Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black)
The Coolpix P80 is a point-&-shoot digital camera that's like an SLR but doesn't have interchangeable lenses. Why bother? It's got an 18x optical zoom range from wide-angle (27mm) to super-telephoto coverage (486mm). So the Coolpix P80 is like a hybrid SLR. It's got modes that might excite the SLR enthusiast but it's also simple to use. And there's no fumbling with lenses because you've got an incredibly long focal range from the one lens on the P80. It does still and movie modes and has vast image capacity on optional SD and SDHC memory cards. This is the perfect all-around digital camera. In-Camera Red-Eye Fix that automatically looks for and fixes most instances of red-eye; Face Priority AF, Nikon's face-finding technology that can quickly find and focus on up to 12 faces in a group portrait; and D-Lighting which rescues pictures that are too dark for printing AutoFocus modes High Quality TV Movies with Sound are now just a press of a button away only limited by SD SDHC memory card capacity 10.1 Megapixels for up to 3648 x 2736 still image resolution Built-in Flash to 28 feet Unit Dimensions Height - 3.1 in. (79mm) x Width - 4.3 in. (110mm) x Depth - 3.1 in. (78mm); Weighs 12.9 ounces EN-EL5 Lithium-ion Battery delivers up to 250 shots per charge USB for image transfer NTSC and PAL Video output
Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black) Accessories
 SanDisk 4 GB Extreme III SDHC Card (SDSDRX3-4096-A21, Retail Package)
Nikon EN-EL5 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery for Coolpix P3, P4. P5000, S10, 3700, 4200, 5200, 5900 & 7900 Digital Cameras
Transcend TS8GSDHC6 8GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
Nikon Coolpix P80 Fabric Case
Kingston 2 GB SD Flash Memory Card SD/2GB
Transcend TS4GSDHC6 4GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
Sandisk 4GB Secure Digital SD HC Memory Card (SDSDB-4096, BULK, No Reader)
Sandisk Ultra II SDHC 4GB SD Memory Card (SDSDH-4096, BULK Static Pack, No Reader)
Kingston 4 GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card SD4/4GB
Sandisk 8GB SD Memory Card (SDSDB-8192, Bulk Package)
Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black) Reviews
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this earlier since I now have had it for 4 months. It was my first "real" digital and the one that gets used the most. Many reviewers have said that you need to read the manual, and i n this case even Ido it.
Also think thta you could help any cause with a class 6 8GB memory card if the camera will take it. I don't know if it's my imagination but when I put the card into the computer with Vista, then replay them through Picasa, the latter look 50% better. Will reveal my ignorance, but can't decide on a #1 among similar grade from Panasonic (sharpness, but color seems off) or Sony (no complaints) Just don't like Canon-some are great, most a lot of blur and funky color.
So I draw no professional opinion other than that I'm very happy with this camera and with digital photography in general for the instant gratification. Set this up during a rainy day on vacation (bummer) so I'm more in tune with it than any of my other purchases. You can find many things you can make this puppy do, (like B&W).
Someone said the battery recharge doesn't last long enough- have gone 500+ then charged because I felt guilty. Could it be like the old "worst phot processing in town ala 35mm).
I got this camera specifically to take concert photos. I was following the Pearl Jam tourin large stadiums and arenasand then the Eddie Vedder solo tourin small theaters and concert halls. I did my research to figure out which settings would take the best shots, but it turned out that the "Automatic" setting took the best shots of all, so the camera was smart enough to let me point and click and enjoy the shows. This camera worked GREAT for both. I could zoom right in on the band and capture every drop of sweat. I'm glad to have it.
I just downloaded some pictures I took this weekend and was very pleased with the quality of the picutres of some quail and deer I photographed. I bought this camera to carry in my backpack for nature photos instead of carrying one of my DSLR's. I think I am going to love this little camera. Sutter lag isn't bad. My only complaint is that the viewfinder could be a little brighter.
It does really well with outdoor shots of course, but when it comes to take quick pictures of my one and a half year old, my old 3.1MP Nikon 885, does a far better job both indoors and outdoors. I have had this camera for about four months now. I attributed that to me not using the camera properly. But then after getting really comfortable with using it in manual mode for a few months, it looks to be even worse under low light situations. My initial impression was that this camera was extremely noisy in low light conditions.
Although for the next trip, which I shall take by myself and take my time, I might invest in a real DSLR (with a polarizing lens), the Nikon P80 was perfect for what proved to be whirlwind tour of Europe. For instance, I discovered that in the northern latitudes with their bright autumn light, so beloved by the Dutch painters, the "sunset" setting worked better than the automatic, or even the plain "landscape" settings (I didn't care much for the automatic setting which tended to over-expose the pictures). And any lapses in color or light and shadow, I'll compensate for for with my Adobe CS3. I like this camera. As other reviewers have suggested, reading the manual is indispensable, but one ought not to be tied to it. The monitor made it easy to view photos quickly; and the battery charger worked splendidly (I took two Nikon batteries, and charged one every night).
I just returned from a three-week trip to Italy, Holland, and London, and I found my Nikon P80 to be easy to manage, after several readings of the manual. Not too small, the P80 fits comfortably into my hands and does not wobble as the smaller cameras tend to do. The easily managed diopter allowed me to use the viewfinder without my glasses. Although I do miss taking splendid photos with my 1974 Rollei SLR with the three lenses and polarizer, I do not miss the weight, the limitations of rolls of film, and the encumbrances of all the accompanying paraphernalia.
Unfortunately, so does the yak-yak of the surrounding tourists). I also experimented using the shutter and aperture priorities; took night pictures that were eventually successful, and discovered the video option, getting some fantastic shots of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace (As I discovered when I downloaded the photos onto my computera painless processthe sound of the guards' commands and their marching feet, as well as the clip-clop of the horses' hooves, comes through loud and clear. I especially like the P80 because it is inconspicuous, and one can get candid shots of street life without being intrusive. I was also pleasantly surprised at the macro feature which allowed me to copy family photos from my brother-in-law's album, which were taken in the 1940s and '50s.
Not knowing how much memory I would be using, I took two 4G memory cards and shot 1800 pictures and 31 short videos, which improved remarkably during the second week, as I was getting used to the intricacies of the camera (and was recovering from jet-lag). As a result, I have a thorough documentation of my trip, which I wouldn't have gotten with a cumbersome SLR.
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