The machine is compact, lightweight and nearly 397 grams. Big controls, clear lines, clear notes. The body, although made of plastic but does not mean that it is broken or cheap. With a 2.7-inch LCD screen, the P80 offers a wide viewing angle and is not glare when used outdoors.
The Nikon P80 uses an 18x optical zoom lens (equivalent to a 27-486mm lens, f / 2.8-4.5 aperture) and should be considered one of the market’s top zoom cameras. Like the other super-zoom cameras, the Nikon P80 also supports auto exposure modes such as exposure, focus (manual focus, macro …), self-timer and flash (including red-eye reduction, Slow assimilation …), in addition to the manual mode completely.
To use other drivers the user can go to Menu to select. It is noteworthy that the ISO setting, in addition to the automatic selection of Auto, users can choose to set the ISO from the lowest 64 to the highest ISO 6,400 but note, ISO 3,200 and ISO 6400 for resolution. The picture is very low. Auto mode gives you three ISO ceilings to choose from: 64-100, 64-200, 64-400. Push it to 400 and the noise gets bad enough that you’re better off just capping it at 200 for a cleaner shot.
Focus modes include face priority, standard AF, manual, and center-point — on paper a decent spread, but none of them are particularly reliable in practice. Face priority mode does not provide the desired effect, the auto focus mode is too scrawny and manual settings only work when the user continuously shoots the same image. The focus mode of the center of the image and color reproduction is outdated, but is the most effective mode.
Although the super-room camera, in terms of performance, the P80 disappointed the user. The average takes 2.9 seconds of starting boot; 1.1 seconds for focus and shooting in low light environment. Under average conditions, a 1.4 second shutter speed is also not considered impressive. Plus, with a continuous shutter speed of 1.3 frames per second, it puts the P80 at the bottom of the list of high quality cameras.
Actually, with sluggish performance, users can not capture moving objects. Advice for those who want to find a camera to shoot sports competitions, children or animals is not recommended to use the P80.
Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black): Buy it now
However, this does not mean that the P80 does not have any strengths. The camera’s lenses are highly appreciated by professionals. Under medium-length shooting conditions (about 150 mm), the P80 is far superior to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18.
The zoom mode does not work very well – it usually shakes slightly when the user changes the length of the lens. However, this function is very responsive and Nikon’s optical image stabilization technology has proven to be a top class.
Long battery life also brings a plus for this camera. The P80 can capture up to 250 shots per charge. However, when compared to the 400-450 shots that Panasonic FZ18 or Canon PowerShot S5 IS, the usage time is still very modest.
In terms of image quality, the P80 has both strengths and weaknesses. The most prominent feature of the P80 is that it delivers true colors. Exposure mode works well, but in strong light conditions, blurring occurs. However, the print quality is better than the latest models such as the Canon Coolpix S600 or Canon Coolpix P5000 and even the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H10 super-room camera.
The P80 only records in a short time of 30 fps and its VGA resolution. The picture is very good, but there is a limit to the zoom range.
Among the 18x zoom cameras such as the Panasonic FZ18, the Olympus SP-560UZ or the Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd, the P80 is a bit more expensive. However, when shooting speed and cases have to high ISO, P80 is not a reasonable choice.
Performance
10.1MP CCD sensor, decent color and detail in good light. Push past ISO 800, though, and noise starts showing up, the processor does what it can, but higher ISOs get grainy fast.
The 18x zoom is really what this camera’s about — 27-486mm equivalent, wide enough for landscapes and reaching genuinely far for distant subjects. Sharp across most of the range, though it softens up a bit right at full zoom. Stabilization takes the edge off shake at long focal lengths or in low light, but if you really need it tack-sharp, a tripod still wins over hand-holding.
Autofocus is contrast-detection — fine for normal shooting, struggles with fast subjects or low light. Continuous shooting, though, can hit 15 fps, which is genuinely impressive and actually useful for action shots.
Full manual control’s here — aperture, shutter speed, ISO, plus the standard scene modes (Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, Sports) if you’d rather not think about it. Video’s VGA at 30fps, which was fine when this camera came out and looks pretty dated now, for casual clips, nothing more. Pop-up flash rounds things out, with Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, and Slow Sync options.
Against the Canon SX10 IS: Canon reaches further at 20x and edges out the P80 on high-ISO noise, but nothing touches that 15 fps burst — the SX10’s stuck at 1.5 fps, so if you’re shooting anything fast, this isn’t close.
The Panasonic FZ28’s roughly comparable, same 18x zoom, though its wider aperture gives it an edge in low light. It also shoots real HD video, which the P80 just can’t match with its VGA.
The zoom’s the real draw here, backed by manual controls that actually give you control, and a burst mode that’s fast for what this thing is. It’s noisy past ISO 800, the 2.7-inch screen all but disappears in sunlight, video never made it out of the VGA era, and autofocus folds the second something moves fast or the light gets low.
Solid bridge camera overall, especially if you care about reach and manual control more than screen size or video quality — just know the low-light performance and dated video are the trade-offs you’re accepting.
Related Posts
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.