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Nikon CoolPix 880 Advanced features, and "Assisted Creative Photography" in a compact 3.3 megapixel package! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet CoolPix 880 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on CoolPix 880 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Viewfinder :(Previous) | (Next): Exposure & Flash>> Page 5:Optics Review First Posted: 8/26/2000

Optics
The Coolpix 880 is equipped with a 2.5x, 8 to 20 mm lens (equivalent to a 38 to 95 mm lens on a 35 mm camera) which telescopes outward from the camera body when the camera is powered on and is protected by a removable plastic lens cap (complete with a retainer strap). As you'd expect, the lens retracts back into the camera when powered off. The glass lens consists of nine elements in seven groups, all made of optical glass. Nikon also specifies that the lens features the protective Nikon Super Integrated Coating to improve contrast and reduce flare. Focus ranges from 1.3 feet (40 cm) to infinity in normal shooting mode and from 1.6 inches to 1.3 feet (4 to 40 cm) in macro mode. Apertures can be manually adjusted to f/2.8-f/4.2 or f/7.8-f/11.3 (available values depending on the zoom setting). A digital telephoto function can be turned on and off via the settings menu, with available enlargement up to 4x in 0.2x increments. We always feel obligated to point out that digital telephoto generally results in a lower image with softer resolution, since the camera is simply enlarging the center area of the CCD instead of employing a true optical zoom.

One area in which the Coolpix 880 has obviously borrowed from the advanced technology of the high-end 990 is its autofocus system. Focus on the Coolpix 880 can be automatically or manually controlled, with the TTL autofocus system using a contrast detection method. Through the Record menu, you have fairly extensive control over how the camera focuses and what part of the subject it bases the focus on (AF lock). Under the Focus option in the Record menu, the AF Area Mode lets you control where the camera determines the focus. The Auto setting employs five autofocus target areas, which are shown on the LCD monitor, and sets the focus for the subject closest to one of those areas. When the shutter button is halfway pressed, the dominant focus target shows red. The Manual option allows you to manually select which of the five target areas you would like the camera to focus on, using the rocker toggle button to select the target. The Off setting simply turns off four of the focus targets, and tells the camera to base autofocus on the center of the image. Through the same Focus menu option, you can also select whether the autofocus system continuously adjusts the focus, or whether it only adjusts focus once the shutter button has been halfway pressed. Also under the same Focus menu option is the ability to set the Focus Confirmation. What this does is outline the area of the image that's in focus once the shutter button is halfway pressed. This shows up on the LCD monitor as a darker image with the "outlined" area being the brightest highlight. You can set this confirmation to occur with either manual focus or autofocus. Manual focus mode is entered by pressing the Focus button in conjunction with either the Wide or Tele zoom buttons. Using this combination, you can choose from 48 preset distances from 0.13 feet (0.04 m) to infinity. Additionally, the focus button on the back panel of the camera not only puts the camera into macro or self-timer mode, but also has an infinity focus setting which fixes focus for distant subjects.

The Coolpix 880's lens features a series of filter threads on the outside edge of the lens, which accommodate a variety of accessory lens conversion kits including a selection of wide angle, telephoto, fisheye and slide copy adapters. (Note though, that you also need an adapter tube to go between the body threads of the 880 and the threads of the auxiliary lenses themselves.)