7.1-megapixel effective recording * 3X optical Zoom-Nikkor ED glass lens (4X digital/12X total zoom) * 35mm equivalent lens focal length: 38-114mm * approximately 13.5 MB of built-in memory (holds about 4 images at highest quality setting) * 2" color LCD *
1 Sweet Little Thing
My wife's Nikon SQ died so I wanted to get a *small* travel camera as a replacement. The 7900 is indeed small. It takes great photos outside and will take good full frame 30 fps movies until the SD card is full (bar graph on screen). I've taken blury low-light candid photos w/o flash, but most are due to camera movement rather than focus problems (when looked at in Photoshop). The camera is a little /too/ small for me to grip steadily and hold against a door frame for candids. It'll be a great travel camera for her. Large LCD, good battery life, 7MP images, Image Stabilization.
Disappointed that it's built in China like most everything else and Noise Reduction mode is a little too painterly for me -- I'll clean up my images myself.
2 Nikon Needs to Get Focused
The 7900 sure is an attractive little camera with it's sleek body and high mega pixel count. Like several other Coolpix cameras, including the Nikon 8800, this camera can't focus well in low light. I don't know why Nikon continues to release these cameras with the same flaws. The AF system on the Coolpix line is contrast based and in less than ideal lighting it can lock focus, but get wrong repeatedly. You can visit DPreview.com and Nikonians.com for more info on AF weaknesses with the Coolpix line.
This is a serious warning for buyers! Website forums for Nikon are filled with rabid supporters of the products, even when they haven't tried them. Another funny move is when the focus problems are mentioned by someone they quickly post a shot taken on the dark side of the moon! What exactly does this prove? The 7900 CAN take a low light shot, but it will often miss the shot as well. Don't trust samples taken in low light since you have no idea how many missed shots it took to get it. Buyer's remorse makes camera owners say and do anything to defend their purchases.
Point blank: The 7900 has poor auto focusing compared to MANY other cameras. To make matters worse it has a VERY weak AF assist light just like the 8800. Insult to injury. A Pentax Optio S5i focuses better in low light without the lamp and costs far less. A Canon A95 also has superior focus ability, though not the best of it's class. High count sensors mean little when you miss a shot due to focus, right?
When the 7900 DID get the focus right, images seemed slightly soft overall. While it has many modes there's no real manual control of the camera. This is not good for the growing photographer or the shooter who likes to fine tune.
There's little point in discussing the Nikon's other merits. Inability to focus in many indoor settings is a deal killer. Like the 8800, I have no idea why Nikon can't do what other designers have done at half the cost. I own a Nikon D70 DSLR and I LOVE IT, so I'm not bashing Nikon. I just don't know what the problem is with their line of P&S units. The 7900 I tested belongs to a friend and she's returning it for a Canon A95 or Fuji 550.
