Nikon Coolpix 3700 Review!

I keep on forgetting to do a “formal” review of this awesome vintage digicam from 2003! (The thumbnail is an homage to all the digicam love Asian folks in Asia are doing on that Lemon8 SMS.  I don’t know where they are getting their supply of old digital point and shoots but man!)

Thanks to Sam for the camera a few years ago.  It’s tiny as you can see compared to the Gameboy mint tin that I use for my business cards.  The 3700 is a 3MP chocolate bar style camera that you would have seen at many a party/import car show/any social event 20 years ago.  I guess it’s taken 20 years for the myspace photo aesthetic to catch on and come back.  Technology is a lot like fashion.

If this food photo were shot with any of my bigger/better cameras I probably would have edited out that lone piece of onion in the corner, but the digicam aesthetic is all about wabi sabi! Imperfect like life itself.  (And yes that BBQ rice combo is amazing. $17 with soup!)

This is a great camera.  So tiny and it fits into most suit jacket pockets.  It starts up relatively quick, has an optical viewfinder and you can turn off the back LCD to save battery life.  The flash does take a second or two to cycle after a shot, but that is pretty much one of the defining characteristics of the early 2000’s look.  Harsh flash and dark backgrounds with smiling faces that look a bit different, more honest and fun than the same type of shot done with a big modern camera.  It’s a look that no film simulation or filter can get you, it’s pretty much hardwired in the general aesthetic of old digicams.  After having so much fun with this one on random gigs and adventures, I wish I hadn’t sold my Coolpix 8700 way back when.  With the horribly inflated prices on the used market, these types of cameras now cost more than some DSLRs!


If you’d like to see some examples of this magic party mode camera see these posts below!

TAG: COOLPIX 3700

Michelle’s Graduation Party – VIP Hall – Buford, GA

Atlanta Korean Festival 2024 Photos

Otaku Fashion – Charlie’s Collectible Show + Hanging Out!

Magic Eastern Ensemble – Lunar New Year 2025 Concert Photos

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