megapixels

I received this camera in the mail today after about 3 months of researching for the right one. I finally decided to get this one along with the Viking secure digital card for a total of about $150 (including the rebate). It truly does help to skim through the manual to get a hang of the camera. The CD-ROM will cover the rest!

Here are some specs:
Pros:
> Scene selection allows you to choose the specific function for specific occasions (museum, party, sunset, etc.)
> Warnings for if the picture might get blurry or if lighting is poor
> Ergonomic design allows easy handling
> Great CD-ROM that gives a good rundown on the camera and the program it comes with
> Battery power is quite impressive, I've spent all day taking pictures and it's still going strong
> Relatively light and compact

Cons:
> Functions may be a little overwhelming for a first-timer
> Nowadays, 2 MP may not be enough even for the average amateur photographer
> LCD screen gets a little grainy sometimes

Overall, this is a good digital camera for recreational purposes. For me, I found the camera was a good deal for the price. I was especially pleased by the "panorama" option that lets you take a series of pictures and arrange them into a 360 degree panorama in the Nikon View program. There are definitely lots of possibilities with this little camera!

For anyone mainly going to make small prints, put snapshots on the web or Email to friends and family, 2 megapixels is just right. I think 3 times optical zoom also falls into the same use category. The major camera manufacturers all have models like this in the same price range. I shopped around for a digital camera for quite a while and I bought the Nikon Coolpix 2200 and I highly recommend it as a high quality point and shoot camera.

Pros:
- Nikon has a great reputation.
- It takes consistently good pictures in Automatic mode.
- The menus are very readable and easy to navigate.
- It comes with rechargeable bateries and a charger.
- It is nice and small but easy to grip.
- It feels solid and well made.
- It has a 2-year warranty

Cons:
- NikonView software is not compatible with Windows 98 (my computer)
- No manual shutter or aperture adjustment

Most of my pictures so far have been taken in Auto mode. There are lots of settings and options but it takes a while to get used to them. The camera offers scene modes that let you compensate for different lighting conditions. I took a picture of my house with the sun behind it and surprise, the house is all in shadows. Alot of my pictures were improved by using different settings the camera offers.

Compared to other digitals, this camera has minimal delay in taking pictures. You can shoot a picture in about one and a half seconds or use one of the options to shoot continuous pictures. The best shot selector mode automatically picks the clearest shot for you.

Another thing I'm happy about. Some cameras have lots of people complaining about their camera eating up batteries. I have been fooling around with the Nikon for about a week and taken hundreds of pictures and some movies too. Following a full charge, the low battery warning came on after a few days of almost constant use and then lasted for almost another day before it stopped working. The batteries and charger that come with it seem great. A full recharge only takes about two hours.

My computer has Windows 98 so I can't use the Nikon software or download pictures directly from the camera to my computer. I can't use the camera's internal memory so I had to buy a memory card and card reader. The 128 MB card seems quite adequate too. The setting I am using gives me about 125 pictures per card.

I Bought this camera to upgrade my one-year old Olympus D520. Compared to D520, coolpix 2200 gives more options for exposure, which produces more realistic color picture. I like the design and color of the camera body. Most importantly, the quality of photo is amazing in most cases. It is truly good product from Nikon name.
Two minor things that I do not like are: there is no botton to turn on/off LCD (2100 has it). And transferring photos from camera to PC is not easy as Olympus D520. The software included needs to be improved. But these are minors and I can live on.