[With Sample Photos] The "Everyday Warmth" Rendered by the Nikon COOLPIX A100's CCD Sensor

Hello.

This time, I deliberately set aside words like "high performance" and "high image quality" and walked around town with one small camera. What I had in hand was theNikon COOLPIX A100. Here is the atmosphere of the city as this camera captured it, together with some sample photos.

Lately many people are looking for old compact cameras (CCD sensor models) to take "emotional" photos, and the A100 is a camera that embodies exactly that "just right" feeling. The theme this time is "Don't brace yourself, don't think, just press the button."

Take a little peek at that record.

The Lightness of Being "a Nobody"

When you hang a camera around your neck and psych yourself up with "Alright, let's shoot!", you inevitably become guarded toward the city. But with the COOLPIX A100 tucked in your pocket, you're just a passerby. Being able to "erase your presence as a photographer" is the greatest weapon of a small compact.

For example, an eye-catching geometric pattern I spotted on a street corner. The moment I thought, "Oh, nice," my right hand had pressed the shutter on its own, faster than I could have pulled out my phone. Before any reasoning about focus or composition could catch up, this camera had fixed the color in place.

Growing Fond of the City's "Noise"

Sapporo beer and Hoppy crates lying at my feet. Shot on a high-end mirrorless camera they might turn into a "work of art," but with the A100 they simply settle in as "a street scene." This delicate sense of the everyday is exactly what makes this camera special.

Impersonal warnings plastered around town, a back turned to me as someone talks hurriedly on the phone. I deliberately held the camera at an angle, or fired the shutter almost without using the viewfinder. The A100's lightness frees the photographer's viewpoint. Rather than tidy, polished photos, you get a slightly gritty, raw atmosphere. Helped by the somehow nostalgic colors the CCD sensor produces, ordinary moments seem to change from "records" into "memories."

The A100 Is an Extension of Your "Inner Shutter"

These days even a smartphone can take plenty of beautiful photos. But the feel of pressing a physical shutter button and a lens that physically moves can only be experienced with a camera.

The COOLPIX A100 may not take professional-looking photos. But it should be a companion that captures, most honestly, "the fun of that moment that only you can see."

When you wonder, "Should I take a camera today or not?", this is a camera you can toss into your pocket without a second thought.

Why not drop the theory once in a while and go for a "stroll" around town with the A100?

Click here for COOLPIX A100 products

If you're looking for used cameras and lenses, leave it to our store, Five Star Camera!

We carry a wide variety of gear, including film cameras, medium format film cameras, digital SLRs, mirrorless cameras, and compact cameras.

We also buy used equipment. Even if you just want to find out what your gear is worth, a valuation-only request is more than welcome!

At both our Shinjuku and Toyama stores you can check the actual item in person before you buy, and we carefully inspect every item we purchase. Please feel free to get in touch!