I've owned 9 or ten point and shut digital cameras including the best so fare the SONY F828 . So , I will say this without trying to tare down Nikon's reputation.In quality of photos it is very comparable to the best , but my gohss !!! what happened to quiet smooth auto zooming with this Nikon 8800 ? Terribly noisy and very slow.Next problem I had was almost immediate ; The micro-drive fits in very tight and the Flash card latch will not close properly and completely if I want it to use my micro drive with the Nikon 8800.It would also not transfer the photos and froze up my computer on the transfer attempt !!And I do own a very good computer, so it couldn't be my computer. And again I can only compare it to Sony F828 I own right now. In all ferness to Nikon ,they made great cameras in the past and they have a lot of other good ones out there today,So in final I would not recommend this one to some body woe wants a precision instrument, and a digital camera of this price range , should be just that !

Hi there SinMin Here again! I'm going to assume you've just come over from the 8700 page, if you haven't you may want to check it out and compare my reviews on the 8700 & 8800. Okay. Now as I've said before when it comes to digital cameras the absolute love of my life has been the Sony F-828, I say has been because I now have a mistress called the 8800! So for the sake of argument I'm going to compare the 8800 to the 8700 and the 828. Lens: while quality goes to the Sony zoom and function go to the 8800 hands down, the 8700 has nice range but the 8800 is plain fantastic. VF mode: the process by wich the camera compensates for hand movement at slower shutter speeds resulting in great ambient light photography (I tend to hate flashes!) POW!! 828 and the 8700 blown right out of the water here!Not to mention the 8800 has retained all of the great Nikon scene modes (Including that Panorama thing), My beloved "Bulb" Function, Time lapse function(also available on the 8700), and the ability to correct your exposure after you take your shot right in the camera! Again ouch goes Sony! Controls: Sanity at last!! Nikon took the hint and gave the 8800 a familiar control interface which makes this camera 110% more user friendly than the 8700. ISO noise: Its no secret that high ISO numbers and digital cameras equal noise but I noticed a slight improvement with this on the 8800 over 8700, much more so than on the 828.And as I said before maybe it's me but the Nikon images seem to clean up better than my Sony shots tend to.Nikon also corrected my pet peeve about the 8700 by putting AF sensor OUTSIDE of the flash housing(thank You). Other pros: I(at least) noticed quite a bit of image improvement over the 8700 And I thought the 8700 shots were great, the 8800 was a bit better (Probably due to the VR feature) Another means the 8800 surpasses its little brother and the sony is the variation in image formats it can capture. Besides RAW and Tiff, the 8800 can capture 4 degrees of JPG files, (Basic, Normal, Fine and Extra which captures images at 1-2 compression) Get out yer gig card boys! Over all picture quality just barely goes to the 828 (that CCD is hard to beat)Dual memory capability, and overall design are all pro's in the 828's favor. But on virtually every other front the 8800 either matches or beats the Sony.And while the 8800 is a difinitive replacement for the 8700 they remain cameras with two different personalities (thats why I own and love both!)Other improvements over 8700: aside from the much needed improvements in design as well as zoom capability, it seems as though the 8800 shutter to apature function is a little tighter than the 8700, in other words my settings seemed to work better on the 8800. Now for the drawbacks, first off know one thing... this is a freaking HUGE!! camera!!! Only the 828 is longer and heavier (for me this is not a bad thing, but for some of you it will be) Speed as with the 8700, the 8800 just does not have speed (this is another area where the 828 wins out) either in start up or general picture function, this is strange considering the speed demon Nikon makes that goes by the name D-70! Noisy lens: I was told that the unusually loud noise the lens makes when you pull back focus or shut down the camera is normal by Nikon's customer service department, but I think it was excessive and should be something for correction on the next model (just a thought). These things aside, when you factor in all the goodies packed into this monster I can say this- "I now have 2 right hand cameras." As I mentioned using the 8700 I shot a series of sunset photos using the "sunset" scene mode, I did the same with 8800 (same shoot in fact) and if you can believe it the shots were even better (I love that zoom with VR!) And as far as low light photography (long exposure) I have used few better.With my low light work even at a realatively high ISO, the shots were crisp and sharp.The biggest plus is that unlike the 8700 and in some ways the 828 the 8800 is easy to navigate and use most photographers will be able to get a great shot right out of the box, and that definitely will not happen with the 8700 or 828! Battery life: again this one goes to Sony, the first time I used my 8800 I killed the battery (doing long exposures) so I need to buy yet another AC adapter - the one for 8700 won't work! (what is it with Nikon and included accessories anyway?) Heres a pet peeve for you the 8700 & 8800 use completely different USB cables, AC Adapters (sold seperately), Batteries and chargers. as well as the most confusing array of exstension lenses and adapter tubes imaginable! Whats up with that? And yes I bought the lens hood for the 8800, and unlike the 8700 this one looks nice and normal (A flower hood to be exact) Conclusion: If your ready to step up (and I mean Up) to a pro quality camera, If you want to own and shoot with a piece of digital history this is your camera. For the novice looking to move on up, the 8800 is currently your only and best option, while I love the 828 as well as the 8700 they are fussy complicated cameras, the 8800 is not. even tho it is as powerful as the other 2 (more so in some cases)! This is the only camera I have found to date that I would reccomend as highly as the F-828. How should you decide? that depends on the type of photographer you are.(read my reviews and decide) The 8800 is by no means a toy, believe me it is very much a advanced photographic tool, just a little more user friendly. Bravo to Nikon! Sorry to Sony! I guess I just have to learn to shoot with two cameras...two very BIG cameras..WHEW! Well I hope this has helped, until next time Happy Shooting!

I own three 8 mp digicams--the Nikon 8800, the Minolta A2, and the Olympus 8080. My Minolta sees use mainly in sports situations where its manual lens and fast focus are great assets, and I'm less concerned about sharpness. The 8080, in good light, takes the sharpest and cleanest pictures. The 8800, however, is the camera I carry with me most days, because of its versatility and the great images it is capable of producing. For me, the 8800's greatest two "flaws" are slow speed and high noise in dim light. It is relatively slow to focus, especially at long zoom lengths, if you do not pre-focus. It is slow to record, especially if you shoot a series of images. Noise becomes clearly present in low light images shot at ISO 200, and the noise at ISO 400 is, to me, intolerable. Noise can be discernable at ISO 100 if the light isn't good. The lens is slow at long zoom. In good conditions, however, the 8800 takes beautiful pictures that can be blown up to 8-1/2 X 11 and larger with breathtaking detail. I've been amazed at the clarity of pictures the camera will produce at maximum zoom. In more challenging light situations, the camera generally does at least as well as the other digicams I've used. Colors are usually accurate and vibrant, and the 8800 can capture up to five images in a quick series. If I don't know what I will be shooting and want to cover a lot of possibilities, the 8800 is my carry choice. It's compact and durable. It offers huge zoom length, great resolution, and good macro capability. It's easy to use, once you get familiar with it. It's image stabilization works, allowing for many great shots without a tripod. From the four months that I've used my 8800, there are dozens of shots that I've magnified to huge size on my laptop and just had to say, "Wow, that's a great camera!" In the right conditions, this camera can really deliver.

An excellent camera... much better than the (very good) Nikon 995 which I previously owned primarily because of the VR. The VR makes it ideal for both macro and telephoto hand held abailable light shots. I recommend at least a one gig card and an extra battery. With 10x optical plus 4x digital great distance shots are possible. The camera is slow to focus in some cases, but I didnt find this a serious problem.

I purchased a Coolpix 8800 two weeks, ago. It is already in the shop. The cable to transfer pictures to the computer doesn't fit securely to the camera. I needed three hands to hold it to the camera and to manipulate the mouse at the same time. Sometimes it would stop transmitting and go back to the picture-taking mode, anyway. The connection is a bit of a bother because it goes in at an angle, rather than straight in like my HP850. I am going to take the advise of another reviewer and use a card reader, instead, when the camera is returned.
I have also encountered the focusing problems that other reviewers have discussed. The camera focus often hunts when there is only one item in the picture - such as a bird on water. When there are lots of things in the picture, like a bird in the middle of tree limbs, it gets worse. When using the telephoto to take pictures of moving birds and animals (my intended pastime), most of the pictures were completely out of focus. I felt lucky to get one decent picture out of ten. I was sold by the promise of VR, but it hasn't helped that I can tell. I haven't used the costly, added zoom lens that I purchased, yet.
I can hand-hold my non-VR HP 850, which I have used for more than two years, at full 8 power zoom and more than 90 percent of the pictures are just fine. The HP 850 also accurately selects what I intend to shoot in a maze, such as a catbird hiding in a mass of dark underbrush.
The Coolpix 8800's outdoor, non-telephoto pictures have a higher rate of success, but there are still some out of focus pictures. I never experience this on my HP 850. I have even experienced some out focus pictures while using a flash.
The picture quality of the 8MP Coolpix 8800 is better (reason for the 2-star rating) than the 4MP HP 850 when cropped or magnified, but there's not a whole lot of difference if the pictures are to be watched on computer or TV.
I feel I should have done more research before purchasing the Coolpix 8800, and I would advise others to do that, or maybe rent one like another reviewer suggested. I hope additional experience with the camera will help, but at the present time I am worried that I may have purchased a costly "pig in a poke".

IF YOU ARE READY TO STEP UP TO A SEMI PRO TYPE CAMERA, AND YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH THE USUAL 3-5 MEGAPIXEL TYPE MICKEY MOUSE CAMERAS......AND YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY A TOP SHELF CAMERA THAT WILL LAST YOU A NUMBER OF YEARS..THIS IS THE CAMERA FOR YOU......
THE PHOTOS THIS CAMERA TAKES ARE NOTHING SHORT OF BREATHTAKING
THE 10X ZOOM AND THE NON SHAKE FEATURE , THE NIKON OPTICS, ARE THE FINEST ON THE MARKET, NIKON MAKES THERE OWN GLASS FOR ONE.......AND THATS SOMETHING THE OTHER WANT TO BE"S DO NOT.........
BUY THIS HIGH QUALITY CAMERA, READ THE MANUAL, AND THEN REREAD IT AGAIN.FIMULURISE YOURSELF WITH ALL THE FEATURES AND BENIFITS OF THIS FINE PIECE, AND BE PREPARED TO BE OVERWELMED

Abysmal bit of engineering. I returned the first one because I thought it must be defective. No camera at this price could have bad focusing and snail-like write times and lag, right? Wrong! This camera has a sharp lens, but do your homework. It's a VERY slow chunk of glass and the contrast based AF module ruins shot after shot. Lag and write times mean you can't catch a special moment unless everyone agrees on a time and place for it. It's almost funny, unless you can't get your money back. You could make all kinds of excuses for this dog if it cost 279.00, but it's current price of close to 700 dollars just buy a DSLR. Cameras are about being able to shoot focused shots when you hit the shutter button, without DELAY. The 8800 is incapable of that by a long mile.

This is a fabulous camera! I love the point and shoot mode plus all the many, many other functions for when I want to use them. The only problem is the lag-time from taking the picture to getting it on the memory card. However, the good folks at Nikonusa tell me an 80X digital memory card will help this. Also there are adjustments on the camera that allow for fast shots. I have only touched the surface of all these.

The best non DSLR camera I have seen. I have taken 1000's of pictures with this magnificient camera and everything has come out very nicely. A great outdoor/indoor camera. 10X optical zoom delivers razor sharp images with the highest detail even at the full zoom. VR works well to compensate camera movements. Produces life like images in any shooting condition. LCD and viewfinder are good too. Almost full manual control over everything. Menus are easy to follow and works well. In camera editing is a good tool to adjust contrast and sharpness. Eliminates red eye also. Smaller copies of pictures can be created within the camera and this is very useful if you are planning to e- mail your pictures because you dont need to resize the images once you have downloaded the images to your computer. Battery is powerful but better to have an extra one. Needs high speed CF cards like Sandisk Ultra II or Extreme 3. TIFF and RAW images are out of this world but takes up lot of writing time and space. Startup time is around 3 seconds but camera has power saving stand by mode which is very effective. This camera is made out of high quality materials meant to last. The look and the feel of this camera is awesome. Another great camera from Nikon for serious photographers.

I own both the 8800 and 8400. The cameras are identical except for the zoom and the image stabalization on the 8800. If you shoot mostly landscapes, get the 8400, the wide angle on it is the best around.
THIS IS NOT A POINT AND SHOOT CAMERA.
Don't expect to zoom to 10x and take a good picture in anything less than bright light. You will need some support, ideally a tripod. This isn't a problem with the camera, it is basic physics. No other camera is this category will do any better. The image stabalization helps, but will not fix everything. Make sure your expectations are reasonable and this camera will exceed those expectations. You will be unhappy if you think you can use this or any 8x, 10x+ camera handheld in any light or zoom length.
You'll get great images with either the Extra or Fine mode (jpg).
Stay away from the Hi (Tif format), there is no benefit and it takes forever to save. The resulting file is huge.
RAW is excellent, but slow to save. You can put it in burst mode and take several images while it is saving.
There is no CF card included with the camera. Get at least a 12x or better CF card. The Sandisk Ultra or equivelant work very well. You'll want a 512 or better if shooting at the largest images size and quality. A 512 will hold about 67 images at 2592 x 1944 in Extra, 45 at RAW and 124 at Fine. I'd recommend two 512 cards rather than one 1GB. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Use a card reader, don't plug the camera into the computer, it is an accident waiting to happen if you catch the cord on something.
That being said, you'll be amazed at the quality of the images this camera can take as well as the flexibility. You'd have to have a handful of lenses to achieve what this camera can do.
It is not pocket sized (unless you have large pockets).
You can buy Nikon filters or get an adapter and put any filter on it.
The batteries last forever on a charge, but get an extra one for a full day of shooting.
A lens hood is a useful accessory.
Both the 8400 and 8800 are IR capable with a Hoya R27 filter.
Check the Nikon Talk forum at (...) or the Nikon 8mp forum on Yahoo for more information on these cameras.

I've had the CoolPix 8800 for about 2 months. It is a remarkable alternative to more expensive digital SLR cameras. My first priority was to buy a camera that had RAW (Nikon NEF) file format capabilities. The 8800's 8-megapixel RAW images are 12 MB files. Even with a 50X CompactFlash memory card, individual files can take as long as 10 seconds to write/save. And while the file is saving, you can't adjust settings such as shutter speed or exposure. It can be a very frustrating wait.

I'll keep trying various high-speed cards, hoping I can get better results, and update this review if I find "the perfect card." (NOTE: Write times are much faster using the multiple JPG or TIFF formats. But if you're not going to use RAW, there are less expensive alternative cameras to consider.)

I would still buy this camera over anything else available when I purchased it. The 10X zoom with VR image stabilization is unbeatable!

I have owned this camera since March of '05, so I've had time to use it under a variety of conditions. As of today, I have shot just under 4,000 shots with favorably mixed results.

The best photos are great, with good color saturation, sharpness and overall quality.

I shoot at low compression JPEG, "Extra Image Quality," 8MB file-size, which translates to a usually selected ASA equivalent of 50. Even with "Vibration Reduction," I use support most of the time. Normally, I either shoot in Program mode, varying exposure compensation and bracketing a lot. Almost as frequently, I shoot with Aperture Prograqm to control depth of field, also bracketing. After some experimentation, I found that most of the other bells and whistles are of limited use, at best.

I almost never use the built-in flash unit, whach, as with all built-in flash units, destroys image quality. As an experimant, I also purchased an SB600, which works well mounted on camera, but drains the camera batteries after a few shots with the recommended remote cord. I can compensate by triggering it on-camera, in Aperture Mode, set to way underexpose and using my SB-26 flashes as slaves at the correct exposure. This leads to some major experimentation and some frustration.

The L-Ion battery included with the camera is too weak for anything other than backup. I had to purchase an MB-CP1 battery base so I could use easily replaceable NIMH batteries. The base also adds balance and vertical shooting and zooming capabilities, similar to the units my Nikon film cameras use. However, it is not very surdy by other MB standards. Both jeweler's screws which held the tripod mount broke, and I had to super glue it back in the field.

I have a website: [...] which is devoted to fine nature and wildlife photography and I always try to make my work the best possible. This camera has been a useful, but a very flawed addition to my equipment.

It was intended to replace a heavy field-pack at times, and it does, to some extent, under good conditions.

My hope was that high-quality imagery in a purely digital mode would compensate for scratched film, high processing costs, and time consumptive scanning with film cameras. This is the only catagory where I would give it five stars. Productivity is really up.

The camera has too many bogus "program modes," a completely bogus built-in flash, semi-bogus LCD-viewing, although the multi-position screen has come in as a useful appendage at times.

The autfocus is often frustrating. The Normal, Distant and Near-focus switch, which is useful, is postioned in a really bad place where it often gets changed from pressure of the left hand, which can destroy photos without your realizing that it has changed. I lost a whole series of shots of a snowshoe hare in a snow storm because the LCD viewfinder wasn't detailed enough to show me the focus had shifted to near-only.

If I carry my whole kit, including the camera, motor base, lens hood HN-CP14, SB600, extra batteries, compact flash cards and filters, my field pack is only 10 lbs or less heavier. Of course, there is always a very sturdy tripod.

In general, this is a camera which is capable of taking some awesome photos under the right conditions. It has some really decent features, but many superfluous, unneeded, time-wasting and generally silly features.

It will become the "grab-camera" that I keep in my trunk very soon. I will be replacing it with a true DSLR that works with my normal lenses, although my field pack will get heavier again.

First, I love many things about this camera, most of them are mentioned in other reviews here, so I won't repeat too many of them. I especially appreciate the vibration reduction. It's tough to go from this camera to another one and deal with a shaky zoom. But that's what I'm doing now because:

Bad: For the second time in less than a year, my camera's in the shop (under warranty) being fixed because, out of the blue, a "lens error" stopped all functions on my camera. Last time, I had the camera for less than two months when this happened. I just turned off my camera and heard "click, grind, click," and "lens error" appeared on the viewer and completely disabled the camera. Last time it took more than a month to get back the camera from Nikon. Also, Nikon isn't too quick on supplying items. I had to wait three months to get my lens filter.

The Coolpix 8800, like many other digital cameras, doesn't have the immediacy of a film camera. So it takes a fraction of a second to actually take the photo after I push the button. In the world of pictures, that fraction of a second is important. Also, the recycle rate on this camera is slow. I often miss a second shot because the information takes too long to save to the memory card. These two problems are significant in capturing moments ranging from kids' birthdays to wildlife coverage to sports moments.

The menu isn't the easiest I've encountered. It can be difficult to navigate. I'm not a novice, but I do like user-friendly equipment.

Good: This camera has taken some of the most beautiful photos in my portfolio. I've even blown up some to print on 11x17 printer paper, and they're still gorgeous.

I love SLRs, and this has that very comfortable, familiar feeling. I had to relearn photography styles for my point-and-shoot digital camera, not so for this one, where I can take much of my SLR style and apply it here -- like panning and metering.

I like the movable view screen. I can hold up the camera above my head, but tilt the screen and still see the picture.

The video option is great, but I wish it had unlimited video time.

If you purchase this, buy an extra battery. I initially bought 512 MB cards, which turn out to be about the equivalent of rolls of 36 picture film. If you're serious about photography, buy the 1 GB cards. Also, consider purchasing a seperate flash and flash battery for more light.

I've owned the 5700, then the 8700, and now the 8800. I've also owned a half-dozen high-level 35 mm film cameras over the years, beginning with the Nikon S2 in the 1950s ^|^. The 8800 is a fine upgrade and the 10X zoom and VR is FABULOUS! I do a lot of macro work, and tripods are not really always necessary these new days.

Best of all is the image quality: vibrant, plenty of "snap," and when recorded at 8Fine Jpeg, easily enlargeable/croppable to really big prints, with resolution to spare. AF works well, controls are more logically placed than its predecessors, still with far more bells and whistles than I'll ever use but they're not in the way. One TERRIFIC digicam. Complaints: ALL accessories are unique and available only at great price from Nikon. Bah!

I bought this camera few months after it came out. I like the features that it has. The Remote, the stabilization, the zoom.
Why, you ask I give this camera a 3 star?
well, first of all, I took many pictures with normal light. The results aren't as great as Nikon advertised. During my first use, I had pictures that for some odd reason gave ppl black lips. No, I know for sure that they weren't wearing any lipstick.
I asked Nikon support for this anomaly, they still haven't gotten back to me. I just updated the firmware today. Hopefully this makes a difference in normal picture taking situations. The lip color for some pictures is a mystery. I haven't seen this problem much lately. Maybe I don't take in door pictures as much.
The Remote, it doesn't work well either. It seems to work when it wants to work.
I do like Nikon's softwares that accompanies this camera.

I've sold Nikon cameras for 4 years. I've owned the Nikon N60 and N65 35mm SLR film cameras and a Nikon Coolpix 4300 digital camera. I am now down to one camera, the Nikon Coolpix 8800.

I bought the 8800 because of the 10x optical zoom (35mm-350mm) and because of the vibration reduction. I've owned it for about a year. I like the vibration reduction the best because I like to travel light and don't like to bring a tripod or monopod with me and I'm not the steadiest hand in photography. In lowlight conditions, some kind of support is definitely needed though.

The zoom is absolutely amazing. I have used it on many occasions with outstanding results. I think Nikon is right on track to offer this kind of zoom with the vibration reduction.

I am very happy with the picture quality although I haven't made any prints larger than 12x18 yet. I've noticed that the 8800 picks up on subtle coloring and detail very well.

I also like the flip out LCD monitor. It's a great feature because of the different angles you can turn the monitor to help you get your shot and because you can clip it into the back of the camera so it's stationary. It's also nice because when your not using the camera it can be clipped back into the camera with the LCD facing in so it doesn't get damaged.

I do wish this camera was the same size as the 8700 because that camera fit into my hands a little better. There are many more features to this camera that I didn't mention, but, I thought it would be helpful if I just pointed out my favorites. Overall, I highly recommend this camera to those who want more than a point and shoot camera, a large non-interchangeable zoom lens with vibration reduction and more versatility than your everyday camera.

I was down in Antarctica when I turned on the camera and it said "lens error". After a day of missing some of the best pictures of Emperor Penguins with my 8800, I twisted the lens and got it to work. The same thing happened to me in Bolivia, just after the warranty expired. I called Nikon and they insist there is no problem with the camera. Do a Google search of "lens error" and Nikon 8800 and you will find lots of unhappy people with the same experience. This is my third and last Nikon.

I won't repeat all the stuff in the other reviews. Let me just say that I bought this camera to replace the D100, a fine Nikon DSLR. I was tired of the "lens fever" that is never ending. Also, the bulk and weight of all the equipment was tiring.

The 8800 has some lag, just like all non-slr cameras. But, I've learned to live with it. I just pace myself. The continuous shooting modes give you ample opportunity to shoot action sports.

The quality of the pictures is awesome. The zoom lens gives me all that I had with my 5 pound lens.

Speed isn't everything and maybe this camera isn't for everyone, but it's meeting my needs. I'm not going back to my DSLR.

Again, I too will try not to duplicate the efforts of other reviews.

I am not a pro, but I am a pretty advanced user, and this at least my 6th digital camera (I used to work in the industry so it was easy to get them; I didn't have a whole bunch break on me). I bought it because I wanted a great camera for hobby shooting but didn't want to have to deal with separate lenses. This is not a "first-digital-camera"; it's better suited for people who are pretty familiar with digital cameras and are looking for a camera that can be grown into.

You can choose the "point-and-shoot" option or any of several manual options. If you wish to employ the manual controls, the camera DOES take practice. There are a lot of bells and whistles, as someone else mentioned, and I would highly recommend reading the instruction manual and experimenting with it before you take it on a big vacation (and bring the manual too).

The image quality is fantastic, even when you are maxing out the zoom. I take my pictures at 8MP and "fine" quality; anything larger is just overkill unless you're printing 20"x30" prints. The Nikon has the in-camera option of creating a compressed copy of any picture you take (for e-mailing, etc.).

I use the Macro feature a lot, and I took a picture of a caterpillar on a plant and even at a 4x6 print size, I could see the hair folicles on its feet.

I also appreciate the Vibration Reduction feature (which you can turn off) and the flip-out LCD screen. Before I purchased it, I looked at the Canon 6MP Digital Rebel (which felt too big in my hands) and the Sony 8MP (which, like most Sony items, is of good quality but pricey). I ultimately decided on the Nikon because it felt comfortable in my hands, had a good reputation, and had high resolution and a flip-out screen.

There is lag time, as there is with any digital camera. I don't notice that it's any better or worse than other digital cameras I've used. If you want no-lag, you need to look at the D-70 or another digital SLR.

The battery life is really very good, as far as digital cameras go, and the battery doesn't add much weight to the camera. If you are going on vacation or spend a while getting your pictures "just right" before you take them, buy an extra battery--you won't regret it.

I started using the SanDisk Ultra II 1GB CF card and since have not run out of memory during an outting.

If you decide you want to go with the 8800, here are some accessories you may want to consider:

Spare battery (EN-EL7)
Lens Hood (HN-CP14)
Nikon Lens Pen (removes dust from body and lens)
1.0GB CF card
Lowepro Rezo 140 AW camera bag which holds EVERYTHING mentioned here with room to spare

I have had my Nikon for over a year now, and I have not experienced any lens error problems (or otherwise) so far. I'm sorry that people have had trouble with it because it's really an excellent camera and I haven't once regretted purchasing mine. In a heartbeat, I would buy this camera again.

My Coolpix 8800 with the image stabilization and zoom is a real pleasure to use. I just wish somebody had pointed one thing out to me. When I finally got my computer upgraded to handle large files, and tried some camera raw files, the Nikon PictureProject reported the raw (.nef) file was un supported.

When I went to the Nikon web site which listed an update to process raw files, it asked for my camera serial number. It then rejected the number with a message that I might have a camera that wasn't a Nikon US camera, and cancelled the download.

I'm not sure how this could be avoided, but recommend that any purchaser of a Nikon camera register it immediately while they can send it back for a refund if it doesn't meet Nikon US requirements. I still like the Nikon cameras and lenses, but I will point out this problem to anyone asking how I like my camera.

The camera has really amazing features. But it also has an outrageously major focus weekness. I made a mistake of buying one.

I loved this camera but I have had to send it back 3 times for the infamous "system error 2" design fault which plagues many of these. The repair service is slow - the camera has been in repair 50% of the year I have had it.

I recently faced the "System 2 Error" many other users. Luckily, I have a three year warranty and it was fully covered and came back within 3wks of mailing (I sent it just before Christmas so it took longer).

The Pros:
Excellent features
Lightweight (I have small hands and cannot hold much weight)
Came with a Remote control
Large LCD
etc...

The Cons:
Expensive (I paid $700 plus $135 3yr warrantly)
Slow shutter speed
Slow writing to flash
Has a tendency to over/undercompensate EV (so you need to play with the function quite a bit)
Dreaded LENS ERROR!!!!

Overall, I am happy with my camera. I never owned and SLR and this camera is a great stepping stone for someone like me who wants something like an SLR but can't afford/doesn't know how to use one.
After owning the camera two years, I will definitely keep it as my, "throw in the handbag and go" camera but if you can afford an SLR, definitely buy one.

My Coolpix 8800 lapsed into "system error 2" mode within weeks of getting it. After taking 3 or 4 shots the error message comes up and I have to shut it down and start it back up to take a few more shots before the error 2 message recurrs. Nikon says to try a fresh battery and different storage card...no help. Now Nikon says says send it in and we'll fix it- but don't say what it will cost... The shots I do get aren't as good as an HP camera we have that was half the price. The controls are ridiculously complex. The flash pops up and fires when shooting in bright light...the whole thing is a piece of junk. The only good shots I've gotten with it are inside shooting documents from 2 feet away...but for any outdoor complicated lighting it is unreliable... I wouldn't recommend this camera or any Nikon product to my worst enemy....Oh yeah, and they made the lens an oddball size so you have to buy overpriced Nikon filters for it.....

My Nikon 8800 has traveled from the Amazon basin to the North Slope of Alaska and has taken over 100,000 photos. It has spent about a month in the hot, humid Amazon basin, a place which claimed the life of one of my past cameras. I've used it so much, I actually wore out one battery pack and had to replace it. Still, three years later the camera is functioning perfectly, just the way it did in the summer of 2004 when I bought it. This camera has been very reliable.
The image stabilization is extremely helpful in taking butterfly photos, the project I'm working on with this camera. I also use it to record interesting birds, so I can look them up in a field guide at home. With the image stabilization, I truely don't need to bring binoculars.
It is far lighter and easier to transport than SLR type cameras. I find this very helpful.
To improve this already excellent camera, I suppose that it would benefit from a bigger LCD monitor, stronger external battery pack, and screws for a cable release.
Also, in a perfect world, it would become a bit more light sensative and function better in darker conditions, or allow faster shutter speeds/greater depth of field. Maybe that science fiction type function will become possible some day, but whatever the case, I just love this camera as it is right now. It makes possible butterfly photography at resolutions and distances that were completely impossible just a few years ago.

The purchase was easy. The product arrived as promised and in new condition. I would use this company again for future purchases.