Nikon Coolpix P80 Digital Camera Review

The Nikon Coolpix P80 offers a range of advanced modes including shutter-priority, aperture-priority and manual, perfect for the photographer who wants to take full control. The Movie and various Scene modes for beginners are also accessed via this dial, along with the Setup menu. The Nikon Coolpix P80 fuses awe-inspiring performance inside a compact body and makes a strong claim for the world?s smallest 18x optical zoom camera. Powered from a focal length of 27 to 486 (35mm format equivalent), the Nikon Coolpix P80 totes an 18x optical Zoom-NIKKOR lens for a commanding grasp on faraway subjects.

The Nikon COOLPIX P80 was designed for the active amateur photographer who wants a little more zoom power. Its lightweight body means you can carry it just about anywhere and that 10.1 megapixels CCD is above and beyond what you need for everyday photographs. The Nikon Coolpix P80 not only offers an impressive 18x optical zoom, it also features 10.1 megapixels of sharp resolution, and a new digital image processing engine. The camera features an electronic viewfinder to allow accurate composition throughout the zoom range and also includes a large 2.7 inch monitor with anti-reflection coating and a wide viewing angle.

The Nikon Coolpix P80 displays the images on a 2,7" TFT screen of 230.000 pixels and has an electronic viewfinder of the same resolution. The P80 is fed by a Lithium battery which ensures an autonomy of 250 images according to CIPA standard with Nikon's EN-EL5battery. The Nikon Coolpix P80 is ranked in Nikon's top class which makes the expectations rise sky-high. We expect a high performance when we look at the impressive specifications, although we are aware of the fact that Nikon place the bar really high for themselves.The Nikon Coolpix P80 is the first ever "super-zoom" compact camera from Nikon, with its 18x zoom lens providing a massive focal range of 27-485mm. The Nikon P80 can easily cope with everything from wide-angle landscapes and close-up buildings, head and shoulder portraits, sports and even wildlife and bird photography, all from a discrete camera that weighs less than 400g and can fit inside a small bag.Camera size and weight are excellent – the P80 will fit (carefully) into a pants pocket, then come out and give the user a 27 to 486mm focal range. That range and the decent shutter response, good image quality and ability to customize camera settings to impact image quality tip the scales in the P80's favor in my book, despite the sometimes iffy AF performance. Camera-wise, I needed something that was nearly as powerful as an SLR but compact and light enough to throw into my pocket for everyday use. Camera was easy to use right out of the box! I can't wait to fully dive into all of the features this camera has.

Recording Features

LCD Monitor: The Nikon Coolpix P80 has a 2.7"  TFT LCD monitor featuring approximately 230,000 pixels, an anti-reflective coating and a five-level brightness adjustment. The LCD monitor's 170-degree wide viewing angle makes it easy to see and use. The LCD monitor has approximately 97% horizontal and vertical coverage in the shooting mode and 100% coverage in playback mode.

Viewfinder: The Coolpix P80 also features a real-image 0.24" TFT Color LCD viewfinder featuring approximately 230,000 pixels. The viewfinder has approximately 97% frame coverage vertically and horizontally during shooting mode and 100% coverage in playback mode. The viewfinder features a diopter adjustment function for easier viewing.

10.1 Megapixels CCD With EXPEED Engine: The Coolpix P80 features a 1/2.33-inch, high-density CCD imager with a total pixel count of approximately 10.70-million pixels. The effective pixel count is 10.1-million. Optimizing performance and color reproduction is an advanced new image-processing engine, EXPEED.

Optics: The Coolpix P80 digital camera uses a wide-angle Zoom-Nikkor glass lens (F2.8-4.5) for superb image quality. Every aspect of the lens manufacturing process is controlled by Nikon. The Zoom-Nikkor lens is designed for the specific camera and CCD combination. The Coolpix P80 uses a 18x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom lens that is equivalent to a 27-1944mm lens in 35mm photography.