nikon coolpix 8800

[amazona]

Anyone got it? What do you think? I need the 10 times OPTICAL ZOOM and image stabilization that I got hooked on with the Olympus UZI, however, the UZI is discontinued and the shoddy camera body of the Olympus (I struggle regularly with pieces falling off and understand from reviews that newer digital Olympus cameras still have similar issues) has caused me to re-consider the Nikon.

[regnaD kciN]

1. I've got an earlier model...

...the 5700, which seems to differ only in pixel count and having an 8x zoom instead of 10x.

In general, I'm quite happy with it. It fits well in the hand, has easy controls to learn along with lots of versatility, and, most importantly, takes great images.

The one drawback I have found is one that affects all "minicams" -- because the optical sensor is very small, low-light capability is poor. Generally, although the 5700 could have its ISO set as high as 800, that speed will give you color noise for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even 400 isn't all that good. Because the auto-program mode seems aware of this, you will often find it attempting to keep its settings to ISO 100, meaning that, if you're shooting in anything other than bright sunlight or overcast, you may find the program setting the shutter speed to 1/30s or even 1/15s. Generally, by bumping the ISO to 200, you can get an image into hand-holding range. But the fact is that, if you want high-quality performance at high ISOs, you're probably going to have to avoid minicams, and go all the way to a D-SLR with a larger image sensor like the Nikon D70 or the Canon Digital Rebel.

[F.Gordon]

2. I've had my coolpix 950 for about 4 plus years

Other than having to use a rubberband now to hold the battery compartment in, its been great. Tons of pix taken with it.

I've researched the 8800 in depth. It was at the top of my list, but I eventually decided to go another route. I still think that it's a good camera, but everyone has their opinion.

You can see what the post above is talking about. Look at the images (up close) that were taken at ISO's above 100. Especially those at ISO 400. For most I don't think this is an issue, but if you're a purist, then it might be a concern......

http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/?gallery=nikoncp8800_samples/

[Touchdown]

3. Got the one it replaced, and 8700.

In short, I do have problems with it. It's my first digital, so these may be problems with all of them.

The shutter waits. sometimes to the point of me losing the shot, and I HATE that. Not for a day at the races.

It has a serious red eye problem, even if the subject's eyes are turned away from the camera. Get yourself a Nikon speedlite if you want people shots, the built in flash is worthless.

The 8700 pushes red to bleeding levels. Photoshopping is almost necessary for red images. This one was photoshopped for less saturation.



Downloading from the camera drains the battery 4 times as fast as shooting with a flash. Get a firewire or USB-2 reader.

Some exposure modes, like aperture/shutter priority result in a MASSIVE amount of noise or artifacting, probably due to the ISO increases mentioned above. Bracketing may help, but not with Suzie doing somersaults or Johnny saying "Hey! Watch me!". Sorry about the big picture. Look at the jaws and necks of the two boys here. This is typical for 400 ISO. This also has been PS'd to reduce noise, which cuts the sharpness, but most of the noise remained.



That said, it certainly feels good in the hands. It's lighter than my film cameras (SLRs), it has a Lens hood for $25, and a selection of 4 filters for $120...not bad for Nikon prices. The menu is all on the little TV screen, which is certainly better than the LCDs that have been on film cameras recently.

I'm happy with mine, generally. I'm just still on a learning curve with it.