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In May of 2002 I purchased this 995 new as an upgrade from the Coolpix 950 which had served me so extraordinarily well. The 950 survived much as I hauled it up dozens of mountains in the Puget Sound Area (Seattle, WA) and backpacking trips through Europe and North America. The 995 has proven to be every bit as reliable as the venerable 950 it replaced.

The camera, flash, and lenses are all in excellent condition, with no scratches. I always case the lenses and camera during transport and clean the lenses with a lens pen designed for that purpose. The only visible evidence of wear are two very small black spots on the rear corner of the camera's swivel housing where the finish has rubbed off. A marker of the appropriate color grey could make the spots disappear but I consider them badges of honor.

The 3.34 megapixel resolution is plenty to create fantastic prints on 8 1/2 x 11 photo paper. I grew up in a darkroom (print shop) so I have plenty of film experience and even to a trained eye, you cannot tell the difference in photo quality between 8.5 x 11 prints generated from my 995 and a 8x10 print generated from 35mm film. Because of the superior optics and much better manual camera controls, I get far better photos and prints with my Coolpix 995 than my 4 megapixel Canon S400 and any other compact digicam that I've used (or witnessed being used). It truly is a remarkable camera. Did I mention it's ability to take fantastic macro shots like this cute little lizard?

Included are all the accessories I've purchased for use with this camera, as detailed below. The eBook is what finally made my photographs look much better. One of the reasons I upgraded to the 995 was expecting higher resolution to result in better photos. When that did not prove to be the case, I turned to upgrading my brain and that book is an excellent reference.

This camera is very portable and fits well into the built-in camera pouch on two of my backpacks. The carry case I include with it holds the camera, both spare batteries, a mini tripod, and a lens pen (cleaning tool). I drop the carry case it into my travel pack and have more than enough battery power to fire off over a thousand photos on a trip. The dimunitive size of the Coolpix is something I will miss sorely.

The package includes all the accessories that came with it: original box, software cds, all cables, manuals, and other documentation.

Why would I part ways with such a wonderful camera? The reasons are complex, but I'm stepping out of the high end of consumer class cameras and into the world of professional grade cameras. I'm buying a Nikon D70 ($1,300 w/basic lens) and part of the negotiations with my wife require that I divest myself of the old stuff. She (justly) fears that I'll end up with piles of computer stuff again. So, out with the old and in with the new.

This camera is capable of taking outstanding photos. Have a peek at a few of the photos in the albums to the right. I've had several of those photos published in newspapers and magazine articles after google helped reporters and columinists find them.

I have determined the sale prices by checking the closing prices of the same items on closed eBay auctions (Advanced Search) being sold by vendors with positive feedback. As such, the prices on these items are very representive of Fair Market Value and as such, the price is not very negotiable. If you choose to purchase this camera *before* I list it on eBay, I'll knock off a few points since I'll be saving the listing and selling fees that eBay charges.

The camera itself will only sell with the rest of the bundle, but if you are interested in only buying components of the kit, I will sell them seperately.

Last modified on 4/9/05.