The Nikon Coolpix 80 lets you "explore the world from afar and in close up"

The Nikon  Coolpix P80  is a high-performing  digital camera designed for active photo enthusiasts with an interest in fine detail.

Priced at US$399.95  the Coolpix P80 boasts of a compact body size and a zoom lens that ranges from wide-angle to super telephoto.

According to Nikon, the Coolpix P80 is high-end point-and-shoot camera that features an 18x zoom giving users  the opportunity to explore the world from afar and in close up.

Key features include:

• 10.1 Megapixels, 1/2.33” CCD

• Macro allows photography from 1.0 cm

• B optical zoom

• Focal length 4.7-84.2mm (35mm equivalent 27-486mm)

• 64-6400  ISO (sensitivity)

• 2.7 LCD screen (230,000 pixels)

• 250 shots per battery charge

• Takes SD memory card  MEDIA

• compact body size

• 365 grams

• Dimensions of 110 mm x 79 mm x 78 mm (W x H x D)

• VR optical image stabilization, electronic viewfinder, optimize image, distortion control

What the manufacturer says:

The COOLPIX P80 is the ideal camera for the photo enthusiast who wants to have the convenience of a point-and-shoot camera with full manual control, and all possible options in-between. With 15 scene modes that are pre-configured for situations such as night time, fireworks, seaside, panoramas and sports photography, the camera can be preset to give the best results in many common settings.

What users and reviewers are saying:

“At first glance the P80 looks to be a good snapper, but concerns about image quality in our First Look mean the verdict is still out”-Pocket-Lint

“With an 18x zoom, the photos I took when trying it several days ago were amazing. It features a 10-megapixel sensor, image stabilisation and image-shift Vibration Reduction technology for shaky hands.”- Tech Digest

Our comment:

Since the Nikon P80 has just been released, you won’t find any good user reviews just yet. But if you are a Nikon fans and you appreciate how Nikon has been trying to improve on their camera line each time they release new models, you’d be convince that the 18x digital zoom is enough reason to buy the P80. And yes, an early buyer of the P80 confirms that you can use the zoom function while in video capture mode. Now, that would be a great feature.

• 

• Nikon Coolpix S700 makes brilliant photos more beautiful
• Nikon Coolpix S600 is “stunningly fast and astonishingly small”
• The Nikon Coolpix S600 “boasts ultra swift response”
• Digital camera report Nikon CoolPix 5100
• Nikon Coolpix S210 blends slim design and high performance in compact digital camera