Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix 5000

Nikon Coolpix 5000. Photo (c) 2001 Steve's Digicams

Record Modes & Screens

This is a typical LCD view when in Program AE mode. The labels across the top, "QUICK Review," "MENU," and "MONITOR" tell you what the function of the buttons are on the LCD monitor itself. The "3" icon in the square indicates that we are using the #3 user configuration, you can assign different sets of camera and exposure parameters to three memory locations and then call them up as desired.

This display also shows that we have selected the manual focusing area option, you'll see five AF area targets indicated by the "[ ]" marks. Using the 4-way selector you can select which AF area to use, the active area is indicated by the red set of brackets (in the center here.)

The Coolpix 5000 carries on the tradition of super-Macro focusing made famous by its Coolpix 995, 990 and 950 siblings. Setting the zoom at the mid-way position makes the macro (flower) icon turn yellow, this is the "sweet" spot and allows for the closest possible focusing range. The Coolpix 5000 can focus as close as 0.8 inches and all the way out to infinity without switching off macro mode.

When shooting in the Manual record mode the user had control of both the shutter speed and aperture. To assist you in getting the exposure correct there is this nifty onscreen metering display, simply change the shutter speed or aperture until you get the center box lit and presto!

The Coolpix 5000 also features Shutter speed priority, you select the desired shutter speed to freeze rapid action or to blur movement and the camera selects the proper aperture. Or use Aperture priority to increase or decrease the depth of field (range of focus), you select the aperture and the camera picks the appropriate shutter speed.

Pressing the Quick Review button brings the last picture captured up onscreen in the upper left hand corner of the screen. Press the Quick Review button again and it is displayed full screen. You can quickly go back to record mode by tapping the shutter release. For the fully-featured Playback mode simply slide the Record / Play switch to the Play position. The Play mode features are described on the next page.

Record Mode Options

The first screen lets you pick one of three memory presets, you select one and then all of the options you select on the following screens applies only to that particular user preset. This lets you set up and quickly switch between the presets.