Summary: Lightweight and great for nature pictures

Comment: I bought this camera to carry in my backpack for nature photos instead of carrying one of my DSLR's. 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. My only complaint is that the viewfinder could be a little brighter. Sutter lag isn't bad. I think I am going to love this little camera.

Summary: Works best outside.

Comment: I have had this camera for about four months now. My initial impression was that this camera was extremely noisy in low light conditions. 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. 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!

Summary: Just the Thing for documenting a Quick Trip!

Comment: I like this camera!

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. 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.

I especially like the P80 because it is inconspicuous, and one can get candid shots of street life without being intrusive. The easily managed diopter allowed me to use the viewfinder without my glasses. 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 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.

As other reviewers have suggested, reading the manual is indispensable, but one ought not to be tied to it. 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). 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 computer--a painless process--the sound of the guards' commands and their marching feet, as well as the clip-clop of the horses' hooves, comes through loud and clear. Unfortunately, so does the yak-yak of the surrounding tourists!). 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.

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. And any lapses in color or light and shadow, I'll compensate for for with my Adobe CS3.

Summary: Great Value and Performance

Comment: This camera gives you plenty of features for the money. I did a lot of research before buying, and I am well satisfied with my choice. The Nikon Coolpix P80 has performed well, is easy to operate out of the box, and is a great choice for those of us who want more performance than a point and shoot digital, but can't justify going the SLR route. I read online that it had a slow reaction time, but with the various modes, I have had no trouble snapping photos of my dog, birds, etc. I am still learning more about it's features using the manual, but I was able to figure most of it out on my own: the menus are easy. For some more specific advanced settings, it does take a minute to get it situated, but that doesn't often come up and is pretty standard. I would reccomend it to anyone in the market.

Summary: Happy with the P80

Comment: I bought this camera as an upgrade to my point and shoot. I wanted higher quality, greater creative control, and that 18x zoom without having to spend DSLR prices and carrying bulky lens. I was worried due to some of the negative reviews. After owning this camera 5 mos and taking thousands of primarily landscape and wildlife pics, I am very happy with my purchase.

The camera does require reading the manual carefully and taking some time to experiment with the different settings. In the beginning I took some blurry pics, but with some patience and practice, I am getting great shots out of this camera. It is light weight, easy to use, and the ability to rapidly change from a wide angle shot to a closeup zoom in, is great.

It is not a DSLR, but is a versatile, high-quality camera, that allows you to learn and expand your photographic skills and produce some great shots.