Nikon Coolpix A900
Pros And Cons Of The Nikon Coolpix A900
Pros
- Foldable Monitor
- Easy to use
- 4K video recording
- Slight color deviations
Cons
- Slow shutter release without pre-focusing
- No touch screen
- Low signal-to-noise ratio with significant loss of detail from ISO 400
- No manual focus
Ergonomics and Workmanship
Like the Panasonic Lumix ZS70 (In Europe TZ90 and in Germany TZ91) and the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS, the Nikon Coolpix A900 is a travel zoom camera. The main feature of this type of camera is a comparatively small body, which accommodates a large zoom lens. In the case of the Nikon Coolpix A900, it is an optically image-stabilized 4.3 to 151 mm lens with a 35x zoom factor.
The focal length is adjusted with a ring rocker that encloses the shutter release and provides the photographer with two zoom speeds analogous to the operating intensity. The large zoom range is achieved thanks to a small 1/ 2.3″ image sensor on CMOS technology and corresponds to the image section of a 24 to 840 mm 35mm zoom.
The speed of the lens is F3.4 to F6.9 and is therefore not very fast due to the design. The sensor effectively delivers 20.3 megapixels, combining high resolution with a small footprint. Whether Nikon has the problems that such a combination brings with it under control with the Nikon Coolpix A900, we will clarify a little later in the test.
Coolpix A900 vs A300: Lots of zoom in a compact housing
The innovations of the A300 are really limited because there are none besides SnapBridge. Thanks to SnapBridge, the camera remains permanently connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth in an energy-saving manner and transfers its photos in the background in low resolution, so that they are immediately available for sharing, for example via Facebook.
In the same way, the smartphone also transfers useful data to the camera, namely the current location, which is noted in the EXIF data of the photos. Otherwise, the eightfold optical zoom of the equivalent of 25 to 200 millimeters, including optical image stabilizer and the BSI CMOS sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels, is a good feature for the money.
The A300 records videos in full HD resolution and stores them as MP4 files on the SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory card.
The Coolpix makes the shooting settings automatically, but the photographer can also select one of the scene modes himself. The 230,000 pixel 6.7-centimeter screen serves as a viewfinder and for image control of the 20-millimeter flat camera. The replaceable lithium-ion battery is charged via USB.
As the successor to the S9900, the Nikon Coolpix A900 accommodates an optical 35x zoom of the equivalent of 24 to 840 millimeters including image stabilizer in the 40-millimeter flat housing. The BSI CMOS sensor now resolves 20 instead of 16 megapixels and even offers a 4K video function with 30 frames per second.
Thanks to SnapBridge, the camera and smartphone remain permanently energy-efficient in connection with the exchange of images in two megapixels resolution (from the camera to the smartphone) and location information (from the smartphone to the camera).
The rear 7.5-centimeter screen resolves fine 921,000 pixels and can now only be folded up and down, Nikon has saved the pan-rotate mechanism.
Selfies are still possible thanks to the 180-degree folding mechanism. In addition to automatic and scene modes, the Nikon Coolpix A900 also offers semi-automatic and manual exposure modes.
The rear screen is a 7.7-centimeter touch screen that can be tilted to the side and rotated up, forward and down, allowing shots to be taken from unusual perspectives up to selfies. The screen has a resolution of 1.04 million pixels and an aspect ratio of 3:2. Thanks to active NFC (works even with the camera switched off), Bluetooth and WLAN, the Canon EOS 800D and EOS 77D have modern connectivity functions.
Bluetooth enables remote triggering, for which Canon offers an extra Bluetooth remote control (BR-E1) with a range of five meters (also without visual contact) as an accessory. WLAN can be used not only to transmit images and place them on social networks, for example, but also to remote control the camera via a smartphone app with a live image display on the smartphone. Canon also offers the GP-E2, a plug-in GPS.
Canon has developed the EF-S 18-55mm F4-5.6 IS STM, a new, particularly compact set lens to match the EOS 800D and EOS 77D.
It is the smallest of its kind (without retractable tube). It has an iris diaphragm with seven slats and an image stabilizer with four exposure levels effectiveness. In addition, the stepper motor (STM) should not only be particularly quiet, which is important for video recordings, but also work precisely and quickly.