Details on new Nikon ultrazoom, Coolpix P80, released

[David Rasnake]

For some time now, Nikon has been one of the only major manufacturers to not carry an ultrazoom in their lineup. That all changed today with the announcement of the new 18x zoom Nikon Coolpix P80.

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Sporting a look familiar to Nikon's other P-series advanced amateur offerings and using much of the technology already seen in other P models, the 10.1 megapixel P80's impressive Nikkor zoom covers an equivalent range of 27-486mm. For a lens of this focal length, Nikon's Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization system isn't just a nicety, but indeed a necessity.

Like most ultrazooms, the P80 is designed to offer DSLR-like performance in a compact package, offering up the standard PASM manual control modes in addition to a full list of scene presets. With sensitivity up to ISO 6400 and an impressive burst shooting rate of up to 13 frames per second (albeit at a lower resolution), the P80 has some promise for low-light and action shooting.

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In addition to an electronic viewfinder, the P80 comes equipped with a 2.7-inch, 230K-dot wide-view LCD. D-Lighting dynamic range correction, Face Priority AF that can detect up to 12 faces, and in-camera red-eye correction have all come to be expected for cameras in this class.

In spite of falling DSLR prices, ultrazooms continue to be a market that generates a lot of consumer interest, and we're not surprised to see Nikon getting into this game.

The new Coolpix should be available this month, with a suggested retail price of $399.95.

Nikon Coolpix P80 Specifications:

Sensor	10.1 megapixel, 1/2.33" CCD
Lens/Zoom	18x (27-486mm) zoom, f/2.8-4.5
LCD/Viewfinder	2.7", 230K-dot TFT LCD
Sensitivity	ISO 64-6400
Shutter Speed	Not Specified
Shooting Modes	Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Auto, Scene, Movie
Scene Presets	Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Museum, Fireworks Show
White Balance Settings	Fluorescent, Incandescent, Flash, White Balance Preset, Auto, Daylight, Cloudy
Metering Modes	Not Specified
Focus Modes	Face-Priority AF, Multi-Area AF, Contrast AF
Drive Modes	Normal, Burst
Flash Modes	Slow sync, Red-eye reduction, Redeye reduction with slow sync, Flash cancel/ flash off, Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Anytime flash
Self Timer Settings	10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off
Memory Formats	SD, SDHC
Internal Memory	50 MB
File Formats	JPEG, AVI
Max. Image Size	3648x2736
Max. Video Size	640x480, 30 fps
Zoom During Video	Not Specified
Battery	Rechargeable lithium-ion, 250 shots
Connections	USB 2.0, AV output, DC input
Additional Features	Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization, D-Lighting, Time Lapse Movie, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix

[Andy Stanton]

Wow, that's exciting news. It looks like one of Nikon's DSLR's.

[CalebSchmerge]

That was my first though - hmm, that looks just like my camera - except smaller. Can't wait to see how this one turns out.

[Nautilus]

Looking forward to the review

[usapatriot]

When I first saw the picture on another website I though it looked like a Nikon D40, anyways its quite interesting.

Maybe there will be a Nikon D80 replacement announce today!

[chengdude]

Wow, a Nikon superzoom. It's pretty mature market at this point, so I wonder whose share is going to take the biggest hit?

On the DCRP, there was a bit of parenthetical speculation that with identical specs, the lens could be the same as on the Fuji and Olympus 18x superzooms.

So now it's Canon as the odd manufacturer out of the 18x race...for how long?

[David Rasnake]

On the DCRP, there was a bit of parenthetical speculation that with identical specs, the lens could be the same as on the Fuji and Olympus 18x superzooms.

That is an interesting bit of speculation, given that these three companies (Fuji slightly less so perhaps, but certainly Nikon and Olympus) are all traditional optics makers. Sharing optics goes against their histories, but the world is a changed place from what it was 20 years ago, and we know that Nikon and Fuji have a collaboration history. You can't deny that the specs are eerily similar.

If it is, in fact, that particular lens, that's probably not a bad thing. The Olympus variant at least had some problems with edge definition (mostly at the wide end), but was otherwise pretty impressively sharp given its wide range.

As to Canon, who knows? They tend to be pretty guarded in an effort to control speculation and leaks.

dr

[Andy Stanton]

With Nikon P&S cameras, the big problem has been slow focusing, especially in low light. I hope this new camera focuses more like the Nikon DSLR's.

[David Rasnake]

As always, that will be the lynchpin issue for Nikon. We're hoping to get a P60 in to the office in the next few days, and if I had to guess I'm betting these two will share a lot by way of AF performance (though with a different lens, obviously not everything). More info on this one once I know a little more.

dr

[Jim Keenan]

My favorite personal Coolpix has been the 8800, which features a 10x zoom and VR, but also some definite shutter lag. Still, I wondered why they discontinued the model. The P80 mentions the EXPEED processor/technlogy which debuted in the D300/D3, and if Nikon would put in the shutter lag from the S500 my 8800 would be history...............