Reviews of this camera, as late as the Fall of 2004, seem to place the Coolpix 2100 above all its competitors (2 Mpxl, non-SLR).

My two complaints: there is no manual focus (but you can use the focus lock, half-depressing the shutter switch, to "lock in" a focus range - except in macro mode), and a wimpy flash (really only good to 6-8' (2-2.5 m). A separate flash is the answer here.

The battery issue mentioned by others below is troublesome, but not really a big problem. In short, rechargeable batteries are a must, but they tend to carry a lower voltage, which the camera battery meter reads as being "nearly empty". So, like a car with a bad fuel gauge, you eventually learn to disregard the "low battery" warning, and always carry a backup pair of charged batteries.

I've shot - ready for this? - over a hundred flash photos in a row from a single pair of rechargeable AA's. Pretty good lifetime! But the meter claimed they were low after the first 5-10...

I bought a "factory refurbished." It came without the compact flash card which was supposed to be included. Repeated messages to the seller have been ignored.

Also, I'm using recharageable NiMH AA batteries. After taking about 20 shots the camera shuts off and says "low battery." Recharging the battery shows that it's only about 20% drained. I'm not sure if this is normal or due to a defect with this unit.

I received this camera for christmas. I've never used a digital camera before so I was a little intimidated at first. I soon realized that I didn't need to be intimidated. It is so easy to use and small enough to fit in my pocketbook. I can now take pictures at any time and it is so easy to transfer the pictures onto my laptop. Since getting this camera, I am enjoying taking pictures as well as sharing pictures with my friends and family.

I have been using a Nikon Coolpix 950 (2MP) camera for several years and decided to buy the 2100 as a gift for my wife around 12/2003 from Amazon. I had been satisfied with the quality of photographs for the 950 and am now also satisfied with the 2100. For about 1/6th of the price and less than 1/2 of the size, the quality of the 2100 is nearly identical. As an all-around point-and-shoot for a very good price, the 2100 is a winner. However, my suggestion is to use only disposable or rechargeable Lithium-based batteries and not NiMH.

I hesitated writing a review until I could figure out a problem with rechargeable batteries. The disposable CR-V3 lithium battery is excellent and can easily last a few months and a few hundred pictures. Flash recharge time is acceptable (although when you have infants or toddlers who don't sit still it might not be!). But when I used high-capacity (2000 mAh) 1.2V rechargeable NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) batteries, the flash recharge time was poor and it would take many seconds to be able to take the next picture. A low-battery indicator would be displayed too soon even if the batteries had enough of a charge, suggesting that the lower voltage (2.4 V for NiMH versus 3.0 V for the disposable) made it difficult for the camera to sense the true strength of the charge that was left. Even worse, the short shelf life of even fully charged NiMH batteries rendered them almost empty, at least as the 2100 saw them, after two or three weeks of no use so we would have to keep swapping in fully charged batteries. The 2100 did get a firmware upgrade that mentions addressing problems with NiMH batteries, but our camera was shipped with the latest. So after numerous attempts at using various brands of rechargeable NiMH batteries, which is the kind that is popular for digital cameras, I was discouraged.

Then I found the "RCR-V3" battery on the web, a replacement for the CR-V3 disposable. Thomas Distributing sells a couple brands that will cost upwards to $40 including the charger and shipping. But now I can say it was worth it. With the RCR-V3, the low-battery indicator does not show up prematurely, the flash recharge time is as short as the disposable CR-V3, and the shelf life of the rechargeable is excellent for more than a month. We have the NEXcell brand, but I think any of the brands would work well. Now I highly recommend this camera, as long as it is using lithium based batteries.

I really offer this for someone who wants to buy a party-recording device, or a tiny automatic machine. No manual focus, no manual aperture, but easy-to-use, handy machine. There are some good pre-programmed modes available also. 40-50 pictures can be made with well charged batteries. Good and user-friendly sw also included.

This was my first digital camera and I have to say that when I first got it I loved it. However it has it's share of problems. It is almost impossible for one to shoot anything without a flash using this camera--when you try it is usually blurred. The focus is also a bit dodgy--the background of many of my photographs are very smudged looking. My recommendation is to invest a little bit more money and look into a camera with higher mp.

I got this 2 or 3 years ago, when I was in year 7. I begged and begged my parents for one and they agreed on getting me this - although I was hoping for something more funky looking. But after I had it, I just absolutly loved it! :) It's great!

It's very durable. Let me tell you about how I've trashed this so far..
-I had my camera in my school bag (without the cover) and somehow the batterie flap broke and couldn't close properly anymore. I had to send it in to get it fixed (1st time)
-I slid my camera into my back pocket and I didn't realize that while doing that, the camera had switched itself on. So out the lense came. Then stupidly, (I don't know why I did this.. ) but I sat down. And oops.. I took my camera out of my back pocket. The lense was crooked. And it couldn't close properly. So in it went for service again. And btw, that did not come cheap. (2nd time)

Since then I have been handling my camera very carefully. I'm such a klutz!

There are some cons though...
-reacts a bit slowly now
-turn button, which means camera turns on, when sliding into pocket
...but I think that it's that way, because of my misshandling.

All in all: It's a great camera. And perfect for klutzes. Look what it's been through with me! :)

I have owned this camera now for 3 years and it still amazes me how great of a little camera it is. By now its considered an old camera but i tell you the truth this camera is such a great point and shoot camera thats its worth getting. Also i will share with you all that it was very difficult to find a replacement for this camera due to the fact that it takes such phenomenal pictures. Its best pictures are taken with a lot of light however so just be aware of that. Highly recommend this great little camera

Back when I first purchased one of these cameras (the first year it hit the market) the 2100 was downright nifty. I did an inordinate amount of research before buying (a latent Asperger's kicks in whenever I shop for technogizmos) and spoke to a number of serious photogeeks. There was a consensus: A good lens is of paramount importance.

That advice continues, I believe, to hold true, even several technological generations later: all cameras, digital or not, capture the image using a lens. No matter how nifty the digital guts of the camera, the lens is what hands the image to the CCD.

Pro:

Nikon makes really good lenses. And this camera takes very, very good pictures. 2.1 MP is plenty big enough for any digital photo displayed on a webpage. The images are sharp, clean, nice color saturation, and all of the digital "mode" doodads give you lots of versatility and entertainment until you become bored with 99% of them and recognize them as a waste of time (just like 2007 technology cameras.) It's very easy to use, and the thumb controls are basically identical to 2007 technology. It's very lightweight. I never dropped mine once, not even from a few inches, so I can't attest to any mil-spec durability, but in years of use, it always worked just fine, cold weather or hot. It's small but thick: you can put it in a shirt pocket, but you probably won't.

Con:

OK, so it's only 2.1 MP. And it's a slow as cold molasses: push the shutter button and at least a full second elapses before the picture is captured. The screen then goes black, and you wait for another second or so before the camera recovers for another shot. If you happened to shoot in conditions that trigger the flash, then you get to wait for a good eight seconds before you can shoot again. Battery life is a joke, and batteries go dead sitting in the camera even when it's turned off. The LCD screen in the back is tiny.

Why you might want one:

If you can get one for really cheap, go for it. It's very easy to use, small and light enough to take everywhere, takes very good pictures with a resolution adequate for web use, and even a kid can figure out how to use it.

Me, I just gave mine away. Technology marches on, and the Coolpix 2100 got left far, far behind. But that advice still holds about lenses, so the replacement will be a Panasonic -- with a Leica lens. I'll post a review after I've had time to try out my new camera -- when I finally decide. Still doing research...

The camera arrived very quickly and was in "as new" condition. It has performed well and I am very satisfied.
Alex.