Home > Consumer Reviews > Nikon Coolpix 2100 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

I upgraded this camera from a Canon A200. Operation wise, the menu system of the Nikon was much more intuitive and easier than the Canon. One thing I hated about the Canon is you have to install software drivers just to have the camera be recognized. However with the Nikon first thing I did was put in the batteries, CF card, took some shots, and plugged into my computer via the USB cable and I was able to see it as a removable drive, and then drag and drop my pictures onto the desktop. It is truly plug and play and you don't need to install any software for it to work. The battery life is also very very good with a 1600mA NIMH rechargebale, I already took 200 shots with LCD and have yet to recharge them. Anothing area where this camera excels is its lens, the Nikkor lens I found to be much much sharper than the Canon lens, which are known to have softness as one of its characteristics. The zoom lens adds a lot of versatility to the camera. One favorite thing I like was that there is only one connector for both the TV out and the USB upload, as they use the same interface on the camera. This is more efficient than having a separate hole for USB and another hole for TV out. Also this camera seems more efficient in utilizing Compact Flash space. For example, I can get 155 shots on a 64MB compact flash on Normal mode, when an average 1600*1200 picture is only around 400k, which is less than about 500k for other cameras. I've noticed this exists in other Nikon models as well from online reviews that I have read. All in all, to sum it up, this camera is relatively small, have sharp lens that display excellent detail and accurate colors, and is very easy to use. One more thing I like to point out is that even due to a lack of AF assist lamp, the camera does well in low light situations. Perhaps it doesn't need an AF assist lamp, which is why it was left out in the first place. It takes pictures in the night without flash as if it had night vision technology integrated, I was surprised how well night shots turned out for a relatively inexpensive camera. One thing I would improve for this camera would be user selectable ISO in manual mode, this would lessen a little bit of noise in low lighting situations, but however being a 2MP camera, the noise are not noticeable to the naked eye. I would recommend this camera to anyone on a budget, but demands sharp and true colored pictures.

I had an old hand me down Kodak digital camera, and I mean old...the high res on it is like 150 pixels. It is fine for on-line pics, but I have been waiting til digitals came down in price to purchase one I thought would last me a long time.

After reading a lot, I decided on this camera. My only reservation was whether or not to spend the extra money for a 3.2 megapixel. It seemed for the money, this was a better choice than a low end 3.2 camera.

I have been very pleased with it. The menus are very intuitive, the delete is quick and easy to discard a shot.

There are enough settings on this to satisfy an amateur photographer. I am a gardener, and the macro did a great closeup on my roses.

Print wise, you will see no discernable difference on this camera on pics up to a 5X7 than off a traditional camera. I didn't find an 8 X 10 to be of a quality that I would want, but, then again, I didn't expect it to be. How often do you print 8 X 10's anyway? If that is what you need, you probably need to move to a 3.2 camera, but for snapshops and 5 X7's you will be thrilled with this one.

Some reviews (and the Nikon manual) say you should only use Lexar and Scandisk memory. I purchased a Viking 128 mg card Amazon had on special to go with this, and it is working perfectly fine for me.

OK, I admit it - I was first drawn to this camera because of how small and cute it is, and how it fits ergonomically in my right hand. At first I was considering the 3100 until ultimately, I decided 2MP was all I really needed. I'm only looking at pictures on my computer, emailing/posting them on the web, and printing 4 x 6. The $100 price difference was also a factor - It's not that I can't afford to spend more, it was more like...is it worth spending so much money on a point-and-shoot digital camera? Especially when you have to factor in an extra $150 or so for accessories. Plus, digicams are changing so rapidly, I'll probably want another one in a couple of years. (However, if you want more flexible printing options, you'll probably want a 3MP or higher).

Now that the price dropped, it makes the camera even more worth the price! I also considered other brands, but decided on the Nikon because (1) I've had other types of Nikons in the past that have captured memorable photos and are still clicking; (2) the Nikon digicams use the more common (and cheaper) CF memory cards; and (3) have the option of using two AA batteries.

I picked up some Duracell 2050 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries that came with a 30 min charger, and they work great. I was worried initially, because of all the negative reviews about battery power I've read about online. And it did seem to drain the batteries more on first use (maybe because it was charging the internal clock battery?). But now it works great. The features on the camera are also a plus - it's so easy to use. It took me just a couple minutes to figure out all the functions. Though you don't get shutter or aperture priority (just buy an SLR if you want that!) the modes more than compensate. I especially liked the macro feature and the white balance. And there doesn't seem to be a problem focusing in low light despite the lack of an AF assist lamp.

The only downsides I can think of (which are really minor) - maybe a little too small for a man's hands; not all the scene modes are really that useful; some parts of the body are a bit too plasticky (but who knows if this will be a problem in the future or not).

In short, great pictures, great features (that both the beginner and the amateur can appreciate), really easy to use, easy to transfer to my computer, and affordable!

The LCD screen QUICKLY turns off using the "LCD SCREEN OFF" button right under the screen... this same button will also disable/enable the helpful on-screen information (how many pictures you have, what size, etc.).

The battery is NOT hard to install, not sure what you are talking about, I had it in and running immediately.

If you would learn how to use the camera, a light press of the shutter button focuses the camera on the object, you can hold it here all day, then, when you decide to take the picture, a full press of the button takes the picture INSTANTLY.

It's a shame people give negative reviews about such a great product.

If you are looking for a wonderful camera at a budget, this IS the camera you need, does EXCELLENT video and picture quality.

TONS of features, nighttime pictures, etc.. but also a simple setting for normal use... you can even EASILY edit pictures right on the camera.
I got the case and rechargeable battery set which works great, never need to worry about batteries.
I did a print of 8x10 with the 2 megapixels and the picture looked just fine, unless you are directly comparing the SAME picture side by side with a higher megapixel camera, you won't notice ANY difference, it looks awesome, this will do 4x6 and 5x7 prints nice and clearly.
The camera is small and is a blast, I LOVE it and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a digital camera who isn't looking for "super awesome professional sharp clear pictures".

This will do prints wonderfully.

Pros:
The instructions are very easy and well-laid out. I bought this camera at a store where the sales person tried to get to buy an on-line manual for about $40---I am glad I did not since the camera comes with a great hard-copy manual as well as an on-line guide that I have not even tried out yet

I had a problem with the camera (see con below) and I called the Nikon 24 by 7 tech support service center. They were very helpful in trouble-shooting with me on the phone. The gentleman was very service oriented.

Con:
The camera is very finicky about the memory cards uses. The store where I bought the camera sold me a 128 M memory card, claiming that they are all very universal. Wrong. The instructions (inside the box) for memory cards clearly indicate the tested and recommended brands. The card I was sold is not on the list, and because of this, I get intermittant results. Sometimes the camera works with the card, sometimes I get an error message that says "You can Not Use This Card". When the camera is in this mode, it will not work at all. I tried the smaller Nikon storage card that came with the camera, and it works consistently. If you buy this camera, be sure and buy only the cards listed by Nikon.