Review: Compact 3-megapixel sharpshooters

From...

By Grace Aquino

(IDG) -- "Small and crammed full of features" seems to be the design mandate for many of the latest digital cameras, including the Nikon Coolpix 885 and the Pentax Optio 330. Each of these 3-megapixel shipping models slips easily into a shirt pocket and will please both the casual shutterbug and the more advanced photographer.

Cool Upgrade

The $600 Coolpix 885 has handy features, including a noise-reduction mode to minimize blemishes; a camera button for uploading images to a PC; a threaded lens rim for attaching an optional Nikon lens (such as wide angle or telephoto); a 16MB CompactFlash card for image storage; and a 3X optical zoom lens.

The Coolpix 885 also produces decent-quality snapshots. It delivered attractive color and great skin tone in several of my photographs. Some of the images that I took outdoors, however, appeared murky on screen. In several cases, the camera lost elements of background detail and produced a few dark areas.

IDG.net INFOCENTER PCWorld.com home Free daily newsletters PCWorld.com: Week in Reviews TechInformer Related IDG.net Stories Top 10 digital cameras Top 15 digital cameras Nikon's Coolpix hits 5 megapixels Features PC World.com Product Finder An inside tour of the Pentium 4 Surviving a disk crash: A checklist Visit an IDG site Choose a site: IDG.net CIO Computerworld Darwin Dummies.com GamePro.com The Industry Standard ITWorld.com InfoWorld.com JavaWorld LinuxWorld Macworld Online Network World Fusion PC World Publish.com UnixInsider IDG.net search

The 885 also retains some of the shortcomings of its immediate predecessor (the Coolpix 880), such as a disappointingly short-lived disposable lithium ion battery, the inability to record audio and video simultaneously, and a complicated menu system that practically necessitates having the manual in your pocket at all times.

Easy Elegance

For an easier-to-use -- albeit costlier -- camera, consider the $699 Pentax Optio 330. It combines a sensible menu structure and on-camera buttons (such as a four-point dial next to the LCD screen, similar to the Coolpix 885's) for easy menu navigation and setting adjustments. It looks more elegant than the Nikon as well, thanks to a brushed-metal finish and slim design.

In my tests, the Optio delivered bright, color-rich photos, though it lost some detail in one of my outdoor shots. The camera comes with several of the same handy features the Coolpix 885 offers, but it has one of the Nikon's drawbacks, too: It records only short video clips without audio.

Unlike the Nikon, the Pentax is bundled with a rechargeable, proprietary lithium ion battery and a charger, making it a reasonable value. (Nikon's optional battery kit is $50.)

With the Pentax, you also get ACDSee software, a useful digital imaging tool that lets you easily view, organize, and enhance your photos, and perform basic image editing.

Bottom Line

The Pentax Optio 330 is a better value than the Nikon Coolpix 885, thanks to its included rechargeable battery and charger and its easy-to-use software. I prefer the look and feel of the Optio over the Coolpix, too. But if you want a digital camera that you can attach optional lenses to, the Nikon is the way to go.