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Nikon Coolpix 5400 A solid update to Nikon's upper-midrange Coolpix. 5 megapixels, 4x zoom, tons of features! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet C5400 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on C5400 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests :(Previous) | (Next): Camera Modes & Menus>> Page 8:Operation & User Interface Review First Posted: 07/12/2003

Operation and User Interface

The Coolpix 5400 features a similar, straightforward user interface to other Nikon Coolpix models, although the wealth of options and depth of the LCD menu system can be intimidating for new users. (Novices needn't fear though, the 5400 in full auto mode is as easy to use as the most basic point & shoot, and the 15 different scene modes make even tricky shooting conditions easy to master. Only when you venture into its more advanced features do things get complicated.) Usability is enhanced by a user interface employing external buttons for many commonly-accessed camera functions, and a command wheel for rapidly adjusting settings. As a result, you'll only need to enter the menu system infrequently for typical shooting. The inclusion of a programmable Function key adds flexibility, allowing you to customize the camera to your specific shooting needs by assigning frequently-used settings to the top-panel button. Exposure compensation, exposure mode, ISO value, white balance, image quality and size, as well as focus controls can all be adjusted externally, and the large Mode dial provides access to a variety of exposure modes as well as the White Balance, ISO, and Image Quality/Size settings. (I missed the small, black and white LCD status panel used on earlier high-end Coolpix models for making faster changes without the LCD monitor activated, though.) The LCD menu system is easy to navigate via the Arrow-pad rocker control, but the plethora of available options means that some choices are buried 2 or 3 levels deep in the menus. This is probably unavoidable though, as the alternative would have been a menu system with a dozen screens to it.

In its still-image record modes, the 5400 presents an abbreviated "My Menu" whenever you press the menu button. You can set any of the handful of options shown there, or select the "Full Menus" option to see the complete set of menu choices. The My Menu display is almost 100% configurable, as you can move any of the record-mode menu options onto it via the setup menu. In practice, I found the My Menu display to be a decidedly mixed blessing. On the one hand, it was great whenever the function I needed was located on it, and it was quite easy to change which options were displayed there. On the other hand, I frequently found myself annoyed when I need to access a menu option that was buried on one of the main menu screens. This may have been more of an issue for me than for the typical user, given the extent to which I need to dig into all the options offered by each digicam I test. - Normal users will quite possibly find that the few options available on the My Menu are all they need. Still, I'd like to suggest two possible changes to Nikon: 1) Include an option on the Setup menu to disable the My Menu display, letting users drop directly into the main menu system if they so prefer. 2) Make the "more menus" option the first entry on the My Menu screen, to permit a quicker exit to the full system when necessary.

As noted above, the 5400 offers an incredible range of features and functions. While novices will be able to just pick it up and shoot with it in full auto mode, really learning its capabilities will take the average user at least a couple of hours with the manual and camera in hand.

Control Enumeration

Shutter Button: Located on top of the camera (on the sloping front) and encircled by the Power switch, this button sets focus and exposure when halfway pressed and fires the shutter when fully pressed.

Power Switch: Surrounding the Shutter button on the camera's top panel, this rotating lever turns the camera on or off.

+/- / Audio Button: Behind the Shutter button on the top panel, this button lets you adjust the exposure compensation from -2 to +2 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-third step increments, when pressed and held down while turning the Command wheel.

In Playback mode, pressing and holding this button lets you record a short sound clip to accompany a captured image. Once the clip has been recorded, pressing this button again plays it back.

Flash Button: Directly to the left of the +/- button, this button cycles through the available flash modes. Choices are Auto, Flash Cancel, Anytime Flash, Red-Eye Reduction, Slow-Sync, and Rear Curtain Sync.

Func. Button: To the left of the Flash button, this button can be programmed to control one of several functions. Through the Setup menu, you can set the Function button to control User setting, White balance, Quality/Size, Sensitivity, or Continuous modes.

Command Wheel: Located in the top rear, right hand corner of the camera, this rotary control is used in conjunction with many of the other buttons on the camera to change camera settings. Pressing and holding the appropriate button while rotating this wheel one way or the other steps through the options available for the option in question. In programmed exposure mode, rotating this wheel at any time (e.g., with no button pressed) varies the exposure program, biasing it toward larger or smaller aperture settings. (A very handy way to control depth of field in your photos, without having to bother with the aperture priority exposure mode.)

In Playback mode, turning this dial cycles through six different pages of information about the currently-displayed image.

Mode Dial: Directly to the left of the Command wheel, this dial selects the camera's main operating mode, and accesses a few exposure options as well. Choices are:

• Auto Exposure: Gives the camera complete control of the exposure, with only limited options available to the user (such as image size and quality, flash mode, zoom, etc.).
• Program AE Mode: The camera still controls aperture and shutter speed, but the user now can adjust any of the available exposure parameters. Turning the Command wheel in this mode accesses Flexible Program AE mode, which lets you select from a range of equivalent exposure settings. (Very handy, for biasing the exposure toward larger or smaller apertures, higher or lower shutter speeds, without giving up the ease of automatic exposure determination.)
• Shutter Priority Mode: This mode lets you select the shutter speed, while the camera selects the best corresponding aperture setting. All other exposure options are available.
• Aperture Priority Mode: The opposite of Shutter Priority mode, this mode lets you adjust the camera's aperture setting while the camera selects the shutter speed.
• Manual Mode: This mode offers total user control over the exposure, and increases the shutter speed range to include a bulb setting for exposure times as long as 10 minutes.
• Scene: This mode offers a total of 16 preset "scenes" for shooting under common, but sometimes challenging, exposure conditions. Each scene mode configures multiple exposure parameters (exposure compensation, white balance, saturation, etc) to produce the optimal results for a particular type of subject. Available scenes are Portrait, Party/Indoor, Night Portrait, Beach/Snow, Landscape, Sunset, Night Landscape, Museum, Fireworks Show, Close Up, Copy, Back Light, Sports, Panorama Assist, and Dusk/Dawn.
• Movie Mode: Records moving images with sound, for as long as the memory card has available space.
• Setup: Enables the camera's Setup menu, the options on which will be detailed later.
• Image Size and Quality: Allows you to set the image resolution and quality. Resolution choices are 5M (2,592 x 1,944 pixels), 2M (1,600 x 1,200 pixels), 1M (1,280 x 960 pixels), PC (1,024 x 768 pixels), TV (640 x 480 pixels) and 3:2 (2,592 x 1,728 pixels). Quality choices include Hi (TIFF), and Fine, Normal, and Basic JPEG compression levels.
• ISO: This setting adjusts the overall sensitivity of the camera. ISO equivalents of 50, 100, 200, or 400, and an Auto setting are available.
• White Balance: Sets the overall color balance of the image. An Auto setting is available, as well as Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Speedlight, Shady, and Manual settings.
• Playback: Lets you scroll through captured images on the memory card. You can also manage images by erasing unwanted files, setting up files for printing, enlarging images, or creating an audio caption.

Diopter Adjustment Dial: Tucked away on the right side of the optical viewfinder eyepiece, this small, black dial adjusts the viewfinder to accommodate eyeglass wearers. (The 5400 is unusually eyeglass-friendly, with a very high eyepoint and plenty of diopter adjustment.)

AE/AF Lock Button: Located on the rear panel, to the right of the viewfinder eyepiece, this button locks focus and/or exposure (depending how it's programmed through the Setup menu) whenever pressed. The setting is then saved until the Shutter button is pressed or the AE/AF Lock button is pressed a second time.

Zoom Rocker Button: Directly to the right of the AE/AF Lock button, this two-way rocker button controls the optical and digital zoom in any record mode.

In Playback mode, this button enables the nine-image index display when pressed on the "W" side. Pressing the "T" side enlarges the captured image to a maximum of 6x.

Menu Button: The top button in a series lining the right side of the LCD monitor, this button brings up the settings menu in all capture modes as well as in Playback mode. Pressing it a second time exits the menu system.

AF/MF/Self-Timer/Erase Button: Directly below the Menu button, this button controls a variety of settings. In record mode, pressing this button steps you through the various programmed focus modes (normal autofocus, infinity focus, macro mode, and self-timer). Pressing and holding this button while rotating the Command wheel switches you to manual focus mode and sets the focus distance.

In playback mode, this is the "trash" button, which calls up a confirmation dialog, asking if you really want to delete the current image.

Quick Review/Resize Button: Directly beneath the AF button, the Quick Review button calls up a thumbnail sized display of the most recently captured image while in either record mode, appearing in the upper left-hand corner. The left and right arrow keys scroll through the rest of the captured images on the memory card. Pressed a second time, it expands the thumbnail view to a full-screen display of the captured images on the card, complete with an image information overlay. The Quick Review mode is canceled by pressing the button a third time, or by pressing or half-pressing the Shutter button.

In Playback mode, this button makes a lower-resolution copy of the currently displayed image. (The original image is left undisturbed.)

Display Button: The final button in the series lining the LCD monitor, this button recalls or cancels the color LCD screen information display and viewfinder display. Pressing the button multiple times steps you through a normal LCD display (with information overlay), a display of the image alone, with no overlay, or no display, with the LCD display turned off.

In Playback mode, pressing this button merely turns the information overlay on or off.

Four-Way Multicontroller and OK Button: Situated on the far right of the rear panel, this control features four arrows that allow the user to navigate through the LCD menu system and make selections in Record, Playback, and Setup modes. Different menu items are selected via the up/down arrows. Pressing the right arrow selects the item, generally taking you into a sub-menu. Pressing the left arrow takes you back out again. In the center of the multicontroller is an OK button, which confirms menu selections.

In Playback mode, the left and right arrows navigate through captured images on the memory card. (The up and down arrows also move forward and backward through captured files.) The OK button triggers a movie file to begin playing, as well as pauses audio caption playback.