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 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.

This is my third Nikon Coolpix camera, with my others being the 775 and 995. I am quite disappointed with this camera. The autofocus has so far given poor results. I frequently take photographs outdoors, and even scenic photos are not crisp when using the automatic or various scene or mode settings.

There are several annoying design flaws. The telephoto zoom rocker button is very sensitive. It is far too easy to go over the line into the digital zoom from the optical zoom. The button is too close to the top of the camera, and it's also easy to hit when you are pushing the shutter release. The knob used to focus the built-in viewfinder is tiny and hard to adjust; it is simply not possible to adjust it when your eye is actually up to the viewfinder. I miss the old split-body design that allowed you to adjust the angle of the screen. The screen on this camera is not sharp and viewing suffers from not being able to tilt it.

Menus, which I thought were pretty good and fairly easy to use in previous Coolpix cameras, are just as good on this model, perhaps a bit improved. Overall, though, I'm just not impressed with this model.

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.

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.

If you are looking for a easy to use, point and shoot camera with good optical zoom(8.3), this is the rigth camera for you. I bought last week and took some awesome picture just clicking it on auto mode without any adjustments. You can see my pictures at amazon.com. I used Nikon3200 ealier but this is better than that. I highly recommend this camera.

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 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 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.

If you're looking for a great digital camera, you found it. This Nikon takes amazing pictures. It's a 4 mega pixel,which takes great pictures by itself, but the HUGE selling point is the 8.3 optical zoom. You can get in super close and see every detail. I can't tell you enough what sharp, clear, pictures this camera takes. You don't have to be a pro. You can set it on automatic and let it do all the work for you. I also bought the camera bag with extra battery, something else i highly recommend. Read the manual, because there's so much this camera does, you'd be cheating yourself out of some great features if you didn't.

I absolutely love this camera. I would recommend a good case if you plan on using this as a daily "in your purse" type camera and the lense doesnt have very good protection (just some plastic shutters). This camera takes great pictures and does video as well. It is very user friendly and I would recommend it to anyone in the market for a new digital camera!!!!

I really like this camera. Amazon did everything they said they would. It was a great experience.

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 just received my camera 2 days ago and immediately I began to test it.

It is very nice and it feels very nice to hold.

I like that the zoom stops when it reaches the maximum of the optical zoom (if you keep pressed for 1 second it will go to the digital zoom).

The battery last for more than 200 shots which is not bad at all. It charges in less than 2 hours.

The quality of the pics is excellent.

Please read the manual so you can obtain professional photos.

I had a chance to work with this camera for 2 months. It has a lot of options and I tried most of them. Panorama shots are cool. Camera takes nice pictures. It is relatively heavier and bulkier. Battery not lasting that long is always issue with digital c. I recommend Powerex Battery with charger. The best and longest lasting batteries.
Huge number of megapixels lets you zoom in really close on computer. I took series picture of my cat as it was going to bite a hand and it was funny to look at facial expressions change in close zoom.
I like Canon slightly better, because it is more handy. But as salesman said this is choice like between two very similar cars, just made by different company. Perhaps.

One day recently I crawled out of my cave and discovered the world of digital photography. The Nikon Coolpix 4800 was just the thing to thaw out the dessicating corpse of an ageing Neanderthal. It came with the suitable wire connections to download directly into the computer and to the television and to recharge the battery, of course. You can dial in a variety of pre-programmed shooting settings which assist with composition, lighting and different weather conditions (snow and beach scenes, for example). Significantly, this camera takes video clips, which sets it apart from others in the same price range.

I have no complaints of battery life. Practically speaking, I've taken about one to two hundred pictures over a matter of a week, deleting the ones which were unsuitable and finding that most were better than acceptable. Others were terrific by a combination of reading the documentation, alchemy, and by the juxtaposition of the stars. I am beginning to be delusional now, believing I am a Richard Avedon or an Annie Liebowitz. I still have battery time left, about half of it, according to the meter inside the camera.

Of the pics less worthy, I was able to `doctor' them suitably with the included software. For all of that and more, I paid 200 bucks, and I'm very satisfied although I can hear people sniggering in the background about my low expectations. That would be true in my case-I had low expectations of digital photography in general, having heard the purists sniffing about the refinements of SLR and the great thrill of spending thousands of dollars for what this camera can do on the budget plan.

It has a humongous zoom for cameras of this type and that can account for some camera shake at the extreme telephoto end if you haven't got a steady gunhand or a tripod. I was surprised to find that it takes great macro shots, and hits several shots in a short space of time in the sports mode. On the whole it has been a great educational tool for me and I've brought it back to the cave where I've set up an altar to worship the Nikon Icon.

One may say many different things about this camera, according to one's tastes. You might want it smaller, larger, faster, made of titanium-you may even want it to blow you a kiss when you leave for work-but for a guy like me who has ruined miles of 35MM film to end up with results that look duller and more blurred than the cave paintings at Lascaux, this camera's just the thing.

Okay, so there's no use in extending the metaphor any longer. The moon is out and it's time for me to join my fellow Neanderthals for a hunt. I like the camera, plain and simple.

Moeursalen Dec 2005

I bought Nikon Coolpix 4800 digital camera about two weeks ago.

The most important feature I looked forward to was the 8.3x optical zoom. The picture quality has been great and the menu is easy to use. The camera body is very handy and user-friendly. The battery charges quickly and lasts long. The user manual is simple and easy to understand. Excellent video quality is an added bonus!

One improvement I would like to suggest to Nikon is making the lens cover more robust or providing an additional cap.

For users, using a tripod for full zoom is recommended.

All in all a great camera!

I bought this Nikon 4800 last month(NOV)for my trip to Disney. It took great outdoor pictures, inside some pictures turned out blurry. The battery life is very good. The in camera redeye reduction worked pretty well. The menu is very easy to navigate. My main reason for buying was the 8.3x zoom, it worked great. Overall I'm very pleased so far with the Nikon 4800.

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.

This camera works like a charm. You can change the pictures to black & white, sepia, and cyanotype (which makes the picture blue) This camera is just a lot of fun to use, and I've actually got some pro-quality images with am amateur camera! But even though it's 'amateur' and some of you wat to go more of the 'pro-way' I would suggest this camera first. I personally prefer SLR cameras, but this one was just too good. There are so many things you can do on this camera on all the modes, and everyone I know wants to get a camera like mine. My brother even got one! I highly suggest this camera to anyone wanting to get some good shots. THe only problem with it is that it's a bit slow. Sometimes it flashes numerous times, then finally takes a picture. However, there are a couple modes that allow you take take very quick picture, like within a second.

This is the camera that you should get. You may not be quite as happy as I am with any other camera!

My ownership of this camera was brief. First, you must know I love Nikon. I have 2 other Nikons--an old Cooplix 2200 and a Coolpix 5700. They have wonderful lenses and give great pix. I thought my experience with this model would be similar. NOT!~ From picture numero uno, the lens cover refused to completely open and cooperate. I got pictures, yes, but they had lazy black eyelids on each corner where the lens cover had not opened up to clear the lens. What a dissappointment! I traded it in for a Canon A520 and am happy with that camera. I suppose it is just what it is. If I'd saved and spent a lot more money on a D50 or Rebel, who knows? Anyway, that is my sad tale with the Nikon 4800.

I had a HP that took okay pictures but close-ups were blurry. I tried the Kodak Easy Share. The pictures were "okay" but it took a very long time to transfer them. Close ups were a little blurry.
Deceiding that Kodak was not a wise choice.It was then I recalled the best photos I have ever taken were with a Nikon Pictures that looked as good and some even better than
postcards. Seriously! I ventured out one more time to buy a digital camera I would try one more. Thankfully, Nikon stopped my camera blues. This camera has alot of great features. It works great on small items like jewelry. I am very happy with
the quality. Although it is a little bigger than the other two
digitals I bought, I do not mind. If you are not concerned with quality and want a camera that will fit in your pocket then buy HP or Kodak. Do you want Sharp vibrant pictures? If, yes.
Here is your answer.

I do a lot of hiking and was looking for something lighter weight than an SLR that would still allow me to take telephoto and macro shots. This camera is the smallest and lightest one I found that has a 8X or higher zoom. I have taken very sharp telephoto photos of wildlife and macro shots of flowers that people thought were taken with a high-end camera. This camera does well with conventional landscapes and indoor flash snapshots. The menu controls are very easy to use and there are enough presets for special situations to compensate for lack of manual controls. However, if you mostly take snapshots that do not require 8X zoom, I would look to other models. While, this is small for a long zoom camera, it is still too big to easily fit in a pocket or purse.

The primary flaws of this camera: It is only 4 megapixel. The delay in taking pictures is longer than many competitors. Occasionally the lens cap does not open completely (easily fixed if you notice it before snapping your picture).

I've played with this camera a few weeks now and the zoom is great. It has various scenes to choose from to help you take pictures in different settings, lighting, scenery, etc. and it works very nicely. I haven't installed the software, but loading pictures to my computer is very easy. The battery seems a little high maintenance, but its just a matter of not storing it inside the camera. Overall, its a nice, easy to use camera for snapshots for novices, and the extra zoom makes it all the better.

The picture quality is superb. The features are easy to use. Our first set of pics looked studio quality.