Nikon Coolpix 5700 Review: 6. Operation & Controls: Digital Photography Review

Top of camera controls

On top of the camera you'll find the power switch surrounding the shutter release button. Behind this are the mode and exposure compensation buttons, behind these the Control Panel illumination and FUNC buttons. Right at the back (overhanging the rear slightly) the command dial.

Command dial - double click?

One annoyance with the command dial was that when changing settings it ignores the first click (step) of a roll. Example: to change from ISO 100 to 200 you hold the Flash button and roll the command two clicks (not one as you would expect). This appears to be by design because the first click engages the relevant display on the top LCD, the second and subsequent clicks actually change the setting. The Coolpix 4500 does not operate this way (one click to change).

FUNC button

Like the 5000 on which it is based the 5700 features almost the same control structure. The FUNC button can perform a variety of user programmable functions. In its default mode (user setting) it allows you to select between the four user setting modes of Auto, 1, 2 and 3. Each of the five possible FUNC functions are described below:

FUNC programmed as	Press FUNC	& Hold FUNC and turn command dial
User setting (default)	Display current user setting mode on top control panel LCD.	Select user setting: • C.A (Full Auto / A-REC) • C.1 (Programmed Auto / M-REC) • C.2 (Programmed Auto / M-REC) • C.3 (Programmed Auto / M-REC)
Focus mode	Select auto focus mode: • Normal AF • Landscape (Infinity lock) • Macro Focus • Macro Focus + Self Timer	Manual focus.
Flash mode	Switches through each flash mode: • Auto Flash • Flash Cancel • Auto Anti-Redeye • Fill-in Flash • Slow Sync	Select sensitivity mode: • Auto • 800 • 400 • 200 • 100
White Balance	Display the current white balance setting on the top control panel.	Select white balance: • Auto • White balance preset • Fine • Incandescent • Fluorescent • Cloudy • Speedlight (Flash)
Metering	Display the current metering setting on the top control panel.	Select metering mode: • Matrix • Spot • Center-Weighted Average • Spot AF Area

As I commented in my 5000 review it's nice to see the manufacturers delivering the option to customize at least one camera control. I found it useful to have FUNC programmed to change White Balance.

Other Buttons

Button	Press button	& Hold button and turn command dial
MODE	Toggles between shutter speed and aperture readout on the control panel. In manual exposure mode switch between shutter speed and aperture.	Select exposure mode (as described below): • Programmed Auto (P) • Aperture Priority (A) • Shutter Priority (S) • Manual (M)
	Display current exposure compensation value on top control panel.	Set exposure compensation: -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
	Illuminate the top control panel with a green light for six seconds.	No action.

Exposure modes

Hold down the MODE button and roll the command dial allows you to scroll through the various exposure modes (displayed as a single letter on the control panel and main LCD). Only available on user settings C.1 - C3.

Mode

Description

Programmed Auto Exposure

Camera calculates shutter speed and aperture for best possible exposure, rolling the command dial in this mode allows you to choose from a "Flexible program" selection of shutter speeds and apertures which would achieve the same exposure (P* is displayed in this mode), rolling to the right chooses higher shutter speed and larger apertures, rolling to the left chooses smaller apertures and slower shutter speeds, for example a shot in medium light:

	Shutter	Aperture
P* (turn anti-cw)	1/500 s	F4.5
P* (turn anti-cw)	1/250 s	F5.0
P	1/250 s	F5.6
P* (turn cw)	1/250 s	F6.3
P* (turn cw)	1/125 s	F7.1

Just like previous prosumer Coolpix digital cameras the 5700 only displays full stop shutter speeds (1/500, 1/250, 1/125 etc) although checking the EXIF data after the shot shows that it actually has a much finer gradation of shutter speeds available.

Shutter Priority

Shutter speed can be selected manually by rolling the command dial, the camera calculates the correct aperture based on the reading from the current metering mode. If the selected shutter speed would lead to an exposure outside of the camera's range the shutter speed will flash on both displays when the shutter release button is pressed halfway.

At shutter speeds slower than 1/4s the shutter speed is displayed in yellow to indicate possible noise in the final image. (In continuous mode Ultra HS the slowest speed is 1/30s, in Movie mode the slowest speed is 1/15s). Possible shutter speeds are:

• 1/4000, 1/2000, 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 4, 8 sec *

BULB exposures are only available in Manual exposure mode. As commented on above the 5700 only ever allows the selection of full stop shutter speeds, it would have been nice to be given the option of third stop steps. 1/4000 sec shutter speed is only available when the aperture is within 1 1/3 steps from maximum aperture.

Aperture Priority

Aperture can be selected manually by rolling the command dial, the camera calculates the correct shutter speed based on the reading from the current metering mode. If the selected aperture would lead to an exposure outside of the camera's range the aperture will flash on both displays when the shutter release button is pressed halfway. Possible apertures are:

• Wide: F2.8, F3.2, F3.5, F4.0, F4.5, F5.0, F5.6, F6.3, F7.1, F8.0
• Tele: F4.2, F4.7, F5.3, F5.9, F6.6, F7.4

A much larger range of apertures available at wide angle because of the relatively small maximum aperture at telephoto.

Manual Exposure

In manual mode you can select both shutter speed and aperture (switch between the two by tapping the MODE button). A value display on the control panel will indicate how much the image would be under or over exposed with a particular exposure setting as well as an on-screen exposure meter. Also, available in Manual Exposure mode are BULB exposures, with this, the shutter will stay open for as long as the shutter release button is held, up to a maximum of 5 minutes. *

* At shutter speeds slower than 1/4 sec the Noise Reduction feature (if enabled) will take an additional shot after the main shot which it uses to 'map out' hot pixel noise. Note that when Noise Reduction is enabled you can not use BSS, Bracketing or Continuous shooting.

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