Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black)

Good Camera for SLR hungry people, photo quality, lenses, battery everything is good. But having bit learning curve, may be because first time i m handling such camera.

I needed a camera for a last minute trip, I had been looking at the Nikon D90 but not sure I would be able to learn enough about it to shoot good pictures also didn't really want to spend the $1000 for the body and $600 for the lens I wanted (18 X 200mm) then found this point and shoot NikonP80 with 10MP and a 18X wide angle V.B. zoom . What a great camera out of the box shooting. Really didn't have time to learn to much so I kept it on auto and just shot. Very nice pictures and the few that were off I've seen now how to adjust for them. You have a scene mode that gives you plenty of options, and if you know how to go manual you can fine tune all you want. I found a deal at $335. no tax and free shipping from Amazon. Battery life is great .I bought another battery just in case but didn't need it. I took about 300 pictures. very compact and nice to carry around, all in one , no need for other lenses with this wide angle and a great zoom it's all you need. The vibration reduction worked great on the zoom photos.

When I was looking to upgrade from my old Kodak C-300 series, I did a bit of shopping around, but the choice was either a Nikon or Canon even though the old Kodak served me well and I am not getting rid of it. (It gave me beautiful pictures of a recent holiday, but I needed a bit more power and function).
After looking around at the Olympus SP570, Kodak Z1285, Kodak Z812, the Canon S51S and the P80, I narrowed it down to the last two. I read some of the other reviews and I was a bit hesitant, but I decided on the latter and I have no regrets.
My P80 has taken some absolutely fantastic shots once I read the manual and got the settings right. I changed the IS0 to 400 and use a fine quality. The closeups are clean and sharp and I have taken a few with the sports action setting.
I am still learning how to use a lot of the stuff. One of the drawbacks is that it is very unstable when you crank it all the way up to 18x, but I doubt I will need to do that very often.
I also bought the kit with the battery charger etc. and that has been great as well. But don't just take it from me. Try it for yourself!

I purchased the Coolpix for business pictures in my office. The camera offer good performace at a very affordable price. Highly recommended purchase if you are looking for a quality and easy to use camera.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00176BDD4/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title

Nikon P80 worked wonderfully for about a month. Then I found the image at minimum zoom had a black ring on the left side of the screen. This disappeared on zooming.
Got it repaired, there was some problem with the lens assembly, I was told. But now the camera is not the same as a new one in its feel.
As I bought the camera in US and am in India now, couldn't get any free service or replacement due to some international warranty issues, I was told by Nikon India office in Mumbai; had to pay a hefty sum for the repairs. Was thoroughly disappointed with the experience.