Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix 8700 8MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Nikon Coolpix 8700 is an upgrade of the 5700, using the same magnesium alloy chassis, with some significant changes. Of course, the biggest change is the the growth from 5 to 8 megapixels. On a practical level, this means that flawless 16x20 prints are now a reality for advanced amateur digital photo enthusiasts. I've heard a claim that 20x30" prints can be made from 8 MP cameras, but I have yet to try that large a print. Other changes are 1) A significantly better LCD that is both bigger and brighter, 2) A gorgeous viewfinder that is crisp and finely detailed (a real improvement here!), 3)Easier menus that ironically provide even more choices, 4) A focus assist light, 5) Optional composition assist lines that can be switched on and off, 6) A faster start-up time, and 7) A memo recording mode.

A niggling omission that I've wished Nikon would incorporate into their high end Coolpix's is a 35mm style manual focus ring. Why they don't do this I don't know, but can only suppose it's because the lens tube and elements are much more delicate than on a 35mm lens and they don't want people torquing on it.

The camera company where I bought the 8700 (in Porland, Oregon) recommended the Coolpix 8700 over the Sony, the Konica/Minolta A2 and the upcoming Canon Powershot Pro 1. Part of the reason was the full line of accessories, like the eminently useful vertical grip/battery pack. I recommend this and the filter adapter for anyone purchasing this camera.

The Nikon Coolpix 8700 is a great upgrade to an already terrific camera. Because I wanted to be able to print 16x20, I made the switch from the 5700. The other enhancements also make it worthwhile, albeit expensive, to make the upgrade.

This is the coolest thing I have ever owned. It is my precious (haha). I found it online for $762, and it is worth every penny. Can be operated simply enough for a point-and-shooter in the default auto mode (remove lens cap, turn from "off" to "on", aim, compose, fire). The high resolution captures incredible detail and the zoom range is amazing. Even without delving into the camera's vast array of creative controls, it produces images far superior to other cameras I have used. Complaints of complexity are ridiculous. This camera will serve you well if you never even bother to crack the manual.

If I could think of a photographic ability this camera lacks, I would list it. Master its features over time, and have fun in the meantime.

I recommend Lexar's 40x CF cards, as this baby generates pretty sizable files. Pick up an EH-53 AC Adapter as well (a whopping $17.99 here on Amazon--a steal!).

My 35mm SLR is getting very lonely....

I bought this camera as a replacement for 5700.

The good:

* Well built;
* Smallest 8MP camera on the market;
* Excellent image quality;
* Battery life has much improved vs. 5700 (although I would still buy a spare battery);

The bad:

* Steep learning curve;
* Autofocus is not great, especially in low light. New AF assist light didn't make much difference for me;
* Manual focus is very cumbersome to use;
* There is noticeable noise in images taken above ISO 100. (This is a new problem for 8700);

Overall, if you want 8MP in a small package, you can't beat this camera. I highly recommend it.

This is an excellent camera which takes photos as sharp as any 35mm slr. Besides this camera, I have a Nikon N90s and N70 35mm camera bodies and assorted Nikon lenses for these cameras. I also have a Pentax 6 X 7 medium format camera with three Pentax lenses. I graduated from the Navy Schools of Photography in Pensacola and became an official Navy photograper. Since that time (many moons ago!) I have kept up with the profession. I purchased the Coolpix 8700 two months ago and have been VERY satisfied with the results I get! The only imperfection I've noticed is that the lens has a moderate amount of what photographers call "barrel distortion" when used at the wider angle settings (straight lines curve very slightly away from center) The real down side... the shutter lag time is over one second from the time you press the shutter release button b4 the camera records the image. Digital is not the way to go for any sports type photography where timing is critical unless you are prepared to spend over $4,000 dollars for a digital slr pro body. I have not had any problems with the bluish cast a previous reviewer mentioned. Lens flare is all but non existant with the ED glass element Nikon uses in the lens. I do notice a very slight color shift to magenta when I load photos from Nikonviewer (software which comes with this camera) to Photoshop. When I print directly from Nikonviewer, OR print from Photoshop without changing the color balance, the colors are virtually perfect. I know that Nikon included a note with this camera which says to download the software update, which corrects color problems when converting raw files in nikonview. So that may be the problem with the results mentioned in the previous review. This camera feels good to hold. Overall an excellent camera!!!

This camera is the best camera in its price range, hands down.

I also have the 5700 (which is now my wife's camera), and this camera solves the several small issues I had with that model.

First, the resolution. At 8 megapixels, you can blow up the photos to an enourmous 20x30 inches. If you are going to shoot photos at the full resolution though, I recommend getting the largest CF card you can afford... Otherwise you will feel compelled to shoot at a lower resolution or crank up the compression, totally negating the benefit of having so many pixels.

Second, the lens. It has an excellent range for everyday shooting, and has the most incredible macro lens capability I have ever seen on a fixed lens photo. I have taken pictures of small bugs buzzing around and landing on flowers, from about 2 inches away, and they come out beautifully. My 5700 lens seemed to 'pincushin' the image a little bit, but I have not seen this with the 8700.

Third, the size. This is a nice compact camera. I *also* have a Nikon D100 with several lenses, but for routine travel, I use this camera just because it is so convenient to carry around.

Even though it is a 'fixed lens' camera, there are some add-ons for wide-angle and tele-photo... If you think you would regret getting a fixed lens over an SLR, these options may satisfy the urge to get 'just a little closer' or 'just a little bigger'.

In general, non-slr digital cameras have a slight delay between the clicking of the button and the snapping of the picture. For nature/landscape and posed photography this isn't a big deal... but for action shots, you have to be a little 'predictive' with your shooting finger. The 8700 is quicker than the 5700 in this regard.

If I have one complaint about this camera, it is the photos it takes in low-light. Low light photos are dim with low contrast, and the built-in flash does not look 'natural'. I really haven't found a camera that does low-light well though, and in general built-in flashes are never that great, so I can't hold that against this camera more than any other.

This is Nikon's upgrade from the excellent Coolpix 5700, and it is a truly excellent piece of engineering. If I were in the market for a digital SLR with a fixed-lens, this would easily be my choice. Cameras such as this one illustrate convincingly that film is all but dead for serious photographers. This camera's 8 megapixel resolution will produce stunning images that the user can view at once, without the hassle of the processing lab.

The 8X optical zoom lens on this camera seems excellent both for portrait shots, landscapes, and nature shots, and only professionals or very serious amateurs will miss the ability to switch between lenses. The pictures I took were sharp and bright. Make no mistake, this camera produces excellent images.

Finally, Nikon put an AF-assist on a prosumer-grade camera. This is a significant improvement over the excellent Coolpix 5700, the predecessor to this camera. The buffer is bigger too, allowing the user to take more shots before the camera has to write to the CF card.

With this camera, the photographer can take a large number of digital photographs, upload to one's personal computer, and either print out pro-grade prints with an inexpensive printer (OK, the ink cartridges aren't that cheap but the printers are) or email the photos to any of several processing labs, who will mail you your prints in a day or so. Or, you can do it the old-fashioned way, and take your images to a processing lab and download the images there for printing, similar to dropping off a roll of film in the old days. You can do this AFTER you pick only the pix you want to keep--one of digital's many and major advantages over film. Further, Nikon's Capture 4 program, or Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements gives us a "digital darkroom" that is more powerful than what pros can do in a $20,000 chemical film darkroom. With just a moderately powerful personal computer. The digital darkroom has truly arrived.

Ergonomically, I really like the size and layout of this camera. It is significantly smaller than the interchangeable-lens SLRs, although this is no pocket camera. It has a wonderful quality feel to it--the user knows immediately that this is a world-class precision instrument. I found the camera to be a joy to handle and use. The pictures are commensurate.

The main issue with this camera is one of choice and preference: do you spend the money for this camera, with its excellent fixed zoom lens, or do you opt for a full SLR digital camera such as Nikon's D70, D100, or other comparable cameras that allow one to use the full line of autofocus lenses. This camera costs almost as much as these semi-professional grade SLRs, so the buyer should think about this before buying.

This is an excellent upgrade over the superb Coolpix 5700 and users will enjoy taking excellent images with this precision instrument.

I've had this camera for about one year have taken more than 10,000 photographs with it. The reason I bought this camera was for the time lapse feature, what we'll do is take a picture every 30 seconds to one hour until your memory card is filled. Or you stop it. This feature alone is awesome. Combine that with an eight megapixel sensor 8X optical zoom, and you have a bad boy camera. One thing with the Nikon line is the metal bodies that just adds so much to the feel.

One recommendation is if you get this camera or a similar one get the Nikon battery add-on pack MB-E5700. It adds a better grip and feel to the camera. So have complained about low light, autofocus this is only a problem, If you're shooting an auto all the time. If you learn to control shutter speed and aperture you should have no problems in shooting in low light.

Nothing really negative to say about the camera I'm going to keep it for awhile, since it does take such great photographs. 8X optical is awesome.

Hey all this is your die hard Sony lover SinMin here...Well I can't lie I broke down and bought the 8700 on a whim, to be honest it looked like a really cool little camera (which it is) and the shots I took at work ( if your new as a second job I sell cameras) were pretty good considering conditions.First thing you notice about this little powerhouse is it is set up completely different from its counterparts of the same class, wich brings me to one of the reasons I gave it only 4 stars, this is a tough camera to use, by way of navigating the menus. Even a seasoned pro can easily find themselves lost! Even going thru the manual it will take you awhile to get a feel for the 8700 but once you do I can tell you the results are impressive!To start in a strange place the first thing I noticed is that compared to my beloved Sony F-828 the 8700 has much less ISO noise at 100 or 200, but it gets rather hairy at 400, however the pic's seemed to clean up better with the Nikon. Next that nice Nikon 8X zoom lens is sweet, it ain't a Ziess for sure but it is one of the better lenses I've used. Probably the biggest thing I love about this camera are the features. One thing I am always weary of (even on Sonys) are the so called scene modes, on the 8700 however they are deadbang on the money. I shot an incredible series of sunsets with the 8700's "sunset mode" and I swear the colors almost exploded out of the camera! And the "panorama mode" is too cool beyond words giving you the ability to create panoramic shots that are a full 360 degrees, and are all put together seamlessly with the included software! But the single reason why I initally bought the camera was for the "bulb" function. That is a setting which will allow you to to create long exsposures ranging from 30 seconds to an eternal 10 minutes!! WOW! I do alot of slow shutter photography so this feature alone made the 8700 a must try. Now- there are a few other things that kept me from giving the 8700 5 stars, such as the placement of the zoom and power controls, more than once right after I got it I went to zoom in on something and I shut the damn thing off!! The controls and thier placement in general turned me off, however if your stubborn (and I am) you'll get used to them, and fall in love with this camera depite everything. Again controls aside, once you can navagate the menus and buttons this is a powerhouse of a picture taker! If not for the things I mentioned picture and color wise I rate it almost as high as the F-828, the Sony squeaks ahead by just a hair (Love that 4 color CCD!) other than that it is a camera I would strongly reccomend, but only to someone with prior digital camera experience and a basic working knowledge of photgraphy. This is by no means a point and shoot camera, but if your a greenhorn and presistant this could be your baby. As for the battery Its not bad but it ain't great. If you gonna use that "blulb function at any length you better plug in the camera! The battery life is around 120-145 minutes to sony's 220-240. And the AC adapter is an extra you have to buy (BOO Nikon) A funny thing with this camera is the lens hood (another extra you'll have to buy) I believe in lens hoods but this thing is HUGE!!! I swear I laughed out loud when it ariived, but hey it works fine (even though it looks funny) and it makes a kickin stand for the camera in down time! The last thing and I could have overlooked everything else, my pet peeve about 8700 is the flash. While the flash works fine it is annoying beyond words! This is due to the fact that the AF light/sensor is located right next to it, so when you need AF but no flash the stupid thing pops up anyway! ARRRRRRRRGH!! The only way around it is to make sure the flash is set to off before you make your shot. When I bought the 8700 I also got a great deal on its succesor the 8800, I bought both and figured I'd return the one I liked least...I kept both! The 8700 is a tricky tempramental little power house, if you give yourself the time to feel it out you will love it but like my baby the 828 the 8700 will make you work for those good shots, and bleed for the great ones. Check out the 8800 (and my review) I also reccomend the Sony F-828 and even though it has far less zoom ability the Sony DSC-V3. The 8700 is compact but can hold its own with the best of them! Could this be love!? Happy shooting and thanks for reading!

This camera is well made and capable of creating very high quality images, if you take the time to learn to use it. Some of its functions are less than intuitive, but it will reward your time spent with the manual with professional quality images. In particular, the metering, white balance and macro capabilities are pro-quality. However, due to shutter lag, this isn't a good choice for shooting sports. The 8 megapixel resolution lets you make 13X19 inch prints or larger that are photo quality. Using a tripod will also pay off with razor sharp close ups and excellent color saturation. This is a wonderful camera for portraits, scenics, and especially close up shots,where the fold out, tilting LCD screen really can be helpful in getting unique angles on your subject. This camera also allows you to use many of Nikons Speedlights (electronic flashes) to get the light on your subject when it is too far for the built in flash. This is a very flexible and capable machine. I do recommend getting a second battery and the lens hood to eliminate lens flare under most conditions. I highly recommend this camera to those who choose not to go with a digital SLR. It is the next best thing and it is MUCH more portable and flexible.

I upgraded from the Coolpix 5700 in order to take pix in low light situations, something the 5700 completely fails at. Surprise! This is a wholly new camera, though it shares the same body as the 5700. New firmware [ver. 1.2] means everything is much faster, battery life is longer, plus resolution is higher, LCD is brighter, etc. The AF assist light is wonderful, as is the close-up capability. Image quality and color is simply amazing! You'll need several batteries, a charger, and BIG Compact Flash cards [at least 512 meg].

Every October 1st Nikon updates their line [the newest version is the Coolpix 8800 with even more zoom and also an image stabilizer], so the 8700 is a TERRIFIC buy now. I own three Nikon 35mm cameras, two Canons, a Pentax 6 x 7 mid-format, a Coolpix 5700 and the 8700. Soon I will own only the Pentax and the 8700; both are ENORMOUSLY capable cameras, with the Pentax yielding incredible color transparencies and the Nikon 8700 extraordinary prints.

Like the 5700 the controls on the 8700 are multi-layered and a lot of study of the poorly-written manual is required, but study pays. The range of capabilities is stunning, but the menus are complex. There's little this tough, handy camera doesn't do extremely well. This is one TERRIFIC camera!