Nikon Coolpix 5700

We've already covered the Coolpix 5000 (see Reviews, issue 91, p133), and the 5700 represents a step up to the top end of the prosumer scale. It includes a huge 8x optical Nikkor zoom lens and has a 5-megapixel CCD for a top resolution of 2,560 x 1,920.

It uses the same great high-resolution electronic viewfinder as the Fujifilm S602 Zoom, and this proves much more useful than the small 1.5in flip-out LCD display - this is much smaller than we'd have liked. However, despite the big zoom, the 5700 is actually slightly smaller than the S602 Zoom, and almost 100g lighter. Build quality is faultless and the magnesium-alloy casing feels extremely sturdy.

As you'd expect, the Type II CompactFlash slot supports Microdrives, but only a 32MB card is bundled. A shoulder strap is the only other extra, although the software includes Nikon View 5 and Photoshop Elements, which helps to justify the high price. The 5700 offers the widest range of shutter speeds on test at 1/4,000 seconds to five minutes in bulb mode. The aperture range of f/2.8-f/8 isn't so remarkable though.

At first, the 5700's controls are slightly overwhelming, but they quickly become intuitive. The manual controls are more comprehensive than any other camera on test, and the three user-programmable modes are handy if you regularly shoot in similar conditions.

Image quality was as good as expected. The macro performance was particularly surprising considering the large zoom lens, capturing a tiny 36 x 27mm area. Indoors, images were super-sharp (as we've come to expect from Nikon), but oranges tended to turn out redder than we'd have liked. However, there's good control over white balance and saturation.

Outdoors, the 5700 accurately captured skin tones, but we found that skies were blown out to white more than other cameras. Control over AF points and exposure is second to none, and using such advanced features will combat the automatic mode's shortcomings. Barrel distortion was almost unnoticeable at wide angle, which is helpful since some users will be disappointed at the absence of the wide 28mm setting of the Coolpix 5000. The 5700 supports add-on lenses, including a 0.8x wide-angle lens for £150.

Disappointingly, like the Fujifilm S602 Zoom, the 5700 doesn't have an AF assist lamp, leading to poorer low-light shots. The slow start-up time can also be frustrating. However, generally fast auto focus, shot-to-shot times and playback viewing is appreciated. Another nice touch is four separate screens worth of information when playing back a shot, including a histogram and all camera settings used.

All these extra features help to justify its extra cost, but the 5700 is only worth buying if you'll take advantage of them.