Tracey Capen

Nikon Coolpix 5700

The Coolpix 5700 has all of the controls and imaging muscle of the Coolpix 5000, but ups the zoom range from 28mm to 85mm (3X, 35mm equivalent) to a powerful 35mm to 280mm (8X). We would have preferred, though, that the 5700 start at a wider-angle 28mm like its predecessor. Nevertheless, we can't fault its image quality; in our test shots, the 5700 ranked among the best we've tested recently. Our mannequin's skin tones looked accurate, outdoor shots had good shadow detail, and almost no color artifacts or moire distortion appeared in our test-pattern images. The 5700's extensive controls include three User Set modes, with which you can save your most commonly used settings. The hinged LCD panel folds out from the body and rotates like a camcorder's: You can fold the display in, facing it into the back of the camera to protect it; view it with the camera lens pointing at you but with the lens rotated 180 degrees; or hold the camera over your head and compose your shot by turning the display so that it faces down.
At $1200, this is one of the most expensive digital cameras we've reviewed. Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-F717, probably the 5700's nearest competitor, is about $200 less. With such a lofty price attached to it, we'd expect the 5700 to flawlessly execute basic and advanced functions, yet the 5700's autofocus seemed to have difficulty locking in when we took shots indoors. And for a camera in this price range, a 16MB CompactFlash card seems a bit miserly--in fact, it's labeled as a "Starter Memory Card."
Because of the 5700's long focal length, Nikon dropped the optical viewfinder of the Coolpix 5000 and gave this new model a through-the-lens electronic viewfinder. Though we prefer the clarity and brightness of an optical viewfinder, the 5700's electronic version has some advantages: Framing is typically more accurate--especially when you're shooting macros--and it will show you aperture and shutter speed while you're composing your photos. The 5700 is significantly larger than the Coolpix 5000, too big to fit easily in even a roomy coat pocket. Nikon gave the 5700 both a hot shoe for external flashes and a built-in flash that automatically pops up when needed. We're seeing these pop-up flashes more often in larger advanced digital cameras; they're supposed to help reduce red-eye by increasing the distance between the flash and the lens. (The wider the angle between the flash and the lens relative to the subject, the less likely red-eye should be.) But with the Nikon, as with most other models we've reviewed, it doesn't really help--we saw red-eye in several shots. Most of what we said about the Coolpix 5000's controls holds true for the 5700. Many of its controls were tough to decipher at first; time and practice are needed to learn the finer points of using this camera. In one improvement, while the 5000 had three control buttons on the fold-out viewfinder, the 5700 has them back on the camera body, where they are much easier to use. Another small enhancement is the lens cap, which you can now put back on the lens while the camera is on.
If you don't mind an electronic viewfinder, the 5700 offers most everything a serious photographer needs. Its 8X zoom makes the 5700 especially suited for sports and nature photography.