An hors d'oeuvre into (digital) photography (Nikon Coolpix 800)

Member Name: Talker

Product:	Nikon Coolpix 800
Date:	19/07/01 (216 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: compact, uncomplicated

Disadvantages: flash

I've had this camera for over a year and really like it. It's perfect for just point-and-click shooting. The corollary of that, of course, is that as a photographer you have little control over exposure and depth of field. If you're an enthusiast, this probably doesn't go far enough for you. However, for snapshots, family holidays, birthdays, it certainly does the job.

The camera's been reviewed extensively in the online digital camera media, so I won't go through all the details.

[*NEW 20/july: some comments have asked for technical details such as battery life, resolution, etc. Your best bet for that sort of analysis is to read a review from some of the excellent online digital photography Web sites. I'd recommend starting with Imaging Resources.]

Suffice it to say that the results seem perfect to me, especially when viewed on screen. It's difficult to review any prints, because that depends on your printer and the way your computer-printer combination is set up.

The biggest weakness is the flash. Like many compacts, the siting of the flash leads to high levels of "red-eye" in photos. Also, it isn't very strong, so performance in dim lighting isn't impressive. That said, a bit of in-computer post-processing can really improve the result.

My main disappointment is that I didn't stump up the extra money (the camera cost about 500 pounds when I bought it, so any more was out of the question at the time) for a more sophisticated model. I find that shooting digitally has motivated me to become a better photographer and the camera no longer does everything I'd like it to do.

Summary: