Nikon Coolpix 8700

Review summary: The Nikon COOLPIX 8700 is Nikon's top-of-the-line prosumer digital camera. This eight megapixel with 8x optical zoom camera looks very similar to its brother, the COOLPIX 5700, but is packed with newer and improved features.

Pros: Excellent, highly detailed images ; impressive 8X ED-Nikkor zoom lens ; sturdy magnesium-alloy body ; RAW-file capture

Cons: Easy to accidentally activate some controls ; long RAW shot-to-shot time ; slow low-light AF ; no live histogram in manual mode ; 30-second limit on video clips ; full RAW-file editing software costs $99 extra

Verdict: It shoots good photos, but mediocre performance and a serious design flaw may keep this 8-megapixel camera out of the hands of enthusiasts.

Review summary: Coupling a 2/3-inch 8.31 megapixel CCD imager with an 8.9 - 71.2mm (35 - 280mm equivalent) Nikkor 8x optical zoom lens, the new model stores images on CompactFlash cards (Type-I or Type-II includ...

Review summary: So there you have it -- plenty of accessories!

Pros: Very good photo quality ; Amazing expandability in terms of lenses, flashes ; AF-assist lamp ; EVF somewhat usable in low light ; Compact body for an 8X zoom lens ; VGA movie mode (though short time limit) ; Tons of manual controls ; Beautiful ...

Cons: Noisy images ; Camera locks up for a second or two while it finishes writing to memory card ; Clunky, sluggish interface ; Does not fully support Nikon Speedlites ; Flimsy plastic door over CF slot ; Manual focus ring would've been nice ; Battery not ...

Verdict: The 8700 uses the same EN-EL1 rechargeable battery as the 5700. This battery has 5.0 Wh of energy, which doesn't look so hot when compared to the batteries in recent Olympus, Minolta, and Sony cameras. Nikon doesn't tell you much about battery life, ...

Review summary: Nikon's 8-megapixel entry takes remarkable photos and has notable improvements over its Coolpix 5700 predecessor.

Verdict: Learning to use this model may take some time, but the camera provides a lot of imaging power and a long optical zoom in a relatively light and small package.