Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix 4800 4MP Digital Camera with 8.3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First off, let me point out that John A. Wincek in an earlier review gave a misleading account of dpreview.com's review of the Coolpix 4800. Yes, the 4800's noise level at ISO 400 was higher than the Canon camera dpreview used for comparison, but not to the level of total trash as Wincek seemed to be implying. And dpreview points out that the 4800 uses less noise reduction than the competition (all digital cameras employ some kind of in-camera noise reduction algorithm to "filter out" noise.)

Ok, what really surpised me about the 4800 was how big it was. I mean, it still qualifies as a small point-and-shoot, but given how it looks like the Coolpix 3200 and 4200, I thought it was going to be sub-compact, but I was wrong. It's big enough that it won't fit in a pocket. The lens compartment protrudes. Together with the grip, the camera is quite deep at over 2 inches. This does give a good grip and you can use it in one hand -- it weighs about 11 oz. with the LiIon battery.

The 8.3x optical zoom is awesome. Its 35mm equivalent is 36-300. Because the 4800 doesn't have an image stabilizer -- a controversial feature among photo enthusiasts -- you MUST use a tripod or place the camera on a steady surface if you are to use the tele end of the zoom. At anything over 6x zoom, your handshakes will magnify many times and result in blurry photos, no matter how well lit the scene is. One problem with the 4800 is when you are beyond 6-7x zoom, focus feels slow and keeps flipping, which is very frustrating.

The all-plastic camera feels solid but the decision to use proprietary LiIon rather than AA disappointed me, as I have a good collection of AA NiMH batteries and older Coolpix models used such batteries. Battery life is respectable; I got over 100 shots mostly with flash and I zoomed in and out a lot. (I hate to say this, but "Camera buff" was probably lying about recharging every six pictures, unless he/she got a defective unit or didn't know what he/she was doing.)

The upshot is, if you want a power zoom in a small package, the 4800 is worth a look. On the other hand, its relative bulky size, so-so picture quality and the lack of a optical viewfinder (an electronic one doesn't cut it for me) make it less attractive to someone seeking a sleek, compact point-and-shoot. Its lack of controls over picture-taking makes it unsuitable for serious photographers.

I just love my Coolpix 4800. It is everything I'd hoped it would be. The 8.3X zoom and 1/2" close-up capability features are not ones that I use everyday, but it's nice to know they are there and I have used them many times in the 4 months I've owned it.

The coolpix 4800 takes great pictures. It is easy to use for a point and click person like my wife and has more special modes than I'll ever use. The size and weight are just right. Not so small and light that you might drop it and not so heavy that you get tired using it.

As an amateur genealogist, I appreciate the special "Copy" or document mode for taking pictures of book pages and documents in genealogical histories and libraries where flash is prohibited. I researched many digital cameras in the 3-4 mpix range before buying and know I got the right one.

If it has a negative, for me, it would be the proprietary EN-EL1 battery pack instead of AA's. However, I get very good life from the battery pack and I keep a spare standard 2CR5 Lithium battery handy which I pop in for a few shots whenever I need to recharge the EN-EL1.

I love our coolpix 4800 camera. It's very easy to use and the camera menus are easy to navigate. It takes excellent pictures in all the conditions I've used it for. This camera is a great combination of small size, yet powerful zoom. I haven't had a problem with pictures blurring when zoomed in all the way, which is a big plus! I'd highly recommend it. The cost is a deal, when you consider all the features!

I previously owned the Olympus c2100 - loved the macro and image stabilization. I could have purchased a camera with more mega pixels for less money, but the optical zoom was really important to me and Nikon is known for good optics. I purchased this digital camera because of the 4MP, automatic settings, and 8.3 optical zoom. I have been using it for the past couple of weeks and find it to be very versatile. The auto settings do a good job and the ability to over ride the auto works well. I purchased one of the faster 1GB SD cards as well as 2 extra rechargeable batteries. Even using the zoom and electronic through the lens viewfinder, the batteries have a much better life than the AA's in my previous camera. The two drawbacks are the lack of image stabilization and the lack of ability to view pictures already taken through the Electronic Viewfinder - viewing is only available via the LCD monitor which I find difficult for assessing picture quality in bright sunlight. Overall, if you are interested in a compact camera with better than average optical zoom with multiple extra features, I would recommend this as a good buy.

I bought this camera for four reasons:
1. I wanted a back-up camera for my Coolpix 8700.
2. I wanted the 8X optical zoom lens (like my 8700).
3. I wanted a Nikon for similarity of operating systems.
4. My wife wanted an easy-to-use camera she could carry in her purse.

After having taken a number of photographs with this camera, I am very pleased. It does everything I wanted it to do and more. The quality of the photographs is excellent (4MP), and it uses the same EN-EL1 battery as my 8700 (I have 5 of them).

My step-son took the camera out without any instructions a few evenings ago and came back with some great sunset photographs.

While the camera is not as small as the 3X optical zoom cameras, the camera is a good size and will fit in her purse. I prefer the larger size, because it's easier to hold steady while shooting.

In addition, the fully automatic mode is great for my wife, who is a digital photography novice, but wants to come with me and share my photographic excursions.

Having a common operating system with my 8700 (minus some advanced features) makes answering her questions easy, and makes changing settings for her both quick and effortless.

I would buy this camera again.

I'm a big Nikon SLR fan, and knew I eventually had to move into the "digital age." With this camera, I'm not sorry I did!

I knew I wanted something that had some features like an SLR without the price. The zoom on this camera is terrific - even better, in my opinion, than the Canon Rebel, which is a lot more money and considered a true digital SLR. The Nikon is relatively lightweight without being too compact, and I find its size perfect enough to feel more like a "real" camera than some of the smaller models. It also has a nice-sized viewing screen. You can either use the screen to take pictures or switch to the viewfinder, which is a nice option for when you want to take close-ups.

I also like how you can switch the ISO ratings from 50 to 400, much like an SLR. I picked this one because some of the others I looked at didn't go above 200 and this one does. In 4 mgp mode the camera also produces beautiful quality prints, in my opinion. I was stunned at how good they looked, just like film-quality.

I don't find the battery life a problem. Maybe if you're using the flash alot and/or have the pixels at their highest setting. Battery usually charges in about two hours, which isn't bad. I keep a backup point and shoot in my bag and have only had the battery die once, simply because I was in a hurry and refused to heed the warnings the display readout gives you. The camera shot pictures up until the bitter end and I wasn't disappointed.

Possible cons:

The movie mode is adequate, not the greatest - but then this camera is more about taking pictures than movies. I use it a lot for taking short clips of my son and then burning them to DVD.

Internal memory is a bit on the skimpy side but nothing a bigger memory card can't fix.

All in all, a great camera for the money.

I purchased this camera to replace my aging Olympus Camedia 2.1 megapixel (1999). I read every single review there is about the Coolpix 4800 and finally, after being convinced this was 'the' camera, I took the plunge and bought it. Well, I must say it was one of the most regretable decisions I've made. The camera, first of all, has the longest shutter button lag I've seen in any digital camera I've tested. You have to practically beg your subjects to stay still for an extra 3 seconds before the camera is 'decides' to save the pic--extremely annoying! If the subject moves even the slightest, the picture comes out blurred--this is a major problem with most Nikon cameras I read about. Second, the menu appearantly consist of a straight forward process, but it ends up being quite confusing once you actually start using it--the manual alone is over 100 pages long! Can anybody remember all the features after reading it once with the detailed explanations? The features also are extremely confusing and not turning results as the manufacturer claims. For example, if you use the "Party" mode instead of the regular "Night" shot while indoors during a reunion (at night), the results are quite frankly horrendous. On other occasions, even shooting outside during broad daylight produced extremely mediocre pictures--with whashed out or fake colors. Only a handful of the pictures I took (out of an excess of 500 both indoors and outdoors) turned out to be acceptable and even less what I would consider outstanding. Moreover, the 8x manual zoom did absolutely nothing for me. As soon as you zoom all the way in, the subject becomes so unstable that when you finally take the picture it comes out blurry, therefore losing the fine detail you're aiming at. In addition, the camera is bulky and the design awkward--it's really hard to find the right case for it. It appears to be really cool, but after the 50th time you take it out of it's tight case, it becomes annoying as well.
Finally, the QuickTime videos I took were also quite mediocre--unlike my Olympus Camedia with only 2.1 megapixels!
On a positive note, I did feel that the battery life was longer than most cameras and I liked the small size of the SD cards it takes. If you have a card reader, it saves you the hassle of using the USB and software accessories.
All in all, if you're looking for an easy to use point-and-shoot 4 megapixels digital camera, look at Kodak or Olympus and stay away from Nikon--at least from the Coolpix 4800.

I bought this camera before leaving the country. Now that I'm back and am looking at the pictures I took, I am amazed. The quality of the pictures is great, and the zoom works very well. There are almost no blurry images no matter how much zoom I used as long as I used the right setting, which was always easy to get to.

The only problems were that it is a little larger than most other cameras, and the battery life was less than expected. I made sure to buy a second battery, which was essential, and I also had the car charger. Whether at home or in the car, I could charge one battery while using the other. I found that if I left the battery in the camera, the battery would be dead in a few hours. We made sure to remove the battery when we were not about to take a picture and put it in the case, which had enough room for the battery and camera in the main compartment and a spare battery and spare memory card in the front compartment.

All in all, I am very pleased with the camera. I did not find the battery issue to be too bad, and I think the camera itself is worth the price. Hopefully someday digital cameras will be able to hold their charge for a longer time. Until then, I recommend this camera to anyone looking for a powerful zoom at a good price.

I bought it mostly for the optical zoom, I can't complain about this, it is very good optical zoom, good macro, EXCELLENT pics without flash, very sensitive ccd, even without tripod. Easy to use. I used it for 3 consecutive days with LCD ON all time without charching battery. Great to have internal memory in case you can't afford an additional memory. Only problem is that doesn't work as a webcam or as a live camera connected to a pc, for video capturing, :(. NIkon review this please.

I just bought this camera so this review might be changing in the near future.

What I love:

-8.3x optical zoom. Enough Said.

-Menu systems. They are pretty self explanitory, though reading the manual is helpful, especially if your not electronics saavy.

-Lightweight. It's lighter than my smaller Kodak digital camera.

-Macro Mode. My favorite feature. The macro mode is absolutely amazing. I love being able to photograph jewelry with much sucess along with insects and flowers. A great feature and that alone is well worth the money.

-The Price. I got a great deal on my camera at just 214.00 at a major retail store. I wanted something that I could take to sporting events without dragging around my heavy, professional SLR. I think I've found it.

-I like the way it feels. This might sound a little weird, but the camera fits well in my hands. It's comfortable to use.

What I don't like:

-Size. OKay, I'm not really that conserned with the size, mostly because I drag a Pro SLR almost everywhere I go, but it's a big downfall for this camera. Bigger and bulkier than most of the camera's in it's class. Not easily able to fit in pockets or purses.

-Software. I'm really not to fond of the picture project that came with the camera. I'm a big fan of the EasyShare (Kodak) software that came with my second digital camera. The layout for picture project just doesn't appeal to me.

-Slow transfer. It took forever it seemed like to transfer my pictures. I have a top of the line computer, so I know it's not my computer. Right before I transfered my Nikon pictures, I had transfered my Kodak pictures and they transfered much quicker.

-Rechargable Battery Pack and 2CR5 batteries. I don't really have any trouble with the battery life (I'm actually amazed at how GOOD it is) but I'm just not in to the rechargable packs. I like the AA battery type. They are easy to find both regular and rechargable. My real gripe is that this camera does take a throwaway battery: the 2CR5. They are expensive. They are hard to find. They don't last very long.