Sunny, as an owner of a Nikon 950, I can tell you that it does have an ISO speed adjustment. And as you note, its optics are exceptional. The only operating characteristic that gives me a problem is the approx. 30-second waiting period while the camera electronics write the highest resolution TIFF image to the flash card. The Nikon has so many adjustments that the average user would never need, it raises a question about whether there are better values. Each buyer should study all these features and stay away from the extras that simply increase the price.
Second, and this is probably a problem with any small size camera, the built-in flash is not the greatest. The flash on the Nikon 950 has a useful range up to about 14 feet. It is positioned so close to the lens that red eye inevitably results from shots where the subject is looking directly at you. Despite the extra bulk, most people willing to shell out $800 or so for a 950 and accessories ought to buy a more powerful external flash that will reduce red eye and at the same time extend the range to about 25 feet. If you go to an event with news photographers, who typically use Nikon and Canon professional digital models, you will see very, very large flash units, about twice the size of the cameras, with the capability of producing enough indirect, bounce light to create pleasant, shadowless results. They don't carry that extra bulk for their health.
Art |
