This article reviews the Nikon Coolpix P80. Learn more about the benefits, features, and performance of the Nikon Coolpix P80 digital camera and how it compares to other similar cameras. Read all about the easy to use Nikon Coolpix P80 here.

What attracts many consumers to the Nikon Coolpix P80 (besides the reputation behind the Nikon name) is that it effectively combines the primary benefits of a DSLR camera and a compact camera. This combination of features and ease of use makes the P80 appealing to both beginners and more experienced photographers. The lead among these features is the "mega-zoom" which is an 18x zoom lens that provides a focal range of 27-485mm. This allows the P80 to have a great range - from landscapes to close-ups of flora and fauna. Was Nikon successful in it's attempt to put DSLR features in a light, compact camera body?

First, the Nikon Coolpix P80 lens has Nikon's Vibration Reduction (VR) feature that helps to guarantee that images come out sharp without the evidence of camera shake that's hard to control with compacts in particular. To view your shots, the P80 also includes a 2.7 inch LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder.

Second, the P80 is a supremely easy to use camera and includes a complete range of exposure controls: Auto, Program, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, and full Manual mode. Additionally, the camera has a wide ISO range of 64-6400 that will allow you to set up your shots to match whatever conditions you might be shooting in. The body of the Nikon P80 is set up very similarly to a DLSR with a significant handgrip, large lens barrel, eye level viewfinder and pop-up flash on top. Looks-wise, many would have a problem being able to tell that the P80 is indeed not a DSLR based on looks alone. However, don't expect to achieve DLSR-like results with this camera, such as blurred backgrounds, the P80's sensor is just to small.

In addition to the above points, the lens on the P80 makes it a standout among compacts because of the versatility that it offers. There really is very little that the Nikon Coolpix P80 cannot handle with its focal length, apart from very wide-angle shots. The fact that the lens is fixed to the body also offers ease of use as you don't have to worry about lugging about a bunch of lenses to capture all that you encounter. The lens is also very fast which again contributes to an overall ease of use as you can shoot on the fly, and shoot continuously, without making lens changes and other adjustments. The inclusion of Vibration Reduction (VR) also makes it easy to get great results with this camera, though it can't be turned on with the touch of a button (annoyingly, one has to scroll through a menu), but thankfully having this feature on doesn't impact battery life.

The traditional dial on top that allows you to switch through shooting modes is also very easy to use and demonstrates how the P80 is both beginner and experienced-friendly, though the general layout will appeal more to beginners than those experienced with (and fans of) manual modes. For example, there aren't any dedicated ISO control or white balance settings, which means time spent scrolling through the menu system. In addition to standard modes like Auto and Manual, the Nikon Coolpix includes other features to further customize your images and achieve the results you're looking for. One such feature is Distortion Control which is useful for 27mm close-ups. There is also Face-Priority Autofocus that can detect up to 12 faces in a scene and In-Camera Red-Eye Fix that will automatically process your image and remove any red-eye. On top of all of this, there is an Optimize feature that will allow you to adjust the look and feel of your images by tweaking the contrast, saturation and sharpening. All of this combined with low shutter-lag adds up to enjoyable photography.

Unfortunately, in spite of all these features, the image quality of the P80 often suffers, mostly at the extreme ends of the spectrum. Noise is already obvious when only at 200 ISO while the high end, ISO 800 to 2000, are better left unused as images are ruined by noise. At the mid-range, image quality is fine, though keep in mind what sort of shots you'd like to get out of this camera. The anti-shake feature performs well, especially on macro shots which also come out nicely with the P80. All this said, the image quality of the P80 is above average overall.

In conclusion, the Nikon Coolpix P80 is an excellent choice though it has some major competition in regards to image quality. The P80 is well built and designed and its features are thoughtfully chosen. For most photographers, the P80 will do all that they want and more. If the Coolpix P80 fits your price range, you could do much worse.

Coolpix P80 Features:

• 10-megapixel effective CCD
• Nikkor 18x optical zoom lens (27-486mm in 35mm equivalent)
• Compact, durable and lightweight body
• Vibration Reduction (VR) for sharp, blur-free images and movies
• High resolution Electronic viewfinder (230K pixels) with diopter adjustment function
• Macro focus with AF as close as 0.4 inches
• 9-point TTL Autofocus system with Face Detection technology
• 256-segment Matrix Metering with Center-weighted, Spot, or Spot AF metering
• Large 2.7-inch glare-resistant color monitor
• Program AE, Shutter priority, Aperture priority, Manual and 10 pre-programmed Scene modes
• Single, Continuous, BSS, Multi-shot 16 and Interval Timer burst modes
• 640x480 @ 30fps movie mode with sound, length limited only by memory card capacity (2GB max.)
• Built-in flash with auto, fill, slow sync, and red-eye reduction
• Nikon's D-Lighting automatically brightens dark images in playback mode
• In-Camera Red-Eye Fix™ automatically fixes most instances of red-eye in the camera
• TTL Auto White Balance, 6 presets, custom set and bracketing
• 50MB internal memory and SD/SDHC memory card slot
• USB connectivity, PictBridge direct-print compliant
• Rechargeable Li-ion battery and charger included

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