Lots of cameras have a few features that are better than, or absent from, the Coolpix 990. The Coolpix 950 and 995 (or Canon G2 and Minolta Dimage 7) are also impressive cameras. However, none in this price range have such an all-round rich set of features and quality, or its range of accessories. It folds flat, has amazing macro ability, has beautiful build quality (magnesium alloy), and takes AA batteries, too. This camera is not always the most convenient, but in its class, it is probably the most versatile.
Peter iNova compared the Coolpix 990 with the early Leicas. While I don't believe my 990 will become a collectible in the sense a pristine Leica M3 and Summicron lens can fetch $$, I think the 990 is clearly a classic. Time magazine thought so, too. In fact, a 990 can be converted to an SLR with an X-tend-a-view, much like the Leica M3 was with a Visoflex.
The camera can produce images that look great on a 21" monitor. I only occasionally print anymore - I prefer to look at the images on screen, archive to CD, or e-mail them to friends. Once, Phil Greenspun at photo.net wrote about the jewel-like quality of displayed images, having the tonal range of slides. I think there is something to that. Maybe the preferred methods of viewing and using images is changing, too. With 35mm film, slides were preferred for years, largely due to the quality of Kodachrome, only being overtaken by color prints in the mid-80s. Now, the quality of video cards and monitors, as well as the convenience of sending images by e-mail or posting to web sites, and the low cost and long life achieved by archiving on CD or DVD, may be changing the paradigm again (at least for a little while).
When I do print, I usually go to 8" x 6" on an Epson Stylus Photo 870 with Qimage Pro. Genuine Fractals is there if I need something moderately larger. However, over 20+ years of 35mm shooting, my favorite print size was 5 x 7, and only about one percent of the time (for anything I was willing to print) did I mess with 8 x 10 or larger. That was with mid-upper tier Nikon equipment and doing my own darkroom work with equivalent tools. Come to think of it, even a cropped 990 shot on my 21" monitor at 1600 x 1200 resolution is a lot bigger than a 5 x 7.
I believe the Coolpix 990, coupled with Photoshop or other quality editing software, will be a viable tool for several more years, and will be beloved by many users long after that.
