Review: Nikon Coolpix P4 digital camera

Fed up with red eyeballs and bleached out faces when using camera flash?

The obvious solution is to turn off the flash and boost the sensitivity of the camera sensor to cope, or a slower shutter speed to let in more light.

However, an unwanted side effect is that, unless using a tripod or steady surface, any slight hand movement is also captured, resulting in image blur.

The 8.1 megapixel Nikon Coolpix P4 aims to solve this with built-in Vibration Reduction, something normally found on expensive lenses for professional cameras.

Its other key features include a 3.5x optical zoom, 2.5in LCD, with which to compose and review photos, 16 selectable scene modes, which optimise camera settings for common conditions and subjects, plus video clips with sound at a sufficient quality to watch on the TV.

All useful, but features that can found elsewhere for less.

The 23Mb of internal memory, which stores just six full resolution snaps is disappointing, although there’s a slot for an SD memory card to extend it. A slimline battery that provides 200 shots from a single charge is half the capability of rivals.

The Nikon's design is similarly conservative, yet reasonably weighty and well built, with some nice champagne metal details off-setting its mainly plastic body. The P4’s menu screens and icons are clear and easy to navigate, helping the overall operation.

A bottle cap-style mode wheel on top of the P4 allows for choice of resolution, light sensitivity (measured in ISO ratings, but capped at a surprisingly low ISO400) white balance, camera set up, video capture, scene modes and three stills capture modes: automatic, program and aperture priority, the last two allowing for finer image adjustments.

Used purely as a fully automatic point-and-shoot though, outdoors the Coolpix P4 delivers the goods and provides even exposure and realistic colours.  It has to be said, however, that the two Vibration Reduction modes reduce but don’t fully eliminate the bugbear of image blur, particularly in interiors without flash.

It seems, sadly, that we’re a little way off manufacturers working miracles.

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