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  • Testing / Performance

  • Physical Tour

  • Components

  • Design / Layout

  • Modes

  • Control Options

  • Image Parameters

  • Connectivity / Extras

  • Overall Impressions

  • Conclusion

  • Specs / Ratings

  • Testing / Performance
  • Physical Tour
  • Components
  • Design / Layout
  • Modes
  • Control Options
  • Image Parameters
  • Connectivity / Extras
  • Overall Impressions
  • Conclusion
  • Specs / Ratings

Testing / Performance

These results are displayed again below, this time in a graph with only the ideal colors and the 7900’s colors. Each square on the graph represents an original tile from the GretagMacbeth color chart. The circles represent the Nikon Coolpix 7900’s rendering of the color. The line between the two unifies the colors and its length represents the degree of error. Longer lines indicate a greater degree of error.

The Nikon Coolpix 7900 performed a bit below average with an unremarkable 6.36 overall color score and a 9.44 color error. Many compact digital cameras exaggerate colors and the 7900 is no different; it over-saturated colors by 10 percent. Most models exaggerate the red #15 tile the most because that is the color that enhances Caucasian skin tones. Surprisingly, this color is only slightly embellished compared to the cooler tones. Overall, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 doesn’t produce accurate colors but they do look vibrant because of the degree of over-saturation. If you are looking for a naturalistic rendering of the scene, some post-capture enhancement will likely be needed.

**Still Life Scene **

Below is a shot of our still life scene recorded with the Nikon Coolpix 7900.

[

Click on the image above to view the full resolution version (CAUTION: the linked file is very large!)](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=7900-StillLife-LG.jpg)

Resolution / Sharpness* (2.9)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a 1/1.8-inch CCD with 7.1 advertised effective megapixels on it. We tested the 7900 by taking several pictures of the industry standard resolution chart and uploading them into Imatest Imaging Software. Below is one of the images we loaded into the program, which then analyzed the picture for its resolution and sharpness.

[

Click on the chart above to view the full resolution image](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=7900-ResCH-LG.jpg)

Imatest’s analysis of this chart determined the limit where the 7900 couldn’t differentiate the lines from one another anymore. The result is reported in LW/PH, which stands for line widths per picture height. Traditionally, resolution measurements were reported in units of line pairs per picture height or LP/PH, but this does not apply to varying sizes of image sensors like those on digital cameras. Therefore, we use LW/PH to standardize results for cameras with different sized sensors.

Imatest detected 1.02-3.13 percent over-sharpening and 1464 LW/PH in the horizontal direction and 1430 in the vertical direction. To provide some context for these results, here are a few figures from comparable 7-megapixel compact digital cameras. The Canon PowerShot SD500 read 1862 LW/PH horizontally and 1952 vertically. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7 read 1654 LW/PH horizontally and 1973 vertically. By contrast, the Nikon Coolpix 7900’s figures in the 1400s are not very impressive at all. Beware when cropping and printing large photographs.

Noise - Auto ISO*(4.38)
*When the ISO is automatically set using the Coolpix 7900, noise levels are decent – not low and not high. The Nikon Coolpix 7900 received an overall automatic ISO noise score of 4.38, which is slightly below the average score most compact models receive. During our testing, the 7900 recorded the same amount of noise when the ISO was set automatically and when the ISO was set manually to ISO 80.

Noise - Manual ISO* (3.78)
*Ninety-five percent of the time, digital cameras produce less noise in general when the ISO is set manually. The Nikon Coolpix 7900 is in the other five percent. We tested the noise levels at each manual ISO setting and ended up with an overall score of 3.78. This is after testing with the noise reduction mode both on and off. Below is a chart showing the ISO ratings on the horizontal axis and the noise levels on the vertical axis. The red line represents the noise level when the noise reduction mode is off and the blue line represents the camera’s performance when it is activated.

Judging from the above chart, it looks like the noise reduction mode is relatively useless. When the noise reduction is activated, other image parameters are affected. The saturation fades from 110 percent to 109.6 percent and the color accuracy declines from a 9.23 color error to a greater 9.44 error. This is nothing terribly drastic, but worth noting.

Low Light Performance*(4.5)*

Be wary when shooting with this camera at night or even in dimly lit rooms; the Nikon Coolpix 7900’s slowest shutter speed of 4 seconds and the top ISO of 400 certainly aren’t conducive to night photography. To test the camera’s low light performance, we recorded a sequence of shots of a GretagMacbeth color chart at decreasing light levels. Lux levels of 60 and 30 are fairly common low light scenarios; 60 lux is roughly the amount of light in a living room with two soft table lamps and 30 lux equates to the illumination emitted from a single 40-watt bulb. We also tested the Nikon 7900 at 15 and 5 lux, which are both nearing darkness.

None of the images turned out spectacular in low light. The images are grainy and colors are muddy, with a notable drop in illumination occurring between 15 and 5 lux.

Below is a chart showing the noise levels in low light. The vertical axis shows the noise level and the horizontal axis shows the exposure time in seconds. There is a substantial leap in noise in exposures that are longer than one second.

**Speed / Timing **
*Start-up to First Shot (5.79)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 is a bit slow off the starting line with its 4.21-second start-up time. So power up the camera and take a long breath of air; it’ll take a few seconds to boot up for its first shot.

*Shot to Shot (9.31)
*The 7900 has average speed and above average endurance. This Coolpix took a sequence of 19 shots with an average of a shot every 0.681 seconds.

*Shutter to Shot (8.38)
*The amount of shutter lag depends on the auto focus system’s reaction time to the subject. In low light the Coolpix 7900 will take a tiny bit longer to focus than in optimal light. When the digital camera is shooting in good conditions, it takes 0.31 seconds to grab the shot.

Physical Tour

Front* (7.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a sleek-looking front with its black body and polished silver highlights. The left side is slightly raised to aid as a handgrip; on the inside of the grip is a polished metal sliver that gives the fingers a little extra substance to grip. The right side of the camera has a Zoom Nikkor ED lens that is labeled as such. Around the rim of the lens are some of its key specifications: "7.8-23.4mm, 1:2.8-4.9." The lens barrel protrudes from the camera about a third of an inch when off and extends to about an inch and a half when powered on. The 3x optical zoom lens extends in two segments, each with a polished metal rim and a brushed silver-color barrel. In the center of the lens itself is a plastic door that snaps open and closed as the camera is turned on and off.

Above the right side of the lens is the built-in microphone that looks like a series of seven tiny holes. Above the microphone in the top right corner of the Coolpix 7900 is the built-in flash. Its plastic face is textured with ringlets of circles etched into it. The flash is not directly above the lens, which will often translate into subjects not getting evenly lit and visible shadows cast next to the subject. To the left of the flash is the viewfinder, which has a circular window but a tiny rectangular frame inside. Just left of this feature is an LED that doubles as a self-timer indicator and an auto focus assist illuminator. Below this is the Nikon Coolpix 7900 logo in silver lettering.

Back*(7.5)
*The back of this Coolpix does not look as simple as its front. The style scheme is the same with a black plastic body and silver highlights, but the buttons, icons, and words are not as neatly organized. The right side of the back is a small mess of icons, although there aren’t that many buttons to get confused over. The multi-selector is in the bottom right corner nestled in the midst of a ridiculous amount of symbols. The selector mechanism is a circle with arrows pointing in each direction and divots between the arrows to differentiate directions. The OK button is in the center of the mechanism. Surrounding the circle are several icons in confusing places. Above the selector is a flash icon and below is a flower icon indicating the macro mode. Those two are the most intuitive. The icon on the right is so far right that it is almost on the side of the camera; this is the exposure compensation icon. The icon to the left of the selector is so far left that it is actually on the raised rim around the LCD and looks quite lost; this is the self-timer icon. Between the flash and exposure compensation icons is a squiggly line that represents the transfer icon. Next to the squiggly line are the letters OK with a circle around them. Apparently, the OK button acts as a one-touch transfer button in playback mode when the camera is connected to a computer with a USB cable. Between the exposure compensation and macro icons, there is another icon with the circled OK; this is the D-Lighting icon and only works in the playback mode.

Above the multi-selector are two circular silver buttons. The one on the left is clearly labeled "Menu" and indicates exactly what it brings up. The button on the right has a purple playback icon and is used to review photographs. Between the two buttons is a tiny bump whose purpose is only to provide a tactile landmark for blindly searching fingers. Above the buttons is a built-in speaker that is a series of holes. In the top right corner of the Nikon Coolpix 7900 are two buttons that act as the zoom mechanism. The button on the left has a ‘W’ engraved in it for the wide setting of the lens and the button on the right has a ‘T’ engraved into it for the telephoto. Between the buttons is another one of those tiny differentiating bumps. Below this set of buttons are more icons; an index view icon is below the ‘W’ and question mark and magnifying glass icons appear below the ‘T’. To the left of the zoom buttons and still at the top of the back is an oval-shaped button with a trash can on it. To its left on a raised plateau is the rectangular optical viewfinder with two LEDs to its right. The top LED flashes red and has a flash icon next to it. The bottom LED has the letters ‘AF’ next to it and flashes green when recording images to the memory and shows solid green along with the other LED’s solid red when the lens is focused. Below the viewfinder and delete button is the 2-inch LCD screen. The screen is slightly raised from the rest of the camera and has a Nikon logo at the bottom and the lost self-timer icon at its right crest.

Left Side* (7.5)
*The left side echoes the design of the right side; they both have a silver panel surrounded by two black panels. At the bottom right of this side is a rubber door that takes up part of the silver and black panels; it is labeled with a USB icon and ‘A/V Out.’ Beneath the rubber cover is an outlet that serves both cables.

Right Side* (7.0)
*The right side is the thickest part of the camera as it acts as a sort of handgrip, though it’s still not as thick as the curvature of most adults’ hands; it can more accurately be called a finger grip. The right side has a brushed silver-colored band sandwiched by two black panels. A plastic door slides to the back of the camera and then outward to reveal the SD card slot. The door is composed partially of the black panel and partially of the silver band and is labeled ‘Card.’ Above this door on the silver panel is an immovable eyelet for attaching the included wrist strap. At the bottom of the silver panel is a small rubber panel, but it is not functional and merely decorative.

Top*(7.5)
*From the top, the Nikon 7900 has a silver panel in the middle and a black panel on each side of the silver band. The black panels are beveled on the front and back so there aren’t any really sharp edges. A Coolpix logo is embossed on the left side of the silver panel. Slightly off-center to the right is the plastic mode dial, which feels a little cheap but rotates nicely all the same. On its left side is a small white tag mark to show which mode is currently in use. There are several icons on the mode dial: a person’s head with a hat representing the portrait mode, a mountain in a frame representing the landscape mode, a stick person running representing the sports mode, a person in a dark frame with a star by the head representing the night portrait mode, a movie camera representing the movie mode, and a green camera icon representing the automatic mode. There are two other modes that are found with text: Set Up and Scene. The mode dial is bigger than a dime but smaller than a nickel and is ribbed, but not as finely as a dime. It almost looks like a gear in a machine. To the right of the mode dial and toward the front of the 7900 is the polished shutter release button. To its right and depressed in a divot is the clearly labeled ‘On/Off’ button with a tiny green LED next to it.

Bottom*(7.5)
*The left side of the bottom is labeled as a battery door and opens to the skinny slot for the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The door has a textured portion for easier sliding and flings up in catapult-like style with the hinge toward the front of the camera. The right side of the bottom has a standard tripod mount surrounded by the serial number and the Made in China tag.

Components

******Viewfinder*** (3.5)
*****

****The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has an optical viewfinder that zooms with the lens, but isn’t very accurate. The viewfinder is off-center from the lens and only gets 75 percent of what is actually recorded. ****Furthermore, the optical viewfinder only shows the subject (and at 75 percent accuracy, maybe not even that!); it does not show shooting information or more importantly, the focus. I advocate the inclusion of optical viewfinders because using them and turning off the LCD conserves power when the battery is low and important shots still need to be captured. However, on the 7900 there is no on-camera button to turn the LCD view off; users must instead dig through menus to turn off the monitor. The somewhat impractical optical viewfinder magnifies the image from 0.31-0.77x. There are two small LEDs next to the viewfinder on the back of the camera. The top light shows red for when the flash is enabled and the bottom light shows green and indicates the auto focus. It also flashes when the camera is recording images to the memory.

**LCD Screen **(6.0)
*
*

**An amorphous silicon TFT transflective LCD monitor takes up much of the back of this small digital camera. The 2-inch screen has 115,000 pixels, providing decent though not superior resolution for viewing and reviewing images. The Nikon 7900 provides several views on the LCD screen. Users can show all of the shooting information, hide all of the info, or only show relevant info. A framing grid can also be displayed or the monitor can be turned off completely; all of these options are located in the setup menu. The screen has a 5-step brightness adjustment that works well and looks good in most lighting. The LCD looks best when wandering fingers haven’t poked it, as it seems to attract skin oils. The 2-inch LCD monitor is the best viewing option on the Nikon Coolpix 7900, providing 100 percent accuracy along with a live view of the camera’s auto focus and shooting information; it also has no problems with glare.

Flash*(6.0)
*Nikon included a built-in Speedlight flash on the Coolpix 7900 and coupled it with its in-camera red-eye fix technology to offset the red-eye problem so prevalent in compact digital cameras. There are five modes available: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Off, Fill Flash, and Slow Sync. These modes are easily accessible through the top arrow on the multi-selector. Nikon reports that this flash is effective from 1 foot to 14’ 8" when the 3x optical zoom is at its widest 7.8mm (38mm equivalent) setting. When the 7900 is at its most telephoto 23.4mm setting (114mm equivalent), the flash is effective from 1 foot to 11’ 5". This range puts the flash into a middle region among compact digital camera flashes. The flash unit itself is small and narrow, creating focused, specular beams of light. Since the flash unit is positioned slightly off the lens axis, there will be thick, hard-edged shadows cast along side the subject. Also, the positioning does lend itself to potential obstruction by wandering fingers.

Lens* (6.0)
*Like most compact digital cameras, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a 3x optical zoom lens. The Zoom-Nikkor lens is constructed of 7 elements in 6 groups and includes one glass-molded ED lens element. The lens reaches from 7.8-23.4mm, which is equivalent to 38-114mm in 35mm format photography. The lens has two stops of aperture in the wide and telephoto settings. The aperture can open to f/2.8 at its widest focal length or a narrower f/4.9 in telephoto mode. The min aperture setting is f/8.2.

The zoom mechanism is controlled by the two buttons in the top right corner of the back labeled ‘W’ and ‘T’. The Nikon Coolpix 7900 makes a tiny noise when zooming, but this sound isn’t loud enough to be too aggravating. When the zoom buttons are lightly tapped, there are eight focal lengths in the full 3x optical zoom range. There are also 4x worth of digital zoom available; the LCD view shows a line where the zoom exits the optical and enters the digital realm. Users must hold down the ‘T’ button for just a moment to access the digital zoom. It is not recommended to use this feature though, as it only deteriorates the picture quality.

The zoom lens has a plastic door on its front that snaps open and closed when the Coolpix 7900 is turned on and off. The cover isn’t that sturdy though. The door can be lightly pushed open with fingers – or pretty much anything – and its fragility is on par with that of flower petals. The cover can protect the lens from dust, but anything larger than a fleck of it could do some damage.

Design / Layout

Model Design / Appearance* (7.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a sleek black body that makes it one of the most stylish Coolpix models that Nikon has on the market. The petite jet body coupled with the silver lens barrel and other aesthetic highlights makes the 7900 quite attractive. The specifications for this camera claim it is aluminum, but the 7900 is mostly covered in hard plastic with some subtle aluminum highlights. The shape of the Nikon 7900 is nothing new; it keeps the traditional rectangular form and adds a slight handgrip for comfort. This model is about as fashion-conscious as Coolpix cameras get.

Size / Portability* (6.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 is small, but not skinny. It’s like the little tea pot – short and stout. With measurements of 3.46 x 2.4 x 1.44 inches, this model is small even for a compact. There are smaller models, but usually when they are smaller they are also skinnier and more flat for easy pocketing. The Nikon 7900’s thickness disqualifies it as a model to transport in your pants hip pocket, but it’s still small enough to stash in a baggy cargo pants pocket or in a small purse. The wrist strap allows users to wear the camera and dangle it like jewelry; it is light enough to do this, but dangling a few hundred bucks from my wrist makes me nervous. At 5.3 ounces without the card or battery, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 is definitely small and portable.

Handling Ability* (7.0)
*With its traditional shape, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 provides neither innovations nor hurdles for handling. It has a small body that isn’t even tall enough to fit all fingers on comfortably. The thumb naturally rests where the zoom buttons are on the back, while the index finger rests right on the shutter release button atop the camera. The middle and ring finger curve around the built-in grip, while the pinky finger supports the bottom of the camera. The buttons are all properly placed within reach of the right-hand fingers and there are bumps and divots on the housing for easier handling and tactile navigation. Overall, handling the lightweight Nikon 7900 is easy and intuitive.

Control Buttons / Dial Positioning / Size* (5.0)
*The actual buttons on the Nikon Coolpix 7900 are properly sized and placed. They are easy to differentiate and activate. The hardest button to activate is the power button, which is recessed in a divot in the camera body. This is purposefully done to hinder accidental activation of the camera when it is in a pocket or bag… except the playback button can be easily activated and when pressed for a few seconds, it turns the camera on. Weird? Yes. Intuitive? No. The biggest problem with the buttons is the scores of icons surrounding them; the interface is confusing to look at. The most illustrative example of this is the multi-selector with its six scattered icons. The icons are at different distances from the selector; for example, the flash icon is almost touching the selector but the self-timer icon is located about a quarter inch away on the LCD’s edge. The lack of consistency definitely contributes to the chaotic appearance.

Menu*(7.0)
*The menus in the Nikon Coolpix 7900 aren’t anything to get excited about. They are composed of black text on a gray background – unless the Menus option is selected to Icons instead of Text. When in Icons mode, the menus look like a tiled floor with black icons on them. The selected tile turns yellow to differentiate it from the rest. Further, the icons are not completely intuitive; for example, a flag represents the Language option. I see the connection, but associating the flag with language wasn’t my first impulse. Fortunately, when users scroll over the icons a text title appears at the top of the screen. At the top of the text menu is an indicator that shows what "page" of the menu the user is on; i.e. 1/3 for one page out of three. The full shooting menu is available in the Auto mode and includes these options: Image Mode, White Balance, Metering, Continuous, BSS, Color Options, Image Adjustment, Image Sharpening, Sensitivity, Auto Bracketing, Saturation Control, AF Area Mode, Auto-focus Mode, and Noise Reduction Mode. There are live views in the white balance and color options selections, but the rest have the traditional and slightly boring gray background.

When the Menu button is pressed in the Scene mode, the menu only consists of the various scene modes and image quality settings. This menu always appears in the icon mode even when the Text selection is made. For the four scene modes located directly on the mode dial, the Menu button accesses the framing assist modes. The movie mode menu has limited options: Movie Options, Auto-focus Mode, and Electronic VR. The Movie Options title is quite vague; the "options" are the different movie sizes. The Setup menu hosts the following options: Welcome Screen, Date, Monitor Settings, Date Imprint, AF Assist, Sound Settings, Blur Warning, Auto Off, Format Memory/Card, Language, Interface, Auto Transfer, Reset All, Menus, and Firmware Version. Perhaps the best part about the menus is the Help button, which is also the ‘T’ of the zoom buttons (there is a question mark beneath the button to identify it). This Help button can be pressed at any time to explain menu titles, icons, or options.

Ease of Use* (7.0)
*Overall, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 is easy to use. The back may be a little overwhelming to look at and there are a few quirks about the camera (switching images from the internal memory to a card to view in playback), but all in all it is fairly simple. The menus are easy to navigate and read - especially with the inclusion of a Help button. The Coolpix 7900 is essentially a point-and-shoot and its ease of use confirms it.

Modes

Auto Mode* (6.5)
*The automatic mode is the simplest mode to find on the dial because it is colored green and the other modes are black. Once engaged, the auto mode still allows menu selections. In fact, it offers more menu options that in any other mode. Also, the Nikon 7900’s auto mode will retain setting adjustments as well, so when the camera is turned off and on again it will recall the ISO 400 setting you had it at last time. Some photographers hate this and others love it. If you’re one to whip out your camera and expect the auto mode to restore its defaults every time, this isn’t your model. However, if you like the digital camera to remember your settings, this could be a good option for you.

Movie Mode* (7.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has extensive size options in its movie mode. This digital camera can record full 640 x 480 resolution at a selectable 30 or 15 frames per second. The smaller sizes both record at a rate of 30 frames per second. 320 x 240 and 160 x 120-pixel sizes are available for easy e-mailing. The auto focus mode and the vibration reduction are the only two options available for selection. The auto focus mode can be set to single or continuous; beware of the loud audible continuous auto focus system. The vibration reduction system is Nikon’s version of image stabilization and is only included on the 7900 model – not its little sister, the 5900. This vibration reduction mode works pretty well for smoothing out small shakes and is handy for when the lens is zoomed out. The optical zoom works before – but not during – video recording. And when users feel the urge to get closer to the subject without moving their feet, 2x digital zoom works during recording (of course, the picture quality suffers). The Nikon Coolpix 7900 turns into a miniature VCR in playback mode with the complete play, stop, fast forward, and rewind options. Users can fast forward normally or frame by frame as well, so watching that game-winning goal go by the goalie’s fingertips can be stretched out for you to savor as long as you like.

Drive / Burst Mode* (7.25)
*When the default single mode just can’t capture fast enough, there are a few burst mode options to be had. The Coolpix 7900’s Continuous burst mode can take 1.7 frames per second for 29 straight shots, according to Nikon. See the Speed / Timing portion of this review for our test results. There is also a 5-Shot Buffer mode that photographs at a slower 1 fps rate for as long as the shutter release button is pressed and records only the last five pictures taken. The third burst mode option is the Multi-Shot mode that takes 16 consecutive pictures at a rate of 1.7 fps and saves them as a single image file. Each frame in the multi-shot mode is 768 x 576 pixels; the image file ends up at 3072 x 2304 pixels with 16 frames. The burst modes aren’t exceptionally fast; many compact models can now shoot 2 or 3 frames per second. However, the endurance of the Continuous burst mode is impressive.

Playback Mode* (6.5)
*The playback mode is easily accessible with a dedicated button on the back of the Coolpix 7900. That button doubles as a power button when held down, and doing so for a few seconds can wake up the camera. Pictures can be viewed in the full 2-inch frame or in the multi-up mode that can display nine images on-screen at a time. When images are viewed individually users can zoom up to 10x; this is a handy feature to check the focus. There is an on-camera Delete button that can trash a single picture or all of the pictures at once.

Something important to note: images saved to the Coolpix 7900’s internal memory cannot be displayed alongside images written to the memory card. To view all of the photos, images on the internal memory must be transferred to the memory card or vice versa (you can do this with the Copy option in the menu). This is not the easiest setup and certainly not the most intuitive.

The following options are available in the playback menu: Print Set, Slide Show, Delete, Protect, Transfer Marking, Small Pic, and Copy. The transfer marking option lets the user choose exactly which images to send to the computer. The Small Pic option saves a low-resolution copy of an image at 640 x 480, 320 x 240, or 160 x 120 pixels; this makes e-mailing pictures to the family fast and easy.

Custom Image Presets* (8.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 comes with 16 scene modes and framing assists for four of those modes. The most common scene modes are located directly on the mode dial: Portrait, Landscape, Sports, and Night Portrait. When the Menu button is pressed in these modes, a variety of framing assists appear. Users can choose assists like Portrait Right for a subject who will be standing toward the right side of the frame. Once the assist is selected, yellow lines and shapes appear on the LCD so users can line up the subject’s head and shoulders in the assist. Nikon’s face-priority auto focus technology can be found in the Portrait assists. This auto focus mode searches for faces and automatically focuses on them – no matter where they are in the frame. One of the Sports assists includes a "sports composite," which is just like a multi-shot burst mode. It shoots 8 frames a second for a total of 16 frames. Each frame is 400 x 300 pixels and is stitched into a single 1600 x 1400-pixel image file.

The following scene modes are available in the menu of the Scene selection on the mode dial: Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist, and Underwater. The Underwater scene mode is only fully effective when used with the optional underwater housing (taking the 7900 under water without this is not a good idea—trust us, if not your own intuition). The Nikon WP-CP4 waterproof case can go to depths of 130 feet and retails for $250.

Control Options

Manual Control Options

The Nikon Coolpix 7900 automatically controls shutter speed and aperture, but lets users manually select other image controls such as exposure compensation, ISO, metering, auto focus mode, and white balance. While most of these choices only involve making a selection from preset options, the white balance does have a true manual or custom setting.

**Focus
***Auto Focus (7.5)
*The Coolpix 7900 uses a contrast detection through-the-lens auto focus system that works quite well. It can focus from 1 foot to infinity except in the macro mode, which can focus from a close 1.6 cm. This compact model has a five-area auto focus selection as well as a manual selection of the auto focus point from 99 points. When the manual selection is engaged, arrows appear on the LCD screen along with brackets showing the point where the focus will be sharpest. Users move the brackets by scrolling around with the multi-selector. The brackets appear red when not in focus and turn green when the subject is in focus. When the shutter release button is pressed halfway, the focus locks – so moving the camera after that button is pushed halfway will maintain focus on the original plane. The 7900 has single and continuous auto focus, but the continuous option is slightly audible.

As part of the Nikon technology package, the Coolpix 7900 has a face-priority auto focus mode that can be found in the Portrait scene mode menu with the framing assists. This auto focus mode constantly searches for faces and automatically focuses on them so portraits are always crisp where they should be. This mode doesn’t work if the subject is wearing sunglasses or their face is even partially covered. When there are several faces, the mode will focus on the closest face. It takes the camera about a second to recognize a face – with the subject waiting patiently and staring at the camera. When the 7900 recognizes the face, it places a red box around the face. Overall, the auto focus modes are pretty impressive. Even in low light and low contrast situations, it performed decently. The auto focus illuminator does its job and gives the camera enough orange light to be able to focus properly.

*Manual Focus (0.0)
*There is no manual focus available on the Nikon Coolpix 7900.

Metering* (7.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has four metering options, one more than the typical three on most compact digital camera models. The camera’s default setting is the Matrix mode, which measures light at 256 points and averages them for even illumination. The Center-weighted metering measures from the center and the Spot metering mode measures from a smaller spot in the middle. The additional Spot AF Area mode links the metering and auto focus modes so the camera can measure from any of the five auto focus points in the frame.

Exposure*(7.5)
*The Nikon 7900’s exposure ranges from +1 to +16.5 EV when the lens is at its widest and +2.6 to +18.1 EV when the lens is at its most telephoto (both of these figure sets apply when the ISO is automatically adjusted). This Coolpix has the typical exposure compensation range that most compact digital cameras have: +/- 2 EV in 1/3 steps. As users adjust the exposure compensation, they can also view a real-time histogram as well as the live view. When photographers don’t have the time to adjust the exposure after each picture, there is an exposure bracketing mode. The bracketing shoots three pictures: one at the current exposure value, one a half step above, and the other a half step below. White balance bracketing is also available. If users forget to adjust the exposure compensation or things just didn’t turn out as expected, there is always Nikon’s D-Lighting technology. This feature automatically adjusts the exposure in playback mode and saves the fixed picture as well as the original image file.

White Balance*(7.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a typical palette of white balance options. Auto, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Cloudy, Shade, and Speedlight accompany the more useful Manual white balance mode. The manual white balance is simple to adjust with text instructions and a small window to frame the true white paper or object in. In all of the white balance modes except Manual there is white balance bracketing available. This takes three images: one normal, one with a blue cast, and one with a red cast. The casts aren’t too strong and are helpful in presenting options for the desired overall color.

ISO*(7.0)
*The Coolpix 7900 has a slightly different ISO range than its little sibling, the 5900. The 5900 has a 64 rating and the 7900 starts with a lower 50 rating. The rest of the ISO range is identical. The Nikon 7900’s automatic range stretches from 50-200, while its manual range extends to 400. The range isn’t anything special, but the 7900’s noise reduction system is fairly unique within the Coolpix line. This system can be turned on and off and minimizes a bit of the noise caused by the higher ISO settings.

Shutter Speed* (0.0)
*The 7900 isn’t quite equipped for night photography, but has a decent – and quite typical – shutter speed range of 4 seconds to 1/2000th of a second. This Coolpix has a mechanical and charge-coupled electronic shutter. The shutter speed cannot be manually set; it is only automatic. In some of the scene modes, the shutter is set to open at certain speeds. When it is programmed to go slow, a shaking hand icon appears to warn users of camera shake.

Aperture* (0.0)
*The Nikkor lens opens to an aperture of f/2.8 in its widest setting. The electronically controlled preset aperture is manually selectable but can only open to two settings at each lens extreme: at wide angle, users can set the aperture to f/2.8 or f/4.9, while in telephoto, users can select f/4.8 or f/8.2.

Image Parameters

Picture Quality / Size Options*(6.5)
*With 7.1 effective megapixels, the Nikon 7900 has plenty of pixels to print big. The user manual recommends 8 x 10 inches as being the largest print size, but perhaps this is a typo on Nikon’s part. 7 megapixels can definitely produce more. Indeed, Nikon’s website claims the 7900 can print as big as 16 x 20 inches. The Coolpix 7900’s largest image size is 3072 x 2304 pixels, followed by 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480. This model has an image size dedicated to a PC screen (1024 x 768) and an image size dedicated to a television screen (640 x 480), but oddly, it does not have a 3:2-formatted image size for the more common 4 x 6-inch prints. The JPEG files can be saved in three different compression settings: Fine, Normal, and Basic. Fine saves an image file as 1/4 of its original size. The Normal setting reduces a file to 1/8 of the original and Basic saves only 1/16 of the original. The Fine setting is compressed enough; Normal and Basic should be avoided.

Picture Effects Mode* (7.75)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 is one of those models that aims to be both a digital camera and a dedicated post-processor. It has several in-camera effects. There are five color modes to choose from: Standard Color, Vivid Color, Black and White, Sepia, and Cyanotype. The latter three modes have relatively low contrast and don’t look very good. There is an image adjustment option that adjusts contrast, but it is only available in the default Standard Color mode.

There are four contrast options: Auto, Normal, More Contrast, and Less Contrast. This could be good for that outdoor reunion in overcast conditions. Users can also tweak the image sharpening from Auto to High, Normal, Low, or Off. Turning this option completely off is an attractive feature for photographers who get a thrill out of playing with images in Photoshop. The final in-camera editing feature is the Saturation control that has Normal, Enhanced, and Moderate options. All of these provide a variety of in-camera editing options for computer-shy users.

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity **
*Software (6.25)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 comes with PictureProject version 1.1 software that works in both Windows and Macintosh systems. The camera’s OK button transfers images to the computer when pushed, but the USB interface option has to be properly set before transfer (this only has to be done once in the setup menu). The PTP option transfers to Macintosh computers. The Mass Storage option communicates with Windows XP Home and other systems. Pictures can be loaded directly into the program from the camera or imported though a dedicated button in PictureProject. The other dedicated buttons across the top of the PictureProject browser are as follows: Transfer, Print, Mail, NikonNet, SlideShow, Burn, Auto Enhance, Auto Red-Eye, and Help. The Mail button is quite convenient because it lets users size pictures right before emailing a copy of it. I didn’t find the automatic enhance and red-eye buttons that effective.

There are three buttons to control the view of the photographs: Organize, Edit, and Design. The Organize mode displays thumbnails of the pictures and lets users add keywords – which can then be searched – and view file info on selected images. Users can either double-click on a picture or push the Edit button to toy with the image files. The following editing options are available: Brightness, Color Booster, Sharpening, Photo Effects, Straighten, and D-Lighting HS. Most of the options worked fine and I was even impressed with the D-Lighting HS mode. However, the Color Booster isn’t a favorite; it made natural lips look like they were smattered in hot pink lipstick and turned blues into an electric color reminiscent of 80s spandex.

Don’t get excited about the photo effects; there aren’t even as many effects as there are on the camera. Black and white and sepia are all that’s available. In the top left corner of the picture being edited are a few tools placed for easy access: rotate, move, magnify, crop, and red-eye removal. Once users have selected pictures, they can press the Design button to create a layout similar to a PowerPoint presentation complete with images and captions. There are different templates of layouts that can be chosen. Movies can be viewed with the included QuickTime program, but they cannot be edited.

Overall, I like the organization and layout of the software. It has some cool features such as the D-Lighting and Mail options, but PictureProject is also missing a few essentials such as a decent color adjustment and a basic contrast adjustment.

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs (6.0)
*There is one tiny jack for both the USB and A/V out cables. This will connect the camera to printers, computers, and televisions, but will not be compatible with a power adapter. The video output is NTSC and PAL selectable within the setup menu.

*Direct Print Options (6.0)
*Within the playback mode, users can enter the Print option in the menu and create print orders. A screen appears that lets users scroll through thumbnails of the pictures and choose ones for printing – and also specify how many copies to print of each picture. The Nikon Coolpix is DPOF compliant and compatible with PictBridge printers.

*Battery (6.5)
*

The Nikon 7900 comes with a Nikon EN-EL5 rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a matching charger. The battery lasts for 220 shots in this Coolpix, then takes 2 hours to charge. The battery charger is not a wall mount that plugs directly into the outlet. Instead, it has a plastic base that the battery rests in and a separate cord that connects the base with the outlet. The Coolpix 7900 lasts a slightly longer 250 shots with the optional CP1 battery. When the 7900’s battery is low, an icon appears in the right corner of the LCD screen. When the battery is about ten seconds from biting the dust, a warning flashes on the screen ("Warning!! Battery Exhausted.") and all of the LEDs blink and go a little haywire (where do they get the energy to do that?).

*Memory (1.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has 13.5 MB of internal memory, which is enough for about 9 pictures at full resolution. This model also accepts Secure Digital memory cards up to 1 GB, but does not come with one. Users will probably have to purchase a memory card because uploading to a computer every nine images could get quite annoying. Another annoyance is the camera’s inability to transfer images directly from the internal memory to a computer. Images must first be transferred to a memory card, which of course isn’t included. There are two formatting options for your optional SD card: a full format and a quick format. The user manual says that the quick format option is better for the lifetime of a memory card – and it takes less time. The full format option is recommended for cards that are used in multiple digital cameras or other devices as well such as cell phones and PDAs.

Other Features* (8.0)

Nikon In-Camera Technologies –* This year’s Nikon digital cameras have a unique suite of technologies that include Face Priority AF, D-Lighting compensation, and In-Camera Red-Eye Fix. The face-priority auto focus mode works when faces aren’t covered or turned; the 7900 superimposes a red box around a person’s face in the LCD screen. The D-Lighting can only be added in the playback mode and is sort of like exposure compensation after the fact. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix apparently only works sometimes because I still had lots of pictures with creepy red glowing eyes.

Voice Memo – If your picture is worth a thousand words but you still want to add your two cents, a voice memo can be added in playback. Users have about 20 seconds to comment on the image file. Playback volume is controlled by the zoom buttons.

*Best Shot Selector – *The BSS mode can be turned on and off in the shooting menu. This mode takes up to ten images as long as the shutter release button is held down, then saves the sharpest picture (yep, it only saves one).

*Self-timer – *The self-timer can easily be activated be pressing the left portion of the multi-selector. When this is done and the shutter release button is pressed, the camera takes 10 seconds to capture the shot. Here’s a little secret about the 7900: if you press the shutter release button twice and do it fast, the camera only takes 3 seconds to take the picture. There are no in-camera instructions for users to find this out; this is a speck of info gleaned from the user manual.

*World Time – *Setting the Nikon Coolpix 7900’s date and time is pretty fun. If you set the time and go on vacation out of your time zone, a little scroll over the in-camera world map will automatically fix the time.

Sound Settings – Don’t expect to find cool sounds coming out of the Coolpix. The only noise available is a boring digital beep – and the digital flourish when the camera is turned on. Users can adjust the welcome volume, shutter volume, and button volume in the setup menu.

Sleep Mode – The Nikon 7900 automatically falls asleep when there is no change in the brightness of the subject for a selectable amount of time (30 seconds or 1 minute). The sleep mode can be turned on and off in the setup menu. When the camera sleeps, the green LED by the power button blinks continuously until the power button is tapped to wake it up.

*Auto Off – *To conserve battery power, users can have the camera completely shut off (not just fall asleep) after 30 seconds, or 1, 5, or 30 minutes of no change in subject brightness.

Overall Impressions

Value* (7.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix 7900 can definitely compete in the high-megapixel compact market with a retail price of $399.95. The 7900 was first announced with a higher price tag of $449, but as competitors’ prices are falling so are Nikon’s. If users really will print large pictures, then the 7900 is a value. It is one of the cheapest 7 megapixel digital cameras on the market. However, you may want to consider a cheaper model with fewer megapixels if you’ll never print larger than 8 x 10 inches.

**Comparisons **
Nikon Coolpix 5900 – The baby sibling of the 7900 was announced at the same time, but was built with inferior features at a lower price. The Nikon 5900 has the same 1/1.8-inch CCD but only packs 5.1 effective megapixels onto it. The camera bodies could be twins: same size and weight. Both have 3x optical zoom lenses. There are only minor differences to the 5900’s specs. The 5900’s lowest ISO setting is 64, while the 7900 starts at 50. The EN-EL5 battery lasts 270 shots in the Coolpix 5900 compared to the 7900’s 220. The Nikon Coolpix 5900 has a slightly faster 2 fps burst mode, but does not have the electronic vibration reduction in movie mode. For a retail price of $299, the Nikon Coolpix 5900 offers the same automatic modes and many of the same features and should be considered by budget consumers who won’t be printing 16 x 20-inch pictures.

Canon PowerShot SD500 – One of the more attractive camera models on the market, the Canon SD500 offers the same 7.1 effective megapixels in a sleeker package. The SD500’s body is only a little longer than the 7900’s, but is quite a bit skinnier. This sleek Digital ELPH has an automatic mode and nine scene modes, but does not offer a manual mode. The SD500 is constructed of plastic like the 7900, but is definitely more durable. The SD500 has a 3x optical zoom lens and 2-inch LCD screen like the Nikon 7900. This Canon has similar movie size options, but lets users choose between 30 and 15 fps frame rates for all sizes. It also adds a unique Fast Frame Rate movie mode that records 320 x 240 pixels at 60 fps. The Canon PowerShot SD500 also has a unique palette of color modes not found on the 7900. The Nikon does have a better auto focus system, as the Canon’s 9-point system doesn’t work very well. The Canon PowerShot SD500 retails for $499.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7 – The W7 comes in a slightly larger 1.5 x 3.6 x 2.4-inch body, but is constructed of durable metal instead of the 7900’s hard plastic. Its metal certainly weighs more at 8.9 ounces fully loaded, but it feels substantial and not like a toy. With 7.2 effective megapixels, the Sony W7 has plenty of resolution for big prints as well. Its images have relatively low noise, but getting the images can be difficult because of the W7’s flawed auto focus system. The W7 has an automatic mode and seven scene modes, but also adds a manual mode to the offerings. That is a nice touch, but Sony skimps on the white balance menu: no manual white balance is available. The burst mode on the W7 is slow at 0.9 fps and its movie mode’s frame rate can only reach 30 fps if users own the Sony Memory Stick PRO (sold separately). The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7 is part of the company’s "Wide LCD" series as it has a 2.5-inch LCD screen. However, it still has the same 115,000 pixels of resolution that the Nikon 7900’s smaller screen has. The Sony W7 has a 3x optical zoom lens, 32 MB of internal memory, and retails for $449.

**Who It’s For
***Point-and-Shooters –* With automatic modes ranging from the basic to the elaborate, the Nikon 7900 is made for the point-and-shooter. It even has framing assists in some of the scene modes and a Help button to explain menu options and modes.

Budget Consumers – For the amount of megapixels, the Nikon 7900 can compete with other similar models. However, if you’re a budget consumer that won’t be printing posters you may consider a compact model with similar features and a lower price.

Manual Control Freaks – The white balance can be manually set and the ISO and exposure compensation can be manually selected, but freaks will miss adjusting shutter speed and aperture on the 7900.

Gadget Freaks – Gadget freaks may get a kick out of the face-priority auto focus mode for a few minutes, but will be otherwise bored with the Nikon Coolpix 7900.

*Pros / Serious Hobbyists – *Pros and serious hobbyists just don’t flock to plastic digital cameras. Magnesium alloy in a camera body is one element that is more likely to attract this bunch.

Conclusion

**Conclusion **

Dressed in classic black, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 makes several improvements from earlier Coolpix models in body style and features. The 7900 is the only Nikon compact model offered in black. Its body measures 3.46 x 2.4 x 1.44 inches; this is smaller than most digital cameras but still not a slim pocket-sized model. This Nikon boasts a Nikkor 3x optical zoom lens and a Speedlight flash with good range. At a time when many manufacturers are omitting the optical viewfinder, Nikon includes one on the Coolpix 7900 – although it is only 75 percent accurate. A 2-inch LCD screen graces the back of the camera with 115,000 pixels of resolution. The buttons on the back are all properly placed, but the labels and icons look scattered and make the 7900 appear disorganized at first glance. Even so, the menus and modes are easy to navigate.

At $399.95, the Nikon Coolpix 7900 is built for the point-and-shooter with 16 scene modes, framing assists, and technology geared to fix red-eye in the camera and improve the lighting automatically. There is no manual mode, but there are still a few manual controls such as white balance. The movie mode offers three sizes with quick frame rates and the video quality looks pretty good – especially when used with the electronic vibration reduction. The Nikon 7900 includes 13.5 MB of internal memory, but additional memory will be essential as this digital camera has 7.1 effective megapixels. Overall, the 7900 has some odd quirks to it but would still be a good buy for novices who need an easy to use digital camera that will enable them print large and crop while still providing scene modes and movie options.

Specs / Ratings

**Specs Table
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Meet the tester

Emily Raymond

Emily Raymond

Editor

Emily Raymond is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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