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Anti Nikon 8800 Faq
The ANTI-Nikon 8800 FAQ
Reason's not to buy: I'm posting this because various Nikon groups defend a brand marquee beyond rational thought. Nikon makes some fantastic products. The 8800 is not one of them. Some have suggested that the 8800 is "detuned" so as not to threaten the excellent D70. This may be the case. I made the mistake of buying one too soon. 1) Weak AF system. Despite the camera's many focus and metering modes, the 8800 is still not able to focus as well as other cameras costing less money. This has been a Coolpix problem and extends to the 8800, the flagship of the line. Some of the blame can be placed on the long lens which is certainly not the brightest or fastest. Still, many others are reporting dismal problems with focusing, especially when they owned cameras that could do better previously. There has been great debate over this issue, but the real bottom line is that too many cameras do better than the 8800 in this all-important area, even with long zooms. It's the #1 dealbreaker. 2) Poor manual focus. A true manual camera has manual focus. When using the manual focus mode and indicator bar appears on-screen showing the relative focus position. There is no distance scale and no area enlargement of the image to aid in focus. In conditions where the AF system fails, the manual focus is equally useless. 3) Slow, slow! Shot to shot speed and shutter lag are almost laughable for a camera of this cost. There's little point in arguing it. Try one for yourself. 4) No compatible flash. Nikon claims that the excellent SB600 and SB800 will work…and they do. But some modes are not available. The Auto Focus assist IR will NOT WORK at all. This fantastic feature could have saved the 8800's AF problems. A call to Nikon tech support led to them telling me that the flash was 75% compatible. Perhaps you can get a 25% rebate for Nikon! 5) NO true remote shutter release. The remote triggers the timer only! 6) ISO noise. Yup, it starts after 100, but no surprise here. 7) Unique thread size. In at least a brief attempt to cause trouble, Nikon created a unique thread size for the lens, meaning you'd have to buy their filters or an adapter at the very least. 8) Battery grip. Nikon sells a battery grip for the 8800 for 170.00 in most stores. It's incredibly cheap. Check one out and see if you could hand over the money for it. 9) Size: While the 8800 is compact, it's not that much lighter than a D70 with a kit lens. We're talking real world weight here. Unless you are very lightly built, neither camera is great for a long hike. I carry an Optio S5I when I need a "small" camera. And keep in mind that a D70 is a lot easier to hold. 10) Finally. The cost of the Nikon 8800 averages over 800.00. For 2 or 300 more you can have a D70, which will outstrip the 8800, even with it's kit lens. The VR system of the 8800 is nice, but the D70's brighter optics more than make up for it. A VR lens is available for the D70 for a LOT of money. Does the 8800 offer a good value? I don't think so. The main reason of the AF system, which is too weak compared to other cameras. You can learn to live with it, but you will suffer from it at times. Search the Dpreview.com forums for confirmation of this problem. Nikon fans (mainly the ones who never owned the 8800) will defend it using "user error" and "nature of the beast" arguments. Very sad. The camera fails in too many respects to be a qualified success. If you shoot mainly outdoors in bright light, the 8800 will please. But indoors that long lens and the weak AF system will cause you fits at times. If you want this level of performance, seek out a D70, or a lower cost digicam. Don't be fooled by the MP count. The D70's larger sensor is far better and sharper. The 8800 assures that you will miss the shot over lag, poor focus or ISO noise at least some of the time. These comments are based on the use of TWO 8800's. Of course you can read plenty about these issues online. Rather than argue about these problems, I strongly suggest that you test the 8800 in a store (or try a friends) BEFORE YOU buy. My 8800 was returned in favor of the D70, but even my Z1 was more bang for the buck and IT COULD FOCUS where the 8800 couldn't. Good luck! Capt. RB |
#2
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While I can't confirm or deny the problem you are having, with reasonable
priced dSLRs from Nikon, Canon and Pentax, I see little value in these prosumer cameras. The dSLR's high ISO noise performance, better dynamic range and less processed look to the images are worth the price of admission. With the availability of quality SLR lenses, the 6mp dSLRs can outperform the 8mp prosumer units in resolving power as well. John "Bobsprit" wrote in message ... The ANTI-Nikon 8800 FAQ Reason's not to buy: I'm posting this because various Nikon groups defend a brand marquee beyond rational thought. Nikon makes some fantastic products. The 8800 is not one of them. Some have suggested that the 8800 is "detuned" so as not to threaten the excellent D70. This may be the case. I made the mistake of buying one too soon. 1) Weak AF system. Despite the camera's many focus and metering modes, the 8800 is still not able to focus as well as other cameras costing less money. This has been a Coolpix problem and extends to the 8800, the flagship of the line. Some of the blame can be placed on the long lens which is certainly not the brightest or fastest. Still, many others are reporting dismal problems with focusing, especially when they owned cameras that could do better previously. There has been great debate over this issue, but the real bottom line is that too many cameras do better than the 8800 in this all-important area, even with long zooms. It's the #1 dealbreaker. 2) Poor manual focus. A true manual camera has manual focus. When using the manual focus mode and indicator bar appears on-screen showing the relative focus position. There is no distance scale and no area enlargement of the image to aid in focus. In conditions where the AF system fails, the manual focus is equally useless. 3) Slow, slow! Shot to shot speed and shutter lag are almost laughable for a camera of this cost. There's little point in arguing it. Try one for yourself. 4) No compatible flash. Nikon claims that the excellent SB600 and SB800 will work.and they do. But some modes are not available. The Auto Focus assist IR will NOT WORK at all. This fantastic feature could have saved the 8800's AF problems. A call to Nikon tech support led to them telling me that the flash was 75% compatible. Perhaps you can get a 25% rebate for Nikon! 5) NO true remote shutter release. The remote triggers the timer only! 6) ISO noise. Yup, it starts after 100, but no surprise here. 7) Unique thread size. In at least a brief attempt to cause trouble, Nikon created a unique thread size for the lens, meaning you'd have to buy their filters or an adapter at the very least. 8) Battery grip. Nikon sells a battery grip for the 8800 for 170.00 in most stores. It's incredibly cheap. Check one out and see if you could hand over the money for it. 9) Size: While the 8800 is compact, it's not that much lighter than a D70 with a kit lens. We're talking real world weight here. Unless you are very lightly built, neither camera is great for a long hike. I carry an Optio S5I when I need a "small" camera. And keep in mind that a D70 is a lot easier to hold. 10) Finally. The cost of the Nikon 8800 averages over 800.00. For 2 or 300 more you can have a D70, which will outstrip the 8800, even with it's kit lens. The VR system of the 8800 is nice, but the D70's brighter optics more than make up for it. A VR lens is available for the D70 for a LOT of money. Does the 8800 offer a good value? I don't think so. The main reason of the AF system, which is too weak compared to other cameras. You can learn to live with it, but you will suffer from it at times. Search the Dpreview.com forums for confirmation of this problem. Nikon fans (mainly the ones who never owned the 8800) will defend it using "user error" and "nature of the beast" arguments. Very sad. The camera fails in too many respects to be a qualified success. If you shoot mainly outdoors in bright light, the 8800 will please. But indoors that long lens and the weak AF system will cause you fits at times. If you want this level of performance, seek out a D70, or a lower cost digicam. Don't be fooled by the MP count. The D70's larger sensor is far better and sharper. The 8800 assures that you will miss the shot over lag, poor focus or ISO noise at least some of the time. These comments are based on the use of TWO 8800's. Of course you can read plenty about these issues online. Rather than argue about these problems, I strongly suggest that you test the 8800 in a store (or try a friends) BEFORE YOU buy. My 8800 was returned in favor of the D70, but even my Z1 was more bang for the buck and IT COULD FOCUS where the 8800 couldn't. Good luck! Capt. RB |
#3
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While I can't confirm or deny the problem you are having, with reasonable
priced dSLRs from Nikon, Canon and Pentax, I see little value in these prosumer cameras. The dSLR's high ISO noise performance, better dynamic range and less processed look to the images are worth the price of admission. With the availability of quality SLR lenses, the 6mp dSLRs can outperform the 8mp prosumer units in resolving power as well. John "Bobsprit" wrote in message ... The ANTI-Nikon 8800 FAQ Reason's not to buy: I'm posting this because various Nikon groups defend a brand marquee beyond rational thought. Nikon makes some fantastic products. The 8800 is not one of them. Some have suggested that the 8800 is "detuned" so as not to threaten the excellent D70. This may be the case. I made the mistake of buying one too soon. 1) Weak AF system. Despite the camera's many focus and metering modes, the 8800 is still not able to focus as well as other cameras costing less money. This has been a Coolpix problem and extends to the 8800, the flagship of the line. Some of the blame can be placed on the long lens which is certainly not the brightest or fastest. Still, many others are reporting dismal problems with focusing, especially when they owned cameras that could do better previously. There has been great debate over this issue, but the real bottom line is that too many cameras do better than the 8800 in this all-important area, even with long zooms. It's the #1 dealbreaker. 2) Poor manual focus. A true manual camera has manual focus. When using the manual focus mode and indicator bar appears on-screen showing the relative focus position. There is no distance scale and no area enlargement of the image to aid in focus. In conditions where the AF system fails, the manual focus is equally useless. 3) Slow, slow! Shot to shot speed and shutter lag are almost laughable for a camera of this cost. There's little point in arguing it. Try one for yourself. 4) No compatible flash. Nikon claims that the excellent SB600 and SB800 will work.and they do. But some modes are not available. The Auto Focus assist IR will NOT WORK at all. This fantastic feature could have saved the 8800's AF problems. A call to Nikon tech support led to them telling me that the flash was 75% compatible. Perhaps you can get a 25% rebate for Nikon! 5) NO true remote shutter release. The remote triggers the timer only! 6) ISO noise. Yup, it starts after 100, but no surprise here. 7) Unique thread size. In at least a brief attempt to cause trouble, Nikon created a unique thread size for the lens, meaning you'd have to buy their filters or an adapter at the very least. 8) Battery grip. Nikon sells a battery grip for the 8800 for 170.00 in most stores. It's incredibly cheap. Check one out and see if you could hand over the money for it. 9) Size: While the 8800 is compact, it's not that much lighter than a D70 with a kit lens. We're talking real world weight here. Unless you are very lightly built, neither camera is great for a long hike. I carry an Optio S5I when I need a "small" camera. And keep in mind that a D70 is a lot easier to hold. 10) Finally. The cost of the Nikon 8800 averages over 800.00. For 2 or 300 more you can have a D70, which will outstrip the 8800, even with it's kit lens. The VR system of the 8800 is nice, but the D70's brighter optics more than make up for it. A VR lens is available for the D70 for a LOT of money. Does the 8800 offer a good value? I don't think so. The main reason of the AF system, which is too weak compared to other cameras. You can learn to live with it, but you will suffer from it at times. Search the Dpreview.com forums for confirmation of this problem. Nikon fans (mainly the ones who never owned the 8800) will defend it using "user error" and "nature of the beast" arguments. Very sad. The camera fails in too many respects to be a qualified success. If you shoot mainly outdoors in bright light, the 8800 will please. But indoors that long lens and the weak AF system will cause you fits at times. If you want this level of performance, seek out a D70, or a lower cost digicam. Don't be fooled by the MP count. The D70's larger sensor is far better and sharper. The 8800 assures that you will miss the shot over lag, poor focus or ISO noise at least some of the time. These comments are based on the use of TWO 8800's. Of course you can read plenty about these issues online. Rather than argue about these problems, I strongly suggest that you test the 8800 in a store (or try a friends) BEFORE YOU buy. My 8800 was returned in favor of the D70, but even my Z1 was more bang for the buck and IT COULD FOCUS where the 8800 couldn't. Good luck! Capt. RB |
#4
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Bobsprit wrote:
[] Rather than argue about these problems, I strongly suggest that you test the 8800 in a store (or try a friends) BEFORE YOU buy. My 8800 was returned in favor of the D70, but even my Z1 was more bang for the buck and IT COULD FOCUS where the 8800 couldn't. Good luck! Capt. RB Well, before purchasing we compared the Nikon 8800 against the Panasonic FZ20 long zoom and ended up buying the FZ20, and not just because of the lower cost. I don't agree with some of your criticisms (e.g. it's deliberately crippled versus the D70), and I think your views are stronger than mine. The 8800 and D70 really are aimed at different users - those who want or need to have a bagful of lenses versus those who do not. With any camera, you should try before purchase, to see if the ergonomics suit you. BTW: I did get a Nikon 8400, which offers fast and accurate focussing, and a zoom range from 24mm wide-angle. If the 8400 performance could be combined with the Panasonic's f/2.8 Leica IS lens and manual focus in the 8800's replacement Nikon would surely have a winner! Cheers, David |
#5
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Bobsprit wrote:
[] Rather than argue about these problems, I strongly suggest that you test the 8800 in a store (or try a friends) BEFORE YOU buy. My 8800 was returned in favor of the D70, but even my Z1 was more bang for the buck and IT COULD FOCUS where the 8800 couldn't. Good luck! Capt. RB Well, before purchasing we compared the Nikon 8800 against the Panasonic FZ20 long zoom and ended up buying the FZ20, and not just because of the lower cost. I don't agree with some of your criticisms (e.g. it's deliberately crippled versus the D70), and I think your views are stronger than mine. The 8800 and D70 really are aimed at different users - those who want or need to have a bagful of lenses versus those who do not. With any camera, you should try before purchase, to see if the ergonomics suit you. BTW: I did get a Nikon 8400, which offers fast and accurate focussing, and a zoom range from 24mm wide-angle. If the 8400 performance could be combined with the Panasonic's f/2.8 Leica IS lens and manual focus in the 8800's replacement Nikon would surely have a winner! Cheers, David |
#6
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Bobsprit wrote:
[] Rather than argue about these problems, I strongly suggest that you test the 8800 in a store (or try a friends) BEFORE YOU buy. My 8800 was returned in favor of the D70, but even my Z1 was more bang for the buck and IT COULD FOCUS where the 8800 couldn't. Good luck! Capt. RB Well, before purchasing we compared the Nikon 8800 against the Panasonic FZ20 long zoom and ended up buying the FZ20, and not just because of the lower cost. I don't agree with some of your criticisms (e.g. it's deliberately crippled versus the D70), and I think your views are stronger than mine. The 8800 and D70 really are aimed at different users - those who want or need to have a bagful of lenses versus those who do not. With any camera, you should try before purchase, to see if the ergonomics suit you. BTW: I did get a Nikon 8400, which offers fast and accurate focussing, and a zoom range from 24mm wide-angle. If the 8400 performance could be combined with the Panasonic's f/2.8 Leica IS lens and manual focus in the 8800's replacement Nikon would surely have a winner! Cheers, David |
#7
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JohnR wrote:
While I can't confirm or deny the problem you are having, with reasonable priced dSLRs from Nikon, Canon and Pentax, I see little value in these prosumer cameras. The dSLR's high ISO noise performance, better dynamic range and less processed look to the images are worth the price of admission. With the availability of quality SLR lenses, the 6mp dSLRs can outperform the 8mp prosumer units in resolving power as well. John John, I've used SLRs and no longer do I wish to trail round a bagful of lenses, flashguns, tripods etc. etc. Yes, some people /need/ those things, I choose to manage without. Heck, what would an IS lens covering 432mm at f/2.8 weigh and cost? A lot more than my Panasonic FZ20 I'm sure! I stopped carrying an SLR outfit in 1998, and started taking photos again. I have never looked back. Cheers, David |
#8
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JohnR wrote:
While I can't confirm or deny the problem you are having, with reasonable priced dSLRs from Nikon, Canon and Pentax, I see little value in these prosumer cameras. The dSLR's high ISO noise performance, better dynamic range and less processed look to the images are worth the price of admission. With the availability of quality SLR lenses, the 6mp dSLRs can outperform the 8mp prosumer units in resolving power as well. John John, I've used SLRs and no longer do I wish to trail round a bagful of lenses, flashguns, tripods etc. etc. Yes, some people /need/ those things, I choose to manage without. Heck, what would an IS lens covering 432mm at f/2.8 weigh and cost? A lot more than my Panasonic FZ20 I'm sure! I stopped carrying an SLR outfit in 1998, and started taking photos again. I have never looked back. Cheers, David |
#9
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JohnR wrote:
While I can't confirm or deny the problem you are having, with reasonable priced dSLRs from Nikon, Canon and Pentax, I see little value in these prosumer cameras. The dSLR's high ISO noise performance, better dynamic range and less processed look to the images are worth the price of admission. With the availability of quality SLR lenses, the 6mp dSLRs can outperform the 8mp prosumer units in resolving power as well. John John, I've used SLRs and no longer do I wish to trail round a bagful of lenses, flashguns, tripods etc. etc. Yes, some people /need/ those things, I choose to manage without. Heck, what would an IS lens covering 432mm at f/2.8 weigh and cost? A lot more than my Panasonic FZ20 I'm sure! I stopped carrying an SLR outfit in 1998, and started taking photos again. I have never looked back. Cheers, David |
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