The flagship of Nikon's Coolpix series, the Coolpix 8800 offers the longest zoom range available in the 8- megapixel category, and is the first 8-megapixel 10X zoom digital camera with Vibration Reduction (VR). VR automatically detects and compensates for the small camera movements that cause image blur. This offers the user the ability to shoot at shutter speeds up to three stops slower without the risk of camera vibrations blurring the image. It features an 8.0 megapixel effective CCD (3,264 x 2,448-pixels) and a 10x Optical (35-350mm) Nikkor lens, with Nikon's Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements. It has a high resolution (235,000 pixel) electronic viewfinder (EVF) for through-the-lens viewing and a 1.8" vari-angle color LCD monitor.

This is one of the first Coolpix cameras with full i-TTL flash capability (when used with external SB-600 and SB-800 Speedlights), which gives the user complete control over the flash unit's zoom head. Additionally, combining a number of high-end Nikon technologies, a feature called Auto Color Enhancement accurately records, assesses and fine-tunes the colors within images to achieve more vivid results.

Not only is it stylish and compact (for an 8-megapixel 10x zoom camera), but it is also constructed with a lightweight magnesium alloy body that has been designed for durability and portability.

For added convenience, the Coolpix 8800 now incorporates 15 pre-programmed Scene modes, many of which can be found on recent Coolpix digital cameras. These Scene modes allow users to capture striking images in practically any shooting situation. Simply select the mode appropriate to the lighting conditions, and the camera will automatically adjust focus, flash, contrast, sensitivity and white balance.

It's powered by the new EN-EL7 Lithium Ion rechargeable battery, which adds incredible power and freedom to both the cameras and users alike. With the new EN-EL7, users will be able to shoot up to 240 frames on a single charge. It also features the newly adopted JPEG EXTRA file format, which offers higher image quality with less compression (compression rate: 1/2) in addition to their Basic, Normal, Fine, TIFF and NEF/RAW settings.

The Coolpix 8800's software package includes PictureProject, ArcSoft including VideoImpression to edit and share QuickTime movies taken with the camera and Panorama Maker, which takes advantage of the camera's Panorama Assist Mode and seamlessly stitches together multiple horizontal or vertical images to create beautiful panoramic photos.

Coolpix 8800 Features:

• 8-Megapixel resolution CCD imager (3,264 x 2,448-pixels)
• Nikkor 10x zoom (35-350mm in 35mm equivalent) with ED glass
• Macro focus with AF as close as 1.2"
• Fully articulating 270°, 1.8" color LCD monitor
• Electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 235,000 pixels
• CompactFlash Type II card slot (Microdrive compatible)
• Record images in TIFF-RGB, JPEG or RAW (NEF) format
• Programmed Auto (with Shift), Shutter-Priority, Aperture-Priority and Full Manual
• Drive modes: Single, Continuous H, Continuous L, Ultra High Speed Continuous, 16-Shot Multi, and 5-shot buffer
• 15 pre-programmed Scene Modes, including Panorama Assist Mode
• Shutter speeds from 1/3000 sec. to 8 secs (Bulb to 10 minutes!)
• Five Movie modes to choose from including B&W and Sepia
• Interval Timer shooting, choose interval between images from 30 secs. to 60 min.
• 7-bladed iris diaphragm for true depth of field control
• Five-area multi autofocus system, user-selectable and Spot-AF
• 256-segment Matrix Metering, Center-weighted or Spot
• Noise Reduction for long exposures
• ISO sensitivity of Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400
• Matrix Auto White Balance plus Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Speedlight, Shade and Custom Preset
• Built-in flash with Auto, Cancel, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill, Slow sync, and Rear-curtain sync
• Hotshoe for external Nikon Speedlights
• PictBridge and Epson PRINT Image Matching Technology compatible
• USB 2.0 (High-Speed) port for image download/remote control
• EN-EL7 Li-ion battery and charger included
• Included ML-L3 remote control

DIWA Gold Medal Award

9. March 2005 - Digital Imaging Websites Association (DIWA), an international organisation of websites focusing on digital imaging, today announced that the Nikon COOLPIX 8800 has won a DIWA GOLD Award for its excellent performance. Last year, its predecessor - COOLPIX 8700 - received a DIWA Silver Award; today the Nikon COOLPIX 8800 is the proof of improvements and added features, and therefore a true DIWA Gold Award winner.

The advanced Megazoom Nikon COOLPIX 8800 has passed the rigorous DIWA tests with excellent results, with average scores well above the limit for overall excellence. The new Nikon COOLPIX 8800 is the flagship in the Coolpix range of high-performance digital cameras. 8 Megapixel image resolution and a high quality 10x Zoom-Nikkor lens are supported by an outstanding Vibration Reduction system to compensate for camera shake. Several reviews, based on the comprehensive DIWA testing procedure, confirmed that the Nikon COOLPIX 8800 is a considerable upgrade from its predecessor, the COOLPIX 8700, enough to climb to the highest level of DIWA quality ranking.

The Nikon COOLPIX 8800 delivers the performance it is built for; effortless capturing high quality professional images, at high speed if necessary, thanks to its five image buffer memory. The new D-Lighting exposure system proved its excellence in practical use and the newly added JPEG EXTRA mode preserves the camera's high image quality thanks to reduced compression rate. The overall averaged score concludes that the Nikon COOLPIX 8800 is a compact package filled with professional performance at an affordable price.

Physical Views

The Coolpix 8800 compared in size to a standard CD

Nikon's 8-megapixel duo for 2004, The Coolpix 8800 and the Coolpix 8400.

Coolpix 8800 Specifications