This a beautiful camera. We just love ours...
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THANKS AND GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great quality pictures. I have this camera for a month now and did not run into any troubles yet. Camera feels great in my hands.
The best part of it I got it for free in just 3 weeks here: http://www.FreeDigitalCameras.com/default.aspx?r=17723702
Very easy to use and user friendly menus make this camera a valuable gear for any user. Recommend.

I bought this camera with some trepidation after reading bad reviews about problems with focus in low light conditions. It has turned out to be a great little camera - sharp images, good colour rendition, wide angle zoom, and the option of full manual control. For enlargements at 8" by 10", it beats my venerable old Nikon FE with Nikkor 35-135 zoom. I also compared it with a friend's Canon Elph S400, and the 5400 is much sharper. Low light focus isn't much of a problem, particularly at wide angle. Digital cameras do take some getting used to, and you should be prepared to study the maual in detail - but the 5400 will produce great results. I'm a very satisfied with the 5400, after using film SLRs for 20 years or so,

I tried and tried to get this camera to focus in low light situations in full auto mode and it just would not. Manually focusing is a pain and without some kind of light to assist with low light focusing, I can not recommend this camera and will be returning it.

Got a $200 rebate from Nikon on this camera and couldn't pass it up and never happier. Very good all around performance, a few small problems (no Focus Assist light and fairly small LCD are some) but overall a solid camera with a lot of features and unbeatable at the price.

For those who are having problems focusing in low light I have to ask, are you shooting on a tripod or by hand? Take advantage of the nice feature whereby this camera shows you the exposure time right on the LCD when taking pictures, at medium and low light levels the camera will often have an exposure time of 1 second or more, this will lead to a blurry shot if it's not heald perfectly steady.

If you are having blurry shots at low light, try the same shot on a tripod or just sitting on something solid, I bet the shot will be crystal clear and very bright (I took some late twilight shots tonight and they look almost like midday with the right settings!).

Many features seems advanced for a camera of this price range, and sometimes at the cost of point and shoot ability, but if you are looking for a good prosumer level camera I have to say this feels like a solid bet.

There's no doubt about it, the Nikon 5400 is a great camera. Its small enough to carry with you (though a little too big for pockets), has a nice LCD, boasts amazing 5.1MP resolution, as well as professional quality 4x optical zoom (not junky digital zoom, like other cameras). You can print out an 8x10 poster of your photo without having to stretch the image, that's how great 5.1MP really is. Also, its got tons of features for a non-SLR model that are easy to use for camera beginners.

i've had this camera since Dec 03. i did extensive research, comparison shopping, and hands-on playing before purchasing this camera. i was torn between this one, the olympus 5060 zoom, and sony dsc-v1 (since discontinued).

i wish i had listened to the repetitive negative reviews regarding the 5400's slow to non-existent low-light AF. i purchased this camera to document my son's childhood, but have sadly missed precious moments due to this camera's slow focus and shutter lag. i pretty much prefocus and press the shutter button halfway in my son's direction and wait for a kodak moment to ever have a chance at catching anything. prefocusing seems to help the shutter lag issue.

i was also pleased to have the option for continous burst mode to capture my son's milestones in sequence shots, but please be aware that you will need to know how to set aperture and shutter speeds for proper exposure. the flash is not usable in this setting and incorrect settings will result in blurred images.

the horrible focus issues had me regretting my purchase days after the $700 transaction. i purchased an additional battery and larger CF cards as well so it was a hefty regret. i found myself wanting to purchase the V1 since it had a nightframing capability allowing it to focus in darkness, but couldn't justify another $700 purchase. i unfortunately failed to discuss my return options with the store i purchased it from so i was stuck with the 5400 blind monster. i have been taking my old reliable 35 mm Minolta with me to events like weddings since i anticipate low-light situations then and the need for a quick-response camera to capture once-in-a-lifetime moments.

i love the option of manual controls for more creative shots. there are a lot of buttons and controls on the camera body so you'll have easy access to them without navigating through the LCD. however, i can't get past the slow AF issue to fully love this camera. also, the writing speed is nothing to write home about! SSSLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWW! this is not a snappy camera.

i will agree that the 5400 is capable of very good shots, but i think it's better suited for still life and landscapes. and just like every other digicam, images still require photoshop manipulations to correct color balance and saturation, sharpness, and contrast. i may be more picky than most since i've never printed an image without photoshop editing.

i have decided to purchase the older Canon S410. i have handled a friends S410 and love the EXCELLENT AF especially in low loght even at a long zoom. the next-to-nothing shutter lag is very impressive. it also uses CF cards so i can use the 3 Lexar 256 MB cards i already have. the S410 is also only $250 from this site! it's only 4MP, but i actually don't mind since i found the 5400's 5 MP setting too noisy and often used the 3.2 setting. the S410 will also be more pocketable. perfect for our upcoming summer vacation. yes, the S410 doesn't have all the manual controls, but right now i just want to get focused and actually capture the moment. i contemplated getting a Canon SDxxx model, but am hesitant to spend more money on new SD cards. I'm sure an SDxxx would be even faster, but i'm already impressed with the S410 and i can save some money.

i had previously given this camera 4 stars when i started typing this review, but after writing this much, have decided change it to 3. i hope this helps.

This is a fantastic camera, with unbelievable clarity, all the right features, and it's easy to use. AND YOU CAN GET ONE ABSOLUTELY FREE. All you have to do is click on the below link, complete one of the offers (many of them are free trials and will cost you nothing) refer a few friends to do the same, and you can have your free camera within a matter of days. This is not a scam or any other kind of sucker bet. It's simple, easy, from a reputable site, and you will actually get this camera for free. Go for it - just click on this link:

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There is a reason that you can find the Nikon Coolpix in droves for re-sale. There are SO many other better cameras out there!

Lets start with the battery on mine, even when its off it sucks it dry.

Now for the card slot door that no-longer likes to stay shut.

Finally it is not a good camera for low light areas.

I finally bought a Kodak Easy Share DX7630 for 299.00 and it has done wonderful!

I purchased the Nikon 5400 to replace my trusty Nikon 990 - the odd-looking one which has made more than 20,000 captures and cause me to set aside my 35mm SLRs forever. I loved my 990 from the first day I took it out of the box. The 5400 has taken a little "bonding" time and I'm still a little ambivalent about it. Some of the things I like best about it are also the things that annoy me the most.

The 5400 produces images of superior quality to the 990, not just in pixel count, but in dynamic range. It also produces sharper images over a wider range of the zoom, with less distortion and color fringing problems. The color balance is better, too, especially in the rendering of skin tones.

Most of my photography falls into two categories: Tabletop catalog-style shooting with external flash, and travel pictures using natural lighting, both outdoors and indoors. The Nikon 5400 fulfills both roles beautifully.

My budget would have allowed me to choose any of the prosumer cameras, including the more moderately priced SLR cameras, but given my shooting habits and requirements, none of them looked to be as good a bet at the 5400. And given what I know now about the camera I most likely would purchase the camera again today. The following is a listing of what I like least and best about the Nikon 5400.

What I hate about it:
1.) The optical viewfinder - The viewfinder has an excellent diopter adjustment, but the camera captures a signifcantly larger area than the viewfinder shows. This makes it very forgiving of sloppy ahooting. You're unlikely to accidently crop someone's head or feet off, but it's impossible to accurately frame an image. (He pauses and spits.)

2.) The small size of the LCD - It provides excellent performance in bright ambient lighting, but it's just too small for effective evaluation of the image after capture is completed. It compensates for varying image brightness to make it easier to see the image, but this kills your ability to judge the exposure. You can be in for some surprises when your view images in the computer that looked good in the camera may be underexposed or have blown-out highlights. Thank goodness there's a histogram view you can use to evaluate the exposure.

3.) Inferior dust seals on the sliding tube for the zoom lens - You have to be very careful when cleaning the lens on this camera. I don't know if it's a common characteristic, or if I just happened to get one with a bad lens barrel seal, but I put away the canned air after the first couple of times I cleaned the lens. Some tiny fibers apparently blew into the inside and you can see them on the inner element.

4.) The small size - Because of the 5400's small size and pretty much non-existant grip I fully expect it to slip out my hand at some point. I will always use a strap and wrap it around my wrist when I'm using this camera.

What I love about it:

1.) Its superb wide-angle zoom lens. The was a deal maker for me. The widest angle is roughly comparable to a 28mm on a 35mm camera. This is simply not available on many cameras, and it's far superior to using an auxilliary lens to achieve the wide angle.

2.) The swiveling LCD - Another deal-maker for me. It allows me use the camera at what would otherwise be very awkward high or low angles.

3.) It has an optical viewfinder - Awful as this one is, it does provides a real, live view that never freezes or blacks out at the moment of exposure. The lack of an optical finder is what prevented me from buying the Nilon 8400, which zooms on out to a 24mm equivalent.

4.) The small size - This is such a compact camera I can easily carry it along with me at times I would otherwise leave it at home. It fit easily into a jacket pocket, or hangs around my neck all day with no discomfort.

5.) Scene Modes - Especially the Panorama Assist. It's nice to be able to quickly select a scene mode to handle a particular type of shooting situation, such as backlighted portraits.

6.) Super-close macro - not as convenient or as versatile as the 990's but still superior to most of them out there. You don't get maximum macro capability unless the lens is nearly at its widest setting, but you can still get very close as long as the macro mode is turned on.

Overall the 5400 works well. Nikon still has some of the the best macro capabilities (very important to me) out there, but the 5400 is not as good as the 4500, 995, etc, rotating body style cameras.

When in macro mode, the autofocus wants to hunt. The lens on the 5400 protrudes from the camera body and moves in and out when zooming. The bulk of the camera and protruding lens tends to shadow the maco subject more than the rotating body Coolpix cameras. Unfortunately, the SL-1 LED ringlight will not work with the 5400, so keep a flashlight handy!

In fact, most of the accessories that work on the 4500 (etc...) will not work with many of Nikon's newer cameras- a huge waste of my money on accessories that are now essentially useless. The protruding lens of the 5400 requires bulky adapters to connect to a microscope.

Overall, the 5400 is an average performer with good macro and a poor camera design.

I ordered this camera from Adorama Camera in NY via a link in Amazon.com. Adorama did not send this item, as it was at a very good price. They claim it was a mistake in the posting on Amazon, they would not fufill the order and their customer service was extremely rude.

Get this: the eyehole that holds one of the strap ends broke free, and the tiny (internally mounted!) screws that held it in place jiggled their way to the lens mechanism and turned the camera into a paperweight. This was the second instance of fragility. Right after the warrentee expired, the USB port stopped working, so for two years I had to upload via a cardreader.

Save your money.

My 5400 was a birthday gift from my wife. She purchased it from an online store (NOT Amazon, as she should have done)who called her for "confirmation" at which time the salesman talked her into a very expensive (over $200) filter add-on which is nearly useless and could be bought elsewhere for under $30. I should have waited for the d70 for just a little more money (actually I now have a d70 and it is amazing!). The 5400 takes great wide-angle shots, so you would think it would be a good camera for interior pictures, but it is hampered by its poor autofocus habits in low light. The 5400 is small, but its odd configuration means you will have to carry it in a larger case than you would expect. Images are generally very good, but the lcd is so small, you won't find it very useful for composition.

I also had the same experience as another reviewer, the tiny screws holding one of the strap lugs stripped out and gummed up the lens mechanism. This caused a complete breakdown. As it was just out of warranty, I opted to have it repaired at my expense($150), but now wish I hadn't. Nikon should make good on this issue, as I suspect it is far more common than they will admit. Save your money and buy either a d50 (same $ for new)or if you have an investment in CF cards, go with a d70.

I have had this camera now for 2 years and I have found that the people do NOT read the manual or do not memorise it. I get very good pictures and it has some great built in features. I love it.

When I saw the Coolpix 5000 in Best Buy in 2002, it was the top-of-the-line prosumer digital camera and I lusted after it. Unfortunately it cost $999. The 5400 is the 5000's replacement and is superior in most ways, and 4 years later, I have my hands on it for a quarter of what the 5000 cost in 2002.

In my opinion this is the best wide-angle digicam currently available at the price of $250 used. The Canon G5 is selling for more than this camera purely on its brand name. This camera is pretty much neck and neck with it and you will get a good deal on it because it does not have the Canon logo on it. In short, with the Nikon you sacrifice the faster lens for a wider lens.

What I like about the Coolpix 5400:

- Nice 28mm wide angle
- 5mp is plenty for the 1 1/8" sensor size - do you really think a current 8mp camera can resolve 8mp of detail onto a 1 1/8" sensor?
- Fast startup time
- Smaller than the G5, too large for a pocket but small enough for a sweatshirt pouch
- Good battery - rated only 680mAH but still lasts quite a while, charges quickly, and is easy to pop in and out compared to other cameras that use 4 AAs
- RAW support with 1.4 firmware (download from Nikon's website)
- Nice array of buttons, not a lot of poking around in the menus necessary, common functions all have a button. Takes some time to learn them all, but once you do they make you faster and more efficient. I even wish it had one or two extra user-definable buttons.
- LCD is visible even in direct sunlight, and its small size saves the battery
- Flip-and-twist LCD is one of those "How did I ever get by without one of these before" things
- Panorama assist is nice, unfortunately it only supports JPEG and not RAW
- High quality build, except for the battery & CF compartment covers
- Black cameras just look so much cooler than silver ones

What I don't like about this camera:

- Slow lens (max f/2.8, decreases with telephoto)
- ISO 50-400 (small 1 1/8" sensor would be too noisy at higher sensitivities)
- HORRIBLE low-light camera - no AF assist lamp and if the autofocus even works at all under normal incandescent room lighting, you'll be lucky
- Vignetting in the upper left corner at full wide angle and maximum aperture
- Colors on the LCD look washed out - many photos that look dull on the LCD actually look fantastic, causing you to question whether the photo you just took is any good
- Tripod mount is not centered underneath the lens and is plastic
- Doesn't support USB 2
- Slow CF write speed
- Camera is unresponsive while draining the buffer onto the CF card
- Only supports 2GB CF cards max
- Locks up too frequently (seemingly every 75 shots when I shoot in RAW and keep taxing the buffer) - have to reinsert the battery and I usually lose a couple of the photos I just took
- Slow shutter response and shot-to-shot time - terrible for sports or any kind of action
- Very awkward in my hand - I have normal-sized hands and I simply cannot hold this camera securely with one hand. The grip sticks out enough but is too narrow. I have to rest the camera on my pinky to keep it from falling out of my hand.
- "Quick review" is not quick since you have to press it twice for it to be useful

Every camera has strengths and weaknesses, every camera is a tradeoff and this camera makes some "unique" tradeoffs. Overall, it fits me quite well.

I have been enjoying this camera for almost 15 months now. Good thing is, it has various modes to take photos. Swivel screen is a real good thing when lot of people are obstructing your view. Though the screen size is small (1.5 inches). Its a nice camera for Point & shoot purpose & looks are pretty cool. Bad thing is - its a battery guzzler. I had to buy another battery so that I can use it for a full day, Thats why 4 stars. Controls are easy, gripping is easy, learning curve is short. It doesn't have a self lens shutter. You need to manually place the cap on the lens. I would recommend either buying a fast CF card or taking pics on 'Normal' with 5 MP combination, else it takes time between two consecutive shots. Overall a good camera, Nikon can still make it better. (I hope Nikon is listening)

I love this camera. It is easy to use and top notch quality...The seller packed it REALLY well and I got it within about 4 days...I was "blown away" by his efficiency. The photo program is really great, too.

Had it a little over a year, now the CCD is bad, the pictures it takes are all distorted, ghost like colors, vertical lines. Very disappointed.

Bought the camera a couple of years ago. Worked great (used about 10 times)until a couple of weeks ago, then froze up. Sent it in for repairs to Nikon Service Center and was informed today it will cost me at least $150.00 +shipping and handling to have fixed as it's out of warranty. I was not informed what was wrong with the camera. This camera was well maintained and looks like it just came out of the box. Perhaps the reviews I have read, about "Made in Korea" were true. Anyway, I'm very disappointed and hope this isn't a Nikon trend as I have always liked their products....

I bought this Nikon coolpix5400 camara 15 months ago and it just broken without any reason. it has distorted images now and very vague color. Not only mine. the same type of nikon camera of my friends is also broken. also noreason, also distorted images. So, we do not think this id a coincidence. We will argue with Nikon Campany about it.

Ref Nikon Ans. ID 13688
Bad Sony CCD sensor.
This camera is terrific until it reaches it 1 1/2 birthday. At this time the camera will no longer take images. Nikon is aware of this problem with the 5700 model but will not honor the 5400. If you don't beleive me just google Nikon 5400 recall.

Hopefuly I can prevent you from going through what I have experienced.

I have not use this camera for 7 month. Today I tryed to use this camera to take some pictures but I cannot make any! The picture in the LCD is fuzzy and tailing. I cannot make out what is in the image. After taken picture, there are lots of ladder plus the fuzzy things. The old picture in the CF card can be showned clearly and normally. So that mean the LCD is good. Try many ways to solve the problem. But I cann't. Then I went online and find many people had the same problem of bad CCD. I just bought it 2 years and it cannot be used any more. It is really bad camera!

Like the others, my camera just stopped working, without any abuse on my part. Nikon recalled the 5700, which had a similar problem, but won't recall the 5400. I won't be buying another Nikon, even though I really enjoyed it while it worked.

It broke just in time for the holidays. Thanks for standing by your product, Nikon.

I got this camera for christmas two years ago and recently purchaced a new digital camera because I hate this one so much. I was looking on amazon to see how much it cost (didn't know because it was a gift), and I was shocked to find out it was so expensive! I rarely used this camera because it's so SLOW and inconvenient to use. Also, one of the times I actually did use it, it fell off my coffee table and onto the carpeted floor and jammed the zoom and totally quit working. I couldn't believe that it was so fragile! I sent it off for Nikon to fix and it cost over 200 dollars to fix! Yet another shocker! It takes nice pictures most of the time, but as others have mentioned, often they turn out hazey in certain lighting. I'm just disgusted that so much money has been invested in a camera that I've never enjoyed using. The one I just purched cost 1/4 of the amount that has been spent on this nikon. And I know I will like my new one because I've used my boss's often and it's great. Don't make the same mistake.

I bought this camera 1 year and 10 months ago. Used only occasionally, never took it out in the rain or snow. The CCD just died the day after Christmas ... All the pictures I take come out completely black. Everything else seems to work (the lense, flash, LCD...)

After a bit of googling it appears that many people are experiencing the same problem...

Apparently the CCD and batteries used by Nikon on many of their Digital Cameras are manufactured by Sony. The Nikon 5700 is under a Nikon "voluntary recall". Kind of like "don't ask, don't tell". The 5400 has the same issues but repairs / replacements are much less "voluntary" in nature. Lots of bad press about it on the web and two-thirds to four-fifths of the cameras selling on eBay are sold in "As is Condition & Final" or "For Parts" with no returns allowed. This camera has some great features but can be frustrating to get it to act right in a timely manner. Mine has crashed and burned very recently too. Just turned it on and it was fried, less than 3000 pictures taken. It was not cheap to buy and I also bought many accessories that only work on the 5400 and if I cannot get it fixed I am out even more.

I looked long and hard to decide between Canon G5 And Nikon 5400. Unfortunately I picked the Nikon. I and many many other people have a bad CCD in this camera . Nikon wants $165 dollars to fix it. Do a search on this camera on Ebay (as is),there are dozens of them. There are none for the Canon G Series.

Nikon
Batter UP
and Thanks a Lot.

DITTO -- Dead Nikon 5400 after less than one year and very good care on my part - returned to Nikon - held my camera hostage wanting $162.50 to repair !!!! Let me say that again - wanted $162.50 to repair. Wow!!! - are they smoking crack at Nikon? - THE LAST NIKON product I ever buy - forget the camera. The company (NIKON) has lost touch with reality and doesn't understand how to keep customers - - GO BUY A CANON and pass it on . .. . next batter up.

You do not want to get any Nikon cameras from the last 4~5 years. Most of them use the SONY CCD sensor, which has been failing like crazy as of late. Of course, for the 5400, Nikon finally fessed up and decided to issue a service advisory. But the company's repair record is so spotty that I've decided never to buy a Nikon again. They tried to "fix" my sensor the 1st, and ended up breaking the control system. My camera is now in for its 3rd "redo."

Don't buy this camera unless you like non-functioning cameras and nonexistent service.

To the chase,

Good camera and I thought all was lost when ...

The camera sensor went out after 4 years or so. Nikon has a recall and will fix it if yours should go out. Screen black or as mine pink and smeary looking. Sent to Nikon fixed for free in about 3 weeks.

But anyway. just passing this on.

Search coolpix recall for more information. It was hard to find at Nikon web sight.

I love this camera. It had a small defect with an electronic part, but is promptly fixed by Nikon service. The only downside is the size, which I thought I wouldn't mind, but recently has become more and more cumbersome for me. I think I might sell it and by a smaller Nikon that's more pocket-sized...

I've heard many negative reports about the 5400 but I am well pleased with mine mostly because of it's many modes and especially manual mode.
It's easy to operate and intuitive.

Check nikonusa web for coolpix service advisory. Some of the 5400 and others have
possible component failures, as many reviewers described before. My 5400 had CCD
issue (I use it very lightly) and Nikon USA repair it for free (Thank God!) But
that will make me think twice about the quality of the Nikon camera when I plan to
purchase another. In fact, I am looking for a P&S camera and for sure I won't put
Nikon's on the top of my list. Nikon 5400 will be my first and last Nikon product.