Nikon Coolpix 8400 8MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Lens

I own both the Nikon 8800 and 8400. These cameras are a perfect pair with the 8800 telephoto capabilities and the 8400 wide angle. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with the 8400. It is smaller, lighter and can be dropped in a coat pocket. Both cameras can go between full manual to completely auto. There are a good number of scene modes as well. In essence they are identical other than the zoom and image stabalization on the 8800 (necessary with the 10x zoom).

I bought this camera to replace a high MP Sony pocket camera, and I am thrilled with it. The picture quality is absolutely gorgeous in any lighting. The red eye reduction really works, and gets rid of the red-eye before it ever gets to the memory card. It has a compact flash card memory system, which is great because big compact flash cards are much more afforadable than the other types of cards. This camera is better than my brother's Canon SLR in terms of picture quality, but not nearly as bulky and cumbersome. The battery life is fantastic. One other nice feature is the screen at the top of the camera which lets you see how many pictures you have, and the batter life, mode, etc without opening the screen. The only drawbacks to this camera are (1) not the biggest zoom lens, but plenty enough for the typical photographer, (2) the screen could be bigger, but still acceptable, and (3) when you have the screen open, you can't use the viewfinder, which is a little annoying, but not a big deal. I have owned 4 other high-end digital cameras and this is by far the best one I have ever used.

Buy Nikon Coolpix 8400 8MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Lens Now

And after having a Nikon 950 for a number years, it was time to just move up. The one thing that I did buy with my N950 was a fisheye lense, which I really enjoyed. But after a while those fisheye picture really got kinda boring, but what I really enjoyed the most out of it was the Wide Angle'ness of the lense.

Most camera only give you 28mm worth of lense, but the one thing that sold me on this camera was that it did go down to 24mm and I wanted my next camera to have that movie mode. A trival feature for some folks, but as Compact Flash cards get cheaper by the day. Having a digital camera with a 60 sec (30fps movie is alot of fun, which is the TV standard), There is also a 15fps mode which is idea for sending over the internet via e-mail (cable modem best required as we're talking about a 30 second flick weighing in at about 3MB in length)...But, I don't have any problems using my local dial up... but it's just takes longers to upload and download.

But, the 24mm and 8 Megapixel, which in most regard captured photos in the ISO rating of 50. Which if you know photography this is superb for capturing colors and definition. If your looking for a camera shooting far away shots, this probably isn't it.

I prefer to shoot people and large machines with in a 50 feet distance... However, this is a real dandy for photographic the wide open great outdoors mountain top/city scapes skylight photos. Every photographer is different in what they shoot.

I also like to zoom in on a macro mode and photograph ants and little bugs. They just make for interesting photographs. This lense is tight and I love how they (Nikon) has listen to the photographers over the year in pointing out what would make a camera easy to operate and very functional. Once you master this electronical beast, which is pretty straight forward easy. Well then, you'll see how fast you'll get hook on using it.

Alot of photographers on several of the digital camera review online sites have some really great reviews online. But take them all with a grain of salt. Will you really be worried about a 1/8 second lag in your shutter. I won't.

I was seriously considering getting a Nikon D-70, and having the flexibility of a variety of lense. But, in all reality, I found by the time you had to tote around all your gear and worry about getting it ripped off. Photography, by and whole wasn't worth the time of day. However, if you can buy something with a great lense attached to it and a functional device... Well, then you'd have the perfect set up. The D70 is a sweet camera to hold in your hand but, if you looking for something way more function without the big price tag, take a look at the 8400 or the 5400.

Granted, this camera doesn't look cool like a DSLR, but I perfer to choose the easy of use and fuction over a big bulky DSLR and also, if your a world traveler, all theives know SLR are worth a lot more than these boring looking cameras,,,which pack alot of punch.

Also..one more thing I like about this camera is the LCD panel that can adjusted to your line of sight. The DSLR LCD window are built into the body of the camera... Thus, when shooting over a crowd of people you can visually see what your aiming at and equally so, when you set the camera on the ground you don't have to lay on your belly to see what the camera is focused on. So, if you say a ship mechanic and need to take a picture in a small space, this camera allow you the flexibility to focuse on the hard to reach subject.

Also the D70 doesn't have a movie mode.

Now go check out those other reviews!!

Read Best Reviews of Nikon Coolpix 8400 8MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Lens Here

If you're looking to capture "The Decisive Moment" with the Nikon Coolpix 8400, STOP---DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA!!! For that matter, carefully check any digicam or other camera with which you want to capture "action," because what you think you see, may not be what the camera has the ability to capture as an image.

Let me briefly explain where I'm coming from: I made my living as a field photojournalist for 40 years. By the time I retired out of the business I had probably created something like a million color and b&w film images. I owned and used mostly Nikon equipment all those years (although I sure liked working with Leica rangefinder cameras and short focal length lenses), starting with the original Nikon F SLR (which I still have) and finishing up with the N90S and probably ten different lenses of varying focal lengths. I like Nikon equipment a lot.

I decided to begin working with digital images last year. I was attracted to the Coolpix 8400 because the "spread" on the zoom lens was the 35mm camera equivalent of 24mm--85mm. When I worked with film I probably used my 24mm and 105mm Nikkors more than any others in my bag, so this little Coolpix beauty had just about what I was looking for in one package.

Let me say that while the problems with the viewfinder and shutter lag make this camera absolutely useless for editorial photojournalism, it is, nevertheless, a marvel of human ingenuity. For many other uses---such as taking pictures of fire hydrants or cows standing in a pasture (put another way, things that don't move), it works wonderfully well.

Seriously, I shot an assignment here in Tucson that was essentially architectual in nature. The images can only be described as superb (if I do say so myself). I worked only with the camera and a tripod on the shoot. Working inside I simply changed the light balance within the menu on the 8400 (which you can pretty much do on any digital camera these days), did not have to check the scene with a separate exposure meter, etc. Point being that with film I often carried a bunch of light balancing filters and sometimes a separate Gossen exposure meter and all sorts of lights to shoot an assignment. Even then, I'd sweat blood until I could get the processed film on a light table. Of course with digital, I (you) don't have to worry about any of that stuff. One can check the image immediately and know instantly if you're good to go.

Alas, the shutter lag on this, and many other digital cameras made these days, is the "downcheck" which makes me unable to recommend the 8400. There is also the delay in the electronic viewfinder to deal with. The combination of shutter and viewfinder lag make it absolutely impossible to capture an image, the precise composition of which lasts only a split-second. I have taken many good pictures of people working, "action" shots and the like, but it was only by taking large numbers of images of any given activity and then retaining the one or two that said what I intended that I achieved my purpose. Essentially, my shooting eye (which is pretty damned good) had nothing to with it. It's like a soldier trying to kill an enemy with a machine-gun---if he fires enough rounds, one of them is going to hit the other guy. Marksmanship has nothing to do with it. Same-same shooting with electronic viewfinders and shutter lag. If you shoot enough images, statistically you're probably going to get a good one. But it's not a very good way to do things.

So if you're looking to capture what Henri Cartier-Bresson (I'm not sure I've spelled his name correctly) so artfully described as "The Decisive Moment," look at a digital single-lens reflexes, or wait for improvements in digicams.

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Update 3/06:

Well, after using this camera for 3 months I have to come back with the following feedback:

-it is heavier and bulkier than many 5mp cameras (does not fit in a standard pocket-size portable camera bag)

-sometimes people's lips come out BLACK or PURPLE in the pictures

-the shutter lag time is annoying (as someone reported above). I haven't yet figured out a setting where the camera will take one shot exactly when I press the button if I just took another shot within the last few seconds. So I get a few pictures of people with frozen smiles on their faces or miss some shots. Can anyone offer some advice for this sticky situation?

-other than that, I still love the camera great resolution and if you have the red-eye reduction on it works pretty well, battery is easy to recharge

Original review:

I purchased the Nikon Coolpix 8400 12/05

It was rated first in Advanced Compact Digital Cameras category by Consumer Reports 11/05

We got a big discount buying this camera through Amazon.com when there was a limited-time promotion

It was actually shipped by Ritz Camera

Comes with neck strap, battery and charger! Does not have built-in memory so you need to separately buy a compact flash card. A high-speed CF card would be a good idea. I would also recommend you buy an extra rechargeable battery and a camera case.

Per specs: "Coolpix 8400, lens cap, strap, USB cable, audio video cable, rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL7, battery charger MH-56, remote controller ML-L3, PictureProject CD-ROM"

I have changed the settings to take pictures in "Fine" resolution and they are running 1,600-2,500 KB in size. "Extra fine" mode is also available but I don't think I will need to use it unless taking a super-important photo.

We are upgrading from a Nikon Coolpix 5200 (the zoom button broke when I dropped it on the deck). The 8400 is black, not silver, and a bit larger/heavier. This digital camera is a big step up. The 8400 seems to have better red-eye correction and a good backlit mode. Some people have complained that on another Nikon camera the red-eye correction is automatic, whether you like it or not, however on the 8400 you do not need to worry about that because it is optional.