete: Delete all or selected pictures
• Protect: Protect selected pictures from accidental deletion
• Transfer Marking: Mark all or selected pictures for transferring to a computer.
• Small Pic: Create a small copy of a picture. You can choose the size of the new picture.
• Copy: transfer images from internal memory to memory card or vice versa

Thumbnail Playback: During playback, you can view multiple thumbnail images (4 or 9) at a time. While these "contact sheets" are displayed, you can use the multi-selector to highlight individual pictures. Highlighted pictures can be deleted, if desired.

Playback Zoom: During playback, you can zoom in on a single photo to a maximum of 10x. Once the image is zoomed, you can use the multi-selector to scroll around to non-visible portions of the image. You can record a new picture of the cropped image by pressing the shutter button.

Printing Pictures: You can print pictures stored in the internal memory or on the memory card by using the Print Set option in the playback menu. Using DPOF (Digital Print Order Form), you can designate which images to print, and how many copies to print. Pictures can be printed as followed:

• Printer or Photo Lab: insert the memory card into a printer, or take the memory card to a digital photo lab.
• PictBridge-compatible Printer: connect the camera to a PictBridge-compatible printer via USB cable
• Transferring to Computer: transfer the images to a computer before printing them

Power Requirements: The Coolpix 5900 comes with a rechargeable EN-EL5 lithium battery and an MH-61 battery charger. An optional, non-rechargeable Duracell CP1 Lithium battery can also be used. For extended camera use, it is recommended that an optional EH-62A AC adapter be used. The supplied EN-EL5 battery has an estimated life of approximately 270 shots (under CIPA standard industry tests), while the optional CP1 is good for approximately 290 shots. It takes approximately 2 hours to fully charge the EN-EL5 battery.

Auto Off: When the camera is operated on battery power, the Auto Off mode will automatically turn off the monitor to reduce the drain on the batteries if no operations are performed for the length of time specified in the Auto Off menu. The time limit for the Auto Off mode can be set to 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes or 30 minutes. When powered by an optional AC adapter, the camera will enter standby mode if no operations are performed for 30 minutes.

Inputs and Outputs Notes

USB/Audio-Video Output: The Coolpix 5900 features a single proprietary jack for connecting either the supplied USB cable or Audio/Video cable. This one output allows you to download your photos to your computer or printer via USB, or view your photos on a TV. Note: The video output is NTSC or PAL compatible.

Supplied Software

PictureProject 1.1: The Coolpix 5900 is equipped with Nikon PictureProject 1.1 software for Windows and Macintosh. The software allows you to do the following:

• Transfer and Catalog Pictures: select pictures for transfer, and catalog them into folders and collections
• Organize and View Pictures: organize, protect, and tag pictures; view photo information, organize pictures by keyword
• Retouch Pictures: edit pictures, adjust colors, crop, special effects, red-eye correction, sharpening outlines, D-lighting HS
• Design Mode: properties and layouts
• Share Pictures: print, e-mail, burn discs, view on a TiVo DVR, slide show, upload to the internet, or copy to a PDA

System Requirements: In order to use Nikon PictureProject 1.1, your computer must have the following minimum requirements: