Overview

The Nikon Coolpix 4600 is a basic point and shoot camera with 4 megapixel resolution, that is easy to use and suitable for digital photography beginners. Unlike its bigger brother, the Coolpix 5600, the 4600 does not record sound when in movie mode.

[top]

Available Reviews

• Nikon Coolpix 4600 review at CNet Asia
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 review at ZDNet
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 review at Steve's Digicams
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 review at imaging resource
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 and 5600 review at DCRP
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 review at Photographyblog
• Nikon Coolpix 4600 review at Cameras.co.uk

[top]

Features

The Coolpix 4600 is aimed at point and shoot photographers and users with no previous experience with digital cameras. The user interface has been specifically designed to help total beginners. On top of that, the variety of scene modes helps achieve good looking results.

The Coolpix 4600 has been designed to use less power as other comparable cameras and is capable of recording up to 220 shots with 2 standard AA alkaline batteries. The use of standard batteries is another advantage as it is easy to find replacement batteries should you run out of power while travelling, an option you do not have with cameras that come with their specific battery packs.

[top]

Specifications

Resolution: 4.0 million pixels
Sensor: CCD 1/2.5-inch type
Lens: 3x Zoom-Nikkor; 5.7-17.1mm [35mm (135) format equivalent to 34-102mm]; f/2.9-4.9; 7 elements in 6 groups
Screen: 1.8-inch LCD
Storage: SD memory card
Shooting modes: Auto, Scene Assistance (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait), Scene (Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night landscape, Close up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back light, Panorama assist, Underwater), BSS (Best Shot Selector), Blur warning, Date imprint, Self-timer (10 sec.)
Movie modes (no sound): 640×480 at 15fps, 320×240 at 15fps, 160×120 at 15fps
Capture modes: 1) Single, 2) Continuous (1.3fps; up to 3 frames), 3) Multi-shot 16 (16 consecutive frames 1/16 in size)
Shutter speed: 4-1/3,000 s
Flash Range: 0.4-3.3m / 1.3 - 10.8 ft. (W), 0.4-2.0m / 1.3 - 6.6 ft. (T);
Flash modes: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Anytime Flash, Flash Cancel and Slow sync.
Interface: USB
Batteries: Two AA size batteries
Battery life: (approx.) 220 images with two AA-size alkaline batteries, 340 images with two EN-MH1 Rechargeable batteries
Dimensions (W x H x D): Approx. 85 x 60 x 35mm (3.3 x 2.4 x 1.4 in.)
Weight: Approx. 130g (4.6 oz.) (without battery and memory card)

[top]

Press Release

TOKYO — Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the COOLPIX 5600 and COOLPIX 4600 — two fun new digital compact cameras that offer impressive image quality and even allow shots to be improved automatically in-camera. The COOLPIX 5600/4600 are also surprisingly simple to use, making them ideal not only for beginners of all ages, but also for those who’ve never been interested in digital photography before.

With a comfortable grip, the COOLPIX 5600/4600 make the user feel at ease and ready to shoot right away. There’s also a range of features that enable beginners to start producing pleasing shots with confidence. A newly designed Graphic User Interface (GUI) allows the user to select functions by either name or icon. A handy “Help” button explains each function. Furthermore, both cameras can also display the menu in a choice of 11 languages. Both the COOLPIX 5600 and the COOLPIX 4600 also feature a large, bright 1.8-inch LCD monitor that makes it easy to compose shots and a cinch to view the results at any time. And making operation even more convenient still, both cameras have been designed to consume significantly less power — enabling the user to shoot almost twice as many shots with alkaline batteries, for example, in comparison with other entry level Nikon digital cameras.*

The advantage of 5.1 and 4.0 effective megapixels enable the COOLPIX 5600 and COOLPIX 4600 respectively to deliver image quality exceeding that of most entry level digital compact cameras. They also feature the advantage of a 3x optical Nikkor-Zoom lens too — combining the freedom to compose in different ways with high-quality and reliability, and also supporting macro shooting from as close as 4cm (1.6 inches).

Furthermore, not only do the COOLPIX 5600/4600 allow the user to achieve truly pleasing quality with minimal preparation, they also stand apart from other cameras in their class with the handy ability to automatically improve the quality of recorded shots with the touch of a button. Nikon’s exclusive D-Lighting function, for example, can be selected in Playback mode — automatically compensating for insufficient flash or excessive back lighting in order to obtain balanced exposure throughout the frame. Nikon’s proprietary Advanced Red-eye Reduction, on the other hand, has the ability to automatically detect and correct red eyes in-camera in most situations. Both cameras are additionally equipped with Blur Warning, which alerts the user when a shot is compromised by camera shake, allowing another shot to be taken before leaving the scene.

Designed with a new high-density structure, the COOLPIX 5600/4600 have been created with surprisingly compact dimensions. They are also lightweight and easy to carry too, making them even more attractive to the day-to-day user. To make operation even easier still, the COOLPIX 5600 and COOLPIX 4600 also feature the same handy Scene Modes that have made the COOLPIX lineup such a success and four of them also feature Scene Assistance, enabling virtually anyone to achieve better composition. Scene Modes are so incredibly easy to use — simply select the mode that most closely fits the subject, such as Sunset or Portrait, then leave the camera to select the appropriate settings automatically. The COOLPIX 5600/4600 also feature an entirely new Scene mode, “Underwater”, which produces more satisfying, true-to-life colors when using the optional WP-CP3 waterproof case to shoot scenes while snorkeling or scuba diving. This exciting new addition increases the choice of handy Scene Modes to 16!

A choice of five Color Options allows the photographer to have more fun with digital photography, enabling them to select one before shooting to change the entire feel of a shot by making it sepia or black-and-white, for example. The COOLPIX 5600/4600 also have 14MB of internal memory, which enables images to be recorded without additional memory media. What’s more, they are compatible with SD cards, which enable a large volume of shots to be stored and are widely available for purchase.

The COOLPIX 5600 and COOLPIX 4600 make it easy to capture action in an expressive manner with movie shooting capability. Both cameras offer a choice of three different movie modes — TV, Small and Smaller — and the COOLPIX 5600 has the ability to capture video with sound. They can also be easily connected to a TV, making it simple to share the results with friends or family.

Even printing is made easy with the COOLPIX 5600/4600. PictBridge compatibility makes it possible to print directly to a compatible printer, without the need for a PC. Both cameras also come bundled with Nikon’s proprietary PictureProject software, which is surprisingly user-friendly and offers a broad selection of versatile functions.
(source: Nikon)