megapixels

I really wanted to love this camera - but alas, it was not to be. The ability to capture video with sound at VGA was a real big selling point for me, but of course, it is primarily a still camera....which is where it falls terribly short.

The first one I bought I had to return because the focus was defective. I called Nikon and they said to take it back. The second one took decent quality photos, but not only was there a pixel out on the display (which would be okay if the camera wasn't $525), but there was also a defect on the ocular viewfinder which showed as a "warped" area in the form of a line right across the center.

I have a Kodak DC290 2.1 MP that is about six years old and it takes much sharper pictures that this Nikon. I was really shocked by the lack of overall quality control (two cameras defective) and the lack of sharp images. For now, I will stick with my old Kodak until something with all the features that are in this Nikon comes along --- and works.

***UPDATE***
I returned this and got the Sony Cybershot DSCP100 instead. WOW! What a difference! With the Sony, all of the same horrible test photos I took with the Nikon came out excellent! Not only that, but I saved $100. Thank you Sony...

This one is indeed stylish in design. An excellent camera in the 5.1MP, compact Range. Small but big on features. With such wide range of features, I am surprised how very intuitive the user interface is. You really dont need the manual. You will be up and running in minutes.

Picture quality is excellent in all its modes. The Nikkor Lens with its ED & Aspherical elements, provides an impeccable quality of pictures. Sharp, crisp and vibrant colours. Low light focussing is fast. Interface to the computer? You dont need any driver software if you are on XP, 2000 or Mac. All USB. Just Plug it and you see a drive configured on your windows explorer which you can manage it just like a hard disk. Pictures in seconds!! The 1"X1" 256 MB SD memory card can store 270, 6"X4" high quality images. Movie recording is smooth, not at all jumpy, very powerful microphone. Treats it just like a picture. Make movie in seconds and send it...

I indeed recommend that you look at this one before you make a decision.

I really like my new 5200. I am new to the digital camera scene but I'm glad I bought the Nikon. The salesman explained the diferences between the many 5 Meg cameras in stock and I found the Nikon to be the easiest to learn to operate. My wife is usually the camera person in the house but I believe this camera will be much more fun than a regular film camera. I love the idea of snapping loads of shots, looking at them on the computer, and THEN deciding which ones to keep. Digital is the way to go and this Nikon is the way to get there.