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17 Jan 2001
Nikon Coolpix 880 Review
by theVooner
I've had a few digital cameras, the last one being a 1.5 megapixel Fuji. I've
been waiting for improvements in resolution AND storage before I bought a new
one. The minute leaps in resolution from 1.5 megapixel to 2.1 megapixel were just
not exciting enough to warrant me buying a new camera. Finally, we have moved
into the 3.3 megapixel, and storage has increased to the point were a 128MB Compact
Flash card is readily available, and more importantly, affordable.
 I'm
also very anti-convergence when it comes to gadgets. A digital camera should
be a digital camera, not a poor resolution MP3/DV/Digital Camera/PDA/mobile
phone all-in-one gizmo. I like each device to do one thing and do it well. So
with that in mind, I wanted to buy a small, high-resolution digital camera that
takes GREAT pictures.
I know from owning several Nikon 35mm cameras that the Nikon brandname is a
good one. As a huge fan of Sony, I also knew I would lean in that direction.
I eliminated the Nikon 990 because while that would actually be my premier choice,
it was just too bulky and I wanted something small. On the flip side of that
is the Digital Ixus, which is really small, but just didn't measure up in terms
of resolution and picture quality.
My choice came down to the Nikon 880 and the Sony DSC-P1. After doing all my
homework, I chose the Nikon. The reason was two-fold: 1) the Nikon is supposed
to take slightly better photos, and 2) the Compact Flash has much better storage
capacity options than the Memory Stick. Even though I could plug the Memory
Stick directly into my Picturebook.
The USB connection on the 880 worked just as well for me. After using the Nikon
880, I know I made the right decision.
Form
 The
Nikon 880 is a nice, compact digital camera but it's not going to win any design
awards. It's bulkier than other models available today and isn't exactly the
best looking camera, but the size and appearance is acceptable considering its
features. I chose the silver colored model because the black one was just a
bit too dull. The plastic shell that makes up the body, while cheap in feel,
looks outstanding especially in the silver color. The screen is bright even
in daylight. All of the buttons are easily accessible and the camera is light
and feels highly durable. I also like the fact that I can easily operate the
camera with just one hand, a major factor for me, which is another reason I
did not choose the Nikon 990.
One irritating point is the "noise" the camera makes as it tries to focus.
The Nikon 880 makes a lot of "whizzing" sounds as it focuses -- a bit too conspicuous
in quiet environments.
Function
 The
most important element for me is the quality of the pictures. In that regard,
the Nikon 880 does an outstanding job compared to past digital cameras. Although
I never owned a 2 megapixel digital camera, the Nikon 880 takes excellent pictures
by my standards and from what I've seen. Sharpness, brightness, etc. are all
pretty good. In fact, I printed out one picture the other day and I like the
quality even better than I do my Contax APS camera. At the Fine Quality/Full
Image mode, I can squeeze 81 pictures onto a 128MB Compact Flash card - perfect
for a full day's use. I also bought the rechargeable battery, which is an absolute
must given that digital cameras eat-up batteries. I like the fact that the camera
can also fit a CR5 battery, which is readily available in most shops. That way,
if I run out of juice half way during the day, I can always just walk into almost
any photo shop and buy an extra battery (some of my older models did not support
this simple option).
Nikon has preset scene modes that are great to use. I like the fact that I
can easily switch to a landscape or indoor mode with a few clicks. The menus
are also very well laid out and quite intuitively easy to use. I was a little
distraught though when I went to install the software and the computer refused
to recognize the USB connection. Then I realized that I had to download
the USB drivers from the Nikon website in order for the USB connection to
be recognized (the software included is for the "serial" connection and the
updated software has to be downloaded). This was extra burden I would rather
have avoided, but maybe this was a problem only for the early Nikon 880 shipments.
I cannot sing enough praise for such a detailed, yet easy to use camera. It
can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be, and that perhaps is
its biggest selling point. There is an excellent, complete review of the Nikon
880 available here
that goes through all of its finer aspects.
Factor
 In
the end, the Nikon 880 is simply an outstanding digital camera that should last
me at least two more generations of digital photography. The only thing that
bugged me was that I had to dish out extra money for the rechargeable battery,
which in my opinion should have been included. Nevertheless, this is the new
ESSENTIAL product for digital photography
-- well at least for the next few months before the 4 and 5 megapixel cameras
hit the streets.
danchan's Second Opinion
Until Sony releases the pack-of-gum sized digital camera, I won't consider
any of the digital cameras currently available as truly "convenient"
-- even the Digital IXUS, which is tiny, is not small enough, and it weighs
a ton! For a secondary camera, I'd want something that fits on my keychain.
For a primary camera, I must have the best picture quality and
as many manual controls as possible. One caveat: I can't afford the Nikon
D1. I haven't done the research on this one, I don't know how the
880 stacks up against the Nikon
Coolpix 990 in these two areas (see www.dpreview.com
for the best digital camera reviews on the planet) but I do know that
the swivel lens of my Coolpix 950 - the older model that the 990
replaced - has been indispensible.
Since you don't have to hold the camera up to your face to see the LCD
screen, it makes weird angle shots easy (take pictures from ground level
or over the top of a crowd). And it also makes taking pictures less
obtrusive. So catching your subject in candid poses is more likely.
The Coolpix 990 comes with a better zoom lens and a tough magnesium alloy
body. The 990 also uses 4 AA batteries which are easily obtainable anywhere
in the world, even in the small jungle towns of Borneo! My pick, until
its successor comes out (probably sometime late spring 2001, hopefully
5 megapixels),
is the Nikon Coolpix 990. For me, the Nikon
Coolpix 880 reviewed here is just a WASTE
OF TIME.
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