Nikon Coolpix 800

The familiar name of Nikon on the front of this camera will no doubt reassure those who previously may have had reservations about the quality of digital cameras.

The Coolpix 800 is the company's so-called third generation of compact digital camera and boasts, for the first time, a full 2x zoom lens along with a whole range of features normally associated with more costly models.

There is, for example, both auto and manual focusing, continuous shooting up to two frames per second and a 'best-shot' selector. This latter feature allows you to shoot up to 10 pictures in a row and then have the camera select the sharpest picture to save.

Nikon's reputation has been built on the quality of its lenses and even though the 800 may be a compact camera it doesn't lose out. The 2x all-glass Nikkor zoom lens backed with a high-resolution of 2.1 million pixels produces pictures of outstanding quality and sharpness which can be printed up to 8 x 10in without noticeable degradation. To make things even better, the 800's lens is threaded to take screw-on special effects filters and lenses (of which Nikon makes telephoto and wide-angle versions for its more expensive Coolpix 950, but both fit the 800).

The excellent ergonomics of the earlier Nikon compact cameras have been retained for the 800, along with a few extra 'bumps' created by the zoom lens and new viewfinder housing. There are several external controls, but all are clearly marked and quickly mastered. Power is supplied by four AA batteries and battery life has been greatly improved over previous models. A mains power adapter is available but only with the Premiere Bundle, which also has two extra 8Mb CompactFlash cards.

Negative points? We would cite the plastic body and the location of the CompactFlash card slot (at the bottom of the camera where it is easily blocked if using a tripod), not to mention the fiddly card eject system.

However, these are minor points and don't detract from an overall superb digital camera which is ideal for those who want Nikon quality combined with point-and-shoot simplicity.

Contact Nikon 0800 230220