Nikon Coolpix CCD Cameras: The Classic Compact Guide

The Nikon Coolpix line is one of the longest-running names in digital photography, and for its first fifteen years it was almost entirely a CCD story. From the late 1990s through the early 2010s, nearly every Coolpix compact used a charge-coupled device sensor, and that hardware is a big part of why these cameras have a distinct daylight look that film shooters and vintage-digital fans keep coming back to.

The story really starts with the Coolpix 900 series. The Coolpix 900 (1998), 950, 990 and 995 used the now-iconic swivel body, where the lens-and-sensor half rotates independently of the screen-and-grip half. These cameras paired a small CCD with a genuinely sharp Nikkor zoom. The Coolpix 990 (2000) carried a 3.34-megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD, and the 995 added a slightly longer zoom and better flash. They were expensive, semi-pro tools in their day and are still prized for macro work because the swivel makes low-angle shooting effortless.

The 5000, 8000 and prosumer CCD bodies

Nikon pushed CCD resolution hard in the enthusiast range. The Coolpix 5000 (2001) used a 5-megapixel 2/3-inch CCD, a physically larger sensor than the pocket compacts, and offered a wide 28mm-equivalent lens. The Coolpix 5700 and later 8700 were bridge-style bodies with long zooms, and the Coolpix 8400 and 8800 topped out at 8 megapixels on 2/3-inch CCDs. These larger CCDs are the ones enthusiasts tend to seek out, because a bigger sensor at modest resolution gives cleaner tone and less aggressive noise reduction than the tiny chips used in slim compacts.

Nikon also made the Coolpix 8400 notable for its 24mm-equivalent wide lens, unusual for the era. If you want a single-body CCD Coolpix with character, the 5000/5400/8400 group is a sensible target.

The pocket S-series and budget L-series

By the mid-2000s the volume was in slim cameras. The Coolpix S-series (S1, S2, S200, S570, S3000 and many more) put small 1/2.3-inch or 1/2.5-inch CCDs into thin metal bodies, often with an internal folded-optics zoom so the lens never left the shell. The Coolpix L-series (L4, L10, L18, L22 and so on) were the AA-battery budget line, aimed at simple point-and-shoot use. Both lines are cheap and plentiful today, which makes them a low-risk way to try the CCD look.

A few practical notes on choosing among them:

• Sensor size matters more than megapixels. A 4MP or 5MP 1/1.8-inch Coolpix will usually look nicer than an 8MP or 10MP 1/2.5-inch model, because it packs fewer, larger photosites.
• Older models often use CompactFlash (the 900-series and 5000), while mid-2000s bodies moved to SD/SDHC. Check the slot before you buy cards.
• Battery type varies. The swivel bodies and L-series often run on AA cells, which is convenient. The slim S-series uses small proprietary lithium packs like the EN-EL10 or EN-EL19, and those can be worn out or hard to source.

Why the Coolpix CCD look holds up

Nikon's in-camera processing on these bodies tended toward slightly warm, contrasty JPEGs with punchy but not cartoonish color. The Nikkor lenses were generally sharp in the center and controlled flare well. Combined with the way a CCD reads highlights, you get files that need little editing to look pleasant, which is exactly what people want from a casual carry camera. Higher-end bodies like the 5000 and 8400 could also shoot RAW (NEF), giving you real latitude if you want to grade the files yourself.

The trade-offs are the usual CCD ones: weak high-ISO performance, slow write speeds on old cards, and short battery life on the tiny packs. Shoot these cameras at base ISO in good light and they reward you; push them into a dark room and the noise reduction smears detail.

The P-series bridge cameras

Alongside the compacts, Nikon ran the Coolpix P-series, its long-zoom bridge line, and the early members were CCD too. The Coolpix P5000 and P5100 were enthusiast compacts with hot shoes and manual controls, while superzooms like the P80 and P90 stretched CCD sensors to 18x and beyond. These cameras trade some low-light ability for reach, so treat them as daylight tools. If you want one body that covers wide to very long without changing lenses, an early CCD P-series is a practical, affordable option, though the later P500 and up moved to CMOS for video and high-ISO reasons.

Getting the best from a Coolpix

These sensors reward a simple discipline. Shoot at base ISO, usually ISO 50 or 100, keep the flash off outdoors, and let the camera meter for the highlights rather than blowing them out. A CCD holds shadow color nicely but clips bright areas hard, so slightly underexposing and lifting later gives the cleanest result. If your body shoots NEF, use it for anything you plan to edit; the JPEG engine is pleasant but locks in the contrast and sharpening. Use a fresh, fast card, because old CompactFlash and early SD cards can bottleneck the buffer and slow the camera between frames. Finally, mind the lens: many Coolpix zooms are sharpest a stop or two down from wide open and in the middle of the zoom range.

Which Coolpix to look for

For character and control, hunt a Coolpix 5000, 5400, 5700, 8400 or 8800. For pure pocketable fun, almost any clean S-series body will do, with the earlier 1/1.8-inch models preferred. For a cheap AA-powered daily beater, an L-series is hard to beat, and an early P-series gives you reach in one package. Whatever you pick, test the zoom, the flash and the card slot before committing, and confirm the battery still holds a charge.

Every Nikon Coolpix here at Boston Camera is tested and confirmed working before it goes on the shelf.