Nikon has just announced its new Coolpix P80 with 18x zoom. Although described as a compact camera, it looks and feels like a small DSLR.

Nikon’s new Coolpix P80 with 18x zoom

Here’s part of the press release :

MELVILLE, NY (April 10, 2008) Nikon Inc. is pleased to announce the COOLPIX P80, a high-performance compact camera built to satisfy the needs of camera enthusiasts and family photographers alike. The P80 harmoniously integrates a 10.1 megapixel CCD image sensor with Nikon’s innovative EXPEED digital image processing concept and an 18x optical Zoom-NIKKOR lens designed with the compact and comfortable styling of the Nikon COOLPIX brand.

The COOLPIX P80 addresses a need from consumers for an ultra-zoom compact camera that offers unrivaled Nikon performance and clarity, said Bill Giordano, General Manager, Marketing, COOLPIX for Nikon Inc. Nikon is proud to continue delivering the highest quality imaging products for photo enthusiasts and aspiring photographers with a broad range of creative control options and superior imaging ability.”

At around $400, this looks a very interesting addition to the legendary Nikon range.

Well, here’s mine. It’s a Panasonic Lumix DFC FZ8 DSLR with a Leica 12X zoom lens.

I’ve been road testing this little beauty — it’s surprisingly small — around our town and will report back when the weather improves and I’ve had a chance to test it in full sunlight.

Until then I can say it’s by far the best digital camera I’ve bought and performs wonderfully well. Even the hundreds of functions are easy to access and control — not always the case with digital cameras in general.

Well recommended.

I wish all our readers a very happy New Year.

The Canon EOS 30D

To mark the 20th anniversary of Canon’s bestselling EOS series of cameras, the company is mounting a massive discount giveaway over the range until the end of the year.

In detail : “to celebrate 20 years of its legendary EOS system, Canon is giving back a total of £1283 ($2656) on a selection of EOS digital SLR cameras, lenses and accessories”. This cashback offer is valid from 1 October to 31 December 2007.

There are many participants in this offer. Try here.

Which type of camera is best for your purpose, a DSLR or a compact? Both are specialist cameras in their way, and it’s not always easy to choose. What then are the main factors in choosing between them?

Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are excellent at producing clearer, sharper and more colourful images than most point and shoot digital cameras available. With prices falling rapidly, they are now more affordable then ever. With the price gap between an entry model digital SLR camera and the most expensive compact digital camera narrowing; the question is… do I spend the extra money and get a Digital SLR camera? or save a few hundred dollars and purchase the best digital compact camera.

Well, it really depends on your budget; however if you do spend the extra money, here’s what you get:

In addition to the price falls in the Digital SLR models, the performance on these cameras has increased year on year with the latest Digital SLR cameras being quicker and faster than ever before. They have improved to such an extent that power up or start-up time is near instantaneous with virtually no lag time. “Lag time is the time between you pressing the shutter release button and the camera actually taking the shot”. This delay can vary quite a bit between different camera models and it is one of the biggest drawbacks compared to a compact digital camera. The latest digital SLR cameras have virtually no lag times and react in the same way as conventional film cameras, even in burst mode. Compact digital cameras are catching up; however the difference is still significant. A lag time of ~0.5 seconds can result in you missing the heartbeat of the moment and hence that potential great picture.

Digital SLR camera also has a larger sensor versus a smaller sensor in a compact digital camera. This equates to higher sensitivity and less noise and results in the camera taking clearer pictures in low light. (They also have better autofocus speed in low light as well). A measure of sensitivity in a digital camera is ISO and a typical ISO range for a Digital SLR camera varies from ISO 100 – 1600 with the latter being more sensitive. The ISO range for a compact digital camera varies from ISO 50 – 400. In summary, the higher the ISO rating, the greater the sensitivity and the better the photo can be taken in low light.

The Digital SLR cameras have a much longer battery life due to the limited use of the LCD screen. Please note, that as the LCD screen is only used for viewing the image, the battery life of a digital SLR can allow up to 2000 shots per charge in some cameras compared to 500 for a good point and shoot digital camera.

Digital SLR cameras also allow you to interchange lens such as adding a zoom or macro lens when required.

On the negative side of a Digital SLR camera; They are usually larger and heavier than compact digital cameras, the image cannot be previewed on the LCD screen prior taking the picture. If you really require the image to be viewed on the LCD prior to taking the picture, there are third party manufacturers that produce LCD screens that attaches to the viewfinder and allow the scene to be view just like a compact digital camera. The other drawback is the inability to take videos and finally, lenses are expensive with the majority costing more than the camera itself.

Although compact digital cameras cannot compete on features with a Digital SLR camera, they are great value, have the ability to take videos and are portable. If you have decided to purchase a Digital SLR camera I recommend you visit infodigitalcamera.com to find additional information on Digital SLR camera. If you are still undecided, purchase both.

Thanks for the information to Virginia Wong who is an IT consultant with a passion for digital photography.