Pictures worth the wait
Unfortunately, the 775 isn't always quick and efficient. With a sluggish start-up time of about 15 seconds and a long shot-to-shot time of about 12 seconds, the camera trails many of its 2-megapixel competitors. There's a sleep mode that helps the camera save power without shutting it off, but it shaves only 5 seconds from the start-up time. Most midrange digital cameras have some shutter delay, and the 775 is no exception, with its nearly 2-second pause. The camera does offer good battery life, however, and a rechargeable pack and charger come in the box.
Our test images were sharp and well exposed. The 775 offers a broad dynamic range, good color balance, and a lot of effective flash options. Its macro mode is excellent as well, letting you get as close as 1.6 inches from your subject. Both the automatic white balance and the presets worked well. We were disappointed, however, to encounter some noticeable blooming and chromatic aberration problems in pictures with strong contrasts. Blooming can cause bright areas to bleed into dark ones, blowing out details; and chromatic aberration creates unnatural purple fringes along borders between bright and dark areas.
While we wish the Coolpix 775 were a little faster and offered even better image quality, on the whole, it's a great camera for casual shooters and digital novices. However, if shooting speed is at the top of your list, take a look at the Canon PowerShot A20 or Olympus D-510 Zoom.
What You'll Pay
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