CoolPix 990

[Peter iNova]

Now that's a PHOTOGRAPH! I guess I'll be the first in line to beg for
some info
on that kind of setup. You say 6 flashes? Were some of those the inexpensive
Quantary slaves I saw mentioned a while back? Or maybe this is all under
wraps until your much anticipated book comes out? Please post some more for
all to enjoy.
danny

One Quant as a high backlight, two Flashmates as 45 degree back side lights (one filtered straw on the right for hair, the other on the left filtered light purple), one Quant firing into a 2 x 3 ft slab of foamcore under the lens, a Vivitar 283 with slave shoe firing into a large overhead foamcore panel and the camera flash filtered with a piece of black slide film to cause it to become an IR transmitter only.

The model was moving fast and what pleases me is that all three different slave designs fired so quickly and synchronously that each hair is frozen in mid swish.

She calls it her "Finesse" shot after the shampoo. And yes, more shots of her are in the book. She isn't a professional model and the book gives some handy pointers in how to get an inexperienced model to become part of your creative cycle.

-iNova

 

[weibow]

Things like this are just like the stupid cup holders on my turbo beetle
and many other stupid designs..
Did I consider the 1.8T beetle a bad car?
Absolutely not, the overall performance is still amazing.
Do I want a more reliable Corola? You know the answer.

I consider myself bad luck all the time....My current 990 is the fourth one.
Although not all 990s are bulit equally, from the first one ( dead lcd pixels )
to the fourth one ( close to zero noise @ 8"!!!!!), I still pleased with the
overall performance from the first time I touched 990.

PS. About the noise on the fourth one. Ok, I tried and tried to find the
noise, but I failed. Even on the histogram there shows only one line on the
left. This is what really scares me......There must be some trade offs for the
normal picture quality....we will see...........By the way..my fourth one's ring
is black(brown) not the purple on the third one. And the serial# is 30307xx.

Hope this helps.

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

 

[Ijuf]

While I appreciate the useful information you've provide to my enquiry and to the forum in general, I don't like the tone of your post.

I take a very analytical approach when deciding which product to purchase, with the amount of time spent proportional to the cost of the product. I'm not making a living with this equipment so it's not like I can easily write-off these expensive toys from year to year. Given the rapidly changing technology, I have to ensure my investment will last for a reasonable period.

Researching products on the net always inevitably leads to heated discussions between opposing zealots. This is human nature. My goal is to understand the biases of each camp so that I can make a better personal decision. There is usually some truth to both sides.

One problem that has recently surfaced is the 'gear-stripping' or clicking
sound made by the 990 lens under certain conditions such that the only
way to stop it is to remove the batteries. Sure this can't be good for
the camera.

The official Nikon Tech forum says to send the camera in for repairs and
yet owners have reported that this situation can be reproduced if
you know the steps. One website that listed the steps was told
by Nikon to take them down in case people damaged the camera. Wouldn't it
be more helpful to know the steps so that you'd know not to execute them?

Has this been fixed, and if not, how common an occurrence is it?

Apparently it is SO COMMON that you will be scared away.

I think you will be MUCH happier with some other, less fearful camera.
Many others aren't backordered nearly as deeply. Many others don't
confuse you with so many accessory choices.

Many others won't worry you with issues like that alarming swivel, that
frightfully inexpensive battery power situation, that panic inducing red
eye flash*, the apprehension of deciding how best to use full manual
exposure mode, the consternation surrounding using the camera at ISO 1600
and above, the horror of close ups, the dismay of CF card removal, the
bewilderment of low light focusing, the agitation accompanying long
telephoto use, the shock of barrel distortion or the stupefaction of
Nikon View software.

Not to mention the frightful prospect of having to learn Photoshop or
Paint Shop Pro to get the most out of your images or the dreadful barrier
of having to learn a work-around, a technique, a series of steps, a list
of no-no's or a bunch of must-do's.

I mean, this camera IS supposed to do it all for you, isn't it?

The Olympus, Canon and Sony forums are all abuzz about their "much" more
issue free cameras.

-iNova

• Here's an all-flash (6 including the on-camera flash that started the

shot) image taken during a session which captured over 160 exposures. No
red eye here (or in any of them). And no on-camera flash look either.
Sorry. I cheated. I was going for a photograph, not a snapshot.

 

[SL]

My 990 has done the lens lock-up thing and it's not as scary as it it sounds. The
way to avoid it is to never use the continuous auto-focus. Ever since I stopped
using it, I have had no problems.

One problem that has recently surfaced is the 'gear-stripping' or clicking
sound made by the 990 lens under certain conditions such that the only
way to stop it is to remove the batteries. Sure this can't be good for
the camera.

The official Nikon Tech forum says to send the camera in for repairs and
yet owners have reported that this situation can be reproduced if
you know the steps. One website that listed the steps was told
by Nikon to take them down in case people damaged the camera. Wouldn't it
be more helpful to know the steps so that you'd know not to execute them?

Has this been fixed, and if not, how common an occurrence is it?

 

[bill too]

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

I own a 990 and I'm very happy with it but I haven't logged a lot of hours and am no expert. What I can add to this discussion is the experience I had when I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and told I would have to take synthetic thyroid the rest of my life. I went on line and found a forum with people that were taking synthetic thyroid and read horror story after horror story. I asked the doctor about it and he said that people who have a problem flock together and feed on each others paranoia but the millions that are having no problem just go there own way. I had my thyroidectomy and pop my little pill each day with no problems. I hope my 990 proves to be as problem free. But then maybe I should have bought a camera from a manufacturer who has a history of making cameras for professionals.

 

[Frances]

Get a Casio , may be you will feel better.
Be aware plastic feel!
)))

FRances.

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

 

[Peter iNova]

Porsche,

When you anonymously post that stuff SCARES you, it carries the tone that you have already bought into something. Rodger Carter blatantly posted a bunch of out and out wrong statements attributed to me which you seemed to gleefully revive on these pages a week after appearing here for the first time under your current email address.

Rodger, you may not have known, knew about my book project and was sworn to secrecy in writing way earlier this year, a confidence he willfully betrayed in print on these pages. His so-called "iNova Report" was designed to harm my reputation directly, personally, by including my name in its title and he did the maximum he could to spew it all over the entire digital camera community. I have no doubt there are even more places he parked it beyond the third one you introduced to me.

If that stuff disturbed you so much how come the almost universal anti-Carter reply stream didn't reduce your sense of scared? Or were you just being provocative in its wake?

I hope you have no fear at all and I'm sorry you took offense at my responses, but there are those who wish, as your reference to Rodger's report seemed to promote, a negative predisposition.

My posts in your wake were not so much aimed between your eyes but to those who might think you were pushing this issue to raise doubts in others. That WAS Rodger's intent and seemed, by association, to be yours. Again, apologies if this was overreaction.

The evidence you point to is not something worthy of fear and scare. Still, you did not, for instance say, "Is stuff like this true?" or "Stuff like this concerns me." There is a major gulf from "concern" to "scare" and Rodger certainly seems to have made you afraid.

Perhaps I have been to quick to put up a wall here, but the language and response you have used, even in the immediately preceding post are reminiscent of a Rodger Carter fan who wrote similar threads around the original timing of the Carter Report. A fan who was "removed" from this forum by no action or suggestion of mine.

Get any of the 3 megapixel cameras you wish. They're all better than the preceding 2 meg cameras and as you can see from the responses around this question, not a whole lot of negative suggestion is being traded here except under this thread.

-iNova

 

[Rick Stirling]

Charles,

I've had my CP990 for 2 months now and would be lost with out it. It has far exceeded my expectations.

I think your biggest problem will be finding one for sale.

best regards,
Rick Stirling

Charles Mathieu wrote:

 

[Mike Kelley]

An excellent and reasoned response, Peter.

(I, myself, would have been a lot less tolerant of this situation -- have you put out a contract on this Carter person yet?)

 

[Peter iNova]

An excellent and reasoned response, Peter.

(I, myself, would have been a lot less tolerant of this situation --
have you put out a contract on this Carter person yet?)

The Carter thing is a bruise and Porsche banged into it. Inadvertently,
I'm sure, but it's irritating to see that the scare tactics are still finding
receptors.

I confronted Mr. Carter by direct email with the exact quote he had
missinterpreted that set his phaser on "stun" (or was it "kill") and the
immediate response was for him to lower the intensity of his flames.
Still, there was no appology for the BS "iNova Report" on any of the
places he put it that I'm aware of, or to me directly. When you go that
far, there would seem to be no graceful exit.

Still, there is that thing which says, "all publicity is good publicity".
Maybe he'll get me in the tabliods, next.

In a particular sense, Mr. Carter put the contract on himself.
Not many ever considered the actions he took to be reasoned,
accurate or fairly formulated. Even the people he quoted came
back at him denying the interpretational spin he attributed to their
original "evidence" comments.

You can see his comments on posts around here from time to time
and he has shown more restraint of late.

-iNova

 

[Han]

Hi

I just wanted to add myself to the list of very satisfied users!

CF Type II doesn't bother me. I don't want a fragile and power-consuming drive in my camera. And I don't need that kind of storage space. I have two (16MB + 48MB) CF cards that can hold 80 pictures @ 2048x1536xFine.

Han

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

 

[weibow]

Ok......now I can't reproduce the zero noise picture @ 8"
but the only thing I did is changing the batteries.....
The noise is back......

I consider myself bad luck all the time....My current 990 is the fourth one.
Although not all 990s are bulit equally, from the first one ( dead lcd
pixels )
to the fourth one ( close to zero noise @ 8"!!!!!), I still pleased with the
overall performance from the first time I touched 990.

PS. About the noise on the fourth one. Ok, I tried and tried to find the
noise, but I failed. Even on the histogram there shows only one line on the
left. This is what really scares me......There must be some trade offs
for the
normal picture quality....we will see...........By the way..my fourth
one's ring
is black(brown) not the purple on the third one. And the serial# is 30307xx.

Hope this helps.

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

 

[Dan20074]

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

I have just got my 990 and have done some initial testing. One thing is for sure - you have to know what you are going to use it for. Professionally it is hard for me to see that it would be good enough. Now, i am a fastidious type of person using the latest version of Fuji GX680 with EBC lenses, Linhof Supertecnica Fieldcamera 4x5 and for travel Contax G series and most of the time i use velvia film. This is what i compare my new coolpix with and maybe some readers would say that it isn't fair to compare that kind of professional/conventional equipment to a digital consumercamera. Maybe so, but fact remains and i am surprised that so many people are head over heels by the results of the 990. Now, you should not get me wrong here - the 990 is a good camera, in fact, i have tried a few other digital consumer cameras where the 990 by far exceeds, but at the very same time you can choose any of my conventional cameras and completely blow the 990 away. As i see it - we are not there yet, but we are getting there....

 

[Eric]

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

Dave Hyman, one of the recent replies in this VERY LONG thread I think summed it all up in few words. It is a superb camera (well I have 950 but wouldn't part, it's great) but like ALL digis - in spite of what enthusiasts tell you - it's a new world and I think to get the best of it you could be helped by a fair bit of back experience in photo. The 950/990 is HELL to see on the LCD in sun but in every other practical and worthwhile part I don't know anything to beat it. The Macro is unsurpassed - sheer excellence. But you've GOT to get to know it and work it. I usually suggest starting completely Auto everything - shoot and point thing - then gradually work on from there. If you let the camera do most of the work most of the time you'll find it does it (mostly) and when it doesn't your learning curve starts. Go for it.

Eric

 

[Mike Kelley]

Professionally it is hard for me to see that it would be good enough.
Now, i am a fastidious type of person using the latest version of Fuji
GX680 with EBC lenses

Oh give me a break! What kind of nonsense is this? Comparing the 990 to a GX680 is like trying to compare a three-chip Sony camcorder to a beta unit used in the field by newsrooms. That is patently unfair and unrealistic.

If you go out and spend $4k+ or so on a digital and then tell me it ain't as good as your Fuji (including lenses) I'll be willing to listen. Until then, this is plain hogwash.

The 990 is not a professional digital camera (and the price reflects that) -- the D1 is Nikon's entry in that field. You are not only comparing apples to oranges but comparing apples to cell phones.

 

[Dan20074]

Oh give me a break! What kind of nonsense is this? Comparing the 990 to
a GX680 is like trying to compare a three-chip Sony camcorder to a beta
unit used in the field by newsrooms. That is patently unfair and
unrealistic.

If you go out and spend $4k+ or so on a digital and then tell me it
ain't as good as your Fuji (including lenses) I'll be willing to listen.
Until then, this is plain hogwash.

The 990 is not a professional digital camera (and the price reflects
that) -- the D1 is Nikon's entry in that field. You are not only
comparing apples to oranges but comparing apples to cell phones.

Didn't mean to step on your toes Mike. But Charles asked if everyone were completely happy with their 990. I'm happy with mine, but i just wanted him to be aware that it is not state-of-the-art. If you don't work professionally it is a fine piece of camera.

Since i work professionally i bought mine to get to know the digital darkroom and the new process of photography rather than go hunting digi jobs!

Talking about the pro digibacks, yes they are quite amazing and can in fact compare to my 6x8 slides. And, yes the price of the 990 reflects that it plays in a different league. Sorry Mike!

 

[Mike Kelley]

Didn't mean to step on your toes Mike. But Charles asked if everyone were
completely happy with their 990. I'm happy with mine, but i just wanted
him to be aware that it is not state-of-the-art. If you don't work
professionally it is a fine piece of camera.

If I sounded less than charitable, I apologise, Dan. However, this thread was not a "film versus digital" one in which I would have simply let your comments go. If you read all the messages here, you'll note a strong element of fear and erroneous information concerning buying the 990 versus some other consumer digital camera, and I just didn't feel your post was appropriate given that sense.

The 990 is state-of-the-art when it comes to consumer 3.3mp cameras. It has to be judged in that arena, at least within the context of this thread. If I were shooting for a living I certainly wouldn't have only a 990 (but I think I'd have at least one in my stable). I suspect that 99.9% of the people on this forum are not in your position of having their images pay all their bills. However, I'm glad to know that at least one pro has a 990, and as you continue to shoot and understand the camera I'll be very interested in knowing if you take any images from your 990 that you end up making money from.

 

[Dan20074]

I see what you are saying and i agree.

And who knows, maybe i can squize out a dollar or two from the 990 - i wouldn't mind you know.....

Promise to let you know if that's the case

 

[Charles Mathieu23332]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the very honest and open opinion of the 990. I am definitely no professional when it comes to photography and don't really intend to become one in the near future, however, that said, I am also VERY fastidious with the quality of a photo (ie sharpness, color saturation, etc...). I also absolutely hate having to send a roll of film for developing and having to wait a day or more to view my photos, plus the fact that once developed, special care has to be taken to ensure that the photos are stored in a cool, dry place and it is unlikely that the printed photos will be in the same condition 10 or 15 years down the track. That's where the digital camera really, really appeals to me. I can take a picture, view it a couple of seconds late and if I like it, keep it, and if not delete it and take the shot again. Plus, I can store my photos on a CD ROM and in 10 years time, I can still view that same CD and the pics would not have lost their quality. I still have the option of printing the pics out if I wanted to but I don't really see a need to do that very often. I have no doubt that there a professional film cameras out there that would still blow the covers off the 990 but that isn't what I really want. I want to really compare digitals with other digitals and not film based cameras.

Regards,
Charles M.

Hi All,

For those of you who have purchased the CoolPix 990, are you completely
satisfied with it? I am really interested in this camera but the one
concern that I have is that it doesn't support CF Type II cards (i.e IBM
Microdrive).

Regards,
Charles Mathieu

I have just got my 990 and have done some initial testing. One thing is
for sure - you have to know what you are going to use it for.
Professionally it is hard for me to see that it would be good enough.
Now, i am a fastidious type of person using the latest version of Fuji
GX680 with EBC lenses, Linhof Supertecnica Fieldcamera 4x5 and for travel
Contax G series and most of the time i use velvia film. This is what i
compare my new coolpix with and maybe some readers would say that it
isn't fair to compare that kind of professional/conventional equipment to
a digital consumercamera. Maybe so, but fact remains and i am surprised
that so many people are head over heels by the results of the 990. Now,
you should not get me wrong here - the 990 is a good camera, in fact, i
have tried a few other digital consumer cameras where the 990 by far
exceeds, but at the very same time you can choose any of my conventional
cameras and completely blow the 990 away. As i see it - we are not there
yet, but we are getting there....