Nikon Coolpix 4600 4-megapixel digital camera

Features
Inputs and Outputs Notes
Supplied Software

Features

LCD Monitor: The Coolpix 4600 has a 1.8" amorphous silicon TFT LCD monitor featuring approximately 80,000 pixels and a five-level brightness adjustment. The LCD monitor has approximately 97% 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 0.3x-0.76x magnification and approximately 82% 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 4600 has a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens that is equivalent to a 34-102mm lens in 35mm photography. Coupled with a digital zoom of 4x, the Coolpix 4600 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 4600 features a 1/2.5" (7.182mm diameter), high-density CCD imager with a total pixel count of approximately 4.23-million pixels. The effective pixel count is 4 million.

Built-in Memory: The camera has a built-in 14MB internal memory for storing still images and movies without 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 Size: The Coolpix 4600 records still images in JPEG format, and movies in QuickTime format. You have a choice of 4 still image size options and 3 movie size options:

Shooting Modes: Using the rear-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. While in the Auto Mode, the following settings can be adjusted: Image Mode, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Continuous (shooting), Best Shot Selector (BSS), and Color Options.
• 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-CP3 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
  • Sound Settings: turn sound settings on 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
  • Battery Type: choose the type of batteries inserted in the camera (Alkaline, Coolpix [NiMH], or Lithium
  • Menus: choose the type of camera menus (Text or Icon)
  • Firmware Version: displays the current firmware version
• Movie Mode: Make movies at a rate of 15 frames per second without sound. You can select TV Movie (640 x 480), Small Movie (320 x 240), or Smaller Movie (160 x 120).

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

Sensitivity (ISO): The camera has a sensitivity roughly equivalent to film with an ISO 50 rating. When lighting is poor and the flash is off, the camera will automatically increase sensitivity up to 2 to 4 times, up to equivalent to ISO 200, permitting faster exposures, and minimizing blur caused by inadvertent camera movement.

White Balance: White balance is used to preserve natural colors under different types of lighting. In the Auto Mode, the white balance can be set to: Auto, Preset (measured by the camera for the current lighting condition), Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, 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 3 frames every 2 seconds. The camera records 8 pictures when the camera set to 4M Normal (2288).
• Multi-Shot 16: Each time the shutter release button is pressed, the camera takes 16 consecutive "thumbnail" images at a rate of about 4 frames every 2 seconds, and arranges them into 4 rows of 4 images (572 x 428 pixels) in a single frame measuring 2288 x 1712 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 card.

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

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 4600 has a built-in Speedlite flash with a range of 1'-4" to 10' 10" (W) and 1'-4" to 6' 7"(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 4600 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.

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.

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.
• 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. Turn Auto Transfer marking on or off.
• Small Pic: Create a small copy of a picture. You can choose the size of the new picture.
• Auto Transfer: Mark all pictures for transfer to a computer; turn on/off auto transfer marking
• 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 4600 comes with two "AA" alkaline batteries. The camera can also be powered on two optional Nikon EN-MH1 rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. To power the camera continuously for extended periods, you can use the optional EH-62B AC adapter.

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/Video Output: The Coolpix 4600 features a single proprietary jack for connecting either the supplied USB cable or 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 4600 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: