The Coolpix 4300 has an optical viewfinder and also features a 1.5-in., 110,000-dot, low-temp. polysilicon TFT LCD screen on the back of the camera. The LCD screen offers a live preview in capture mode, and displays recorded images in playback mode. The LCD screen brightness level can be adjusted depending on viewing conditions. (5 steps)

One feature that we really liked was the handy "Quick Preview" feature. One press of the dedicated button on the rear of the camera displays a 1/4 sized thumbnail view of your last recorded image on the LCD monitor, while still allowing a live preview in the remaining area of the monitor. Press the button a second time, and the last shot fills up the entire monitor area. Useful when you want to have a quick look at a captured image while keeping the camera ready to take the next shot.

The camera stores images to a CompactFlash card (Type I), and a 16MB starter card is packaged with the camera.

The Coolpix 4300 offers the versatility of a "Small Pic" function (screenshot above), which allows you to create a reduced size copy of a larger image file right in the camera. This way you can store the original larger file for printing and use the reduced copy for quick and easy emailing once downloaded to your computer. 

On the top of the camera is the main control dial and the on/off switch. The main control dial allows you to select the desired mode.

Shooting is simplified by general-use AUTO mode and the option of selecting from one of 12 different Scene Modes. When using a Scene Mode, the Coolpix 4300 automatically makes adjustments for your choice of specific situations such as Portrait, Landscape, Sunset and Party/Indoor.

The 12 scene modes on the Nikon Coolpix 4300 include:

Portrait

Party/Indoor
Captures the details of dimly lit scenes. The Speedlight fires automatically in extremely low-light situations.

Night Portrait
Fires the built-in Speedlight to illuminate the subject but keeps the shutter open long enough to capture the background.

Beach/Snow
Automatically compensates for these difficult exposure situations.

Landscape

Sunset

Night Landscape
Employs slow shutter speeds to capture night landscapes.

Museum*
Produces clear indoor pictures without triggering the flash.
Note: In some museums and exhibitions, photography is prohibited, even without flash. Be sure to obtain permission before taking any pictures.

Fireworks Show
Instantly responds to the shutter release button to capture fireworks at the ideal moment.

Close Up

Copy
Renders clear black and white reproductions of text or drawings from a whiteboard or printed matter.

Back Light
Speedlight fires automatically to illuminate the shadows that cover a subject.

There's also Manual mode, which gives you control over exposure value and various settings.

The camera's built-in flash incorporates 5 modes: Auto, Flash Cancel, Anytime Flash, Red-Eye Reduction, and Slow-Sync mode. The maximum output range of the flash is approximately 10 feet.

The Coolpix 4300 employs the Nikon exclusive 5-area Multi AF focusing system. You can allow the camera to select the "best" focus area or you can select one of the 5 focus zones manually. The camera can also be set to manual focus if so desired.

The Focus Confirmation function (screenshot above) provides visual confirmation of focus by sharply outlining in the LCD monitor the areas of the frame that are in focus. This feature is useful in assisting to achieve correct focus when using manual focus mode.

With respect to close focusing capability, the Coolpix 4300 offers an exceptional macro close-up mode down to a mere 4cm from your subject. Additionally, the Coolpix 4300 incorporates a handy "Best Shot Selector" (BSS) mode, which lets you capture sharp handheld exposures at shutter times as long as 1/2 second. Ideal for typical close-up situations where light can be a limiting factor.

Even though the camera does not feature an AF assist light, in our tests the Coolpix 4300 did a very good job at focusing under a variety of low lighting conditions.

The Coolpix 4300 can be used with the optional Nikon SL-1 Macro Ring Light. The unit provides an even balanced continous LED light source for close-up macro work. Suitable for capturing close-up images of various macro subjects, including; jewellery, stamp or coin collections, dental/oral work etc.

"1 Cent" captured with SL1 Macro Light in Close-up mode. Camera set to Auto.

The ISO sensitivity of the Coolpix 4300 can be fixed at Auto or ISO 100, 200, 400 (in manual mode).

Metering options include 256-Segment Matrix, Center-weighted average, Spot or Spot AF that follows the exclusive 5-area Multi AF focusing system.

The camera's adjustable White Balance settings include: Auto, Fine (daylight), Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Speedlight, or Preset (which allows you to manually adjust the white balance). Additionally, the camera offers WB fine-tuning were all white balance settings other than Preset can be adjusted from -3 to +3 steps for personal preference.

The Coolpix 4300 features a "White Balance Bracketing" mode which provides the option to capture 3 images with slightly different WB adjustments. Once you get a chance to look at the images on your monitor, you can simply select the image with the best results.

With the camera's "Bulb" mode, you can control the exposure time up to 60 sec. A useful feature for capturing very low light ambient shots. There is a socket located underneath the camera so the Coolpix 4300 can be attached to a tripod in this type of situation.

In addition to permitting remote shutter release of the camera, the optional Nikon MC-EU1 remote cord allows you to control zoom settings, interval shooting and playback. You can also confirm information such as the the number of frames to be captured. The cord length is approx. 80cm.

Noise Reduction Mode is automatically activated when you select a slow shutter speed. It eliminates intrusive background noise from the CCD sensor using a multiple exposure technique, enabling superior-quality long-time exposures. If desired, Noise Reduction mode can be disabled in the menu setup of the camera.