My evaluation of the Nikon Coolpix P100 digital camera with a 10 megapixel sensor and a 26X optical zoom is this was money well spent. Do not mistake this for the less expensive Nikon L110 that looks just like this camera, but has less features. (No, I am not affiliated with Nikon or ACDSystems in any way or got any compensation for this review)

I got this camera new at Costco for less than $400. It came with a 2 gig SD card, a lithium battery, and a small camera bag. This camera has a very handy 3" tilt LCD screen, as well as the small eye piece view. It also has full HD video record mode that is easy to use and can be set for slow motion and fast motion shooting for special effect. I also bought a SanDisk 8 gig Extreme Class 10 Memory card, but I cannot tell that it works any faster than any other SD card I've used.

Preliminary tests were very impressive. From what I have seen from the photographs here at DA in other portfolios this new Nikon camera is able to take just as good clear photos in daylight as the Nikon D90, yet for only 1/4 the cost. This may not have the versatility of changing lenses or adding better flash units, but with a 26X optical zoom why would I need to change to a different lens? I was able to zoom in enough to capture the moon that filled the whole screen. It has a very fast reaction to shutter release. It also has a much faster processing time than my Kodak Z1015 digital camera I had been using. I was very impressed, and it is now very frustrating to go back to using my Kodak that I keep in my work van; with the sluggish lag time it has. It makes the Kodak seem unusable in comparison.

I had opted for Kodak cameras over the last decade for good features and vibrant color at a low cost, where many other cheap cameras take pictures with rather flat color tones. Kodak had never made very durable camera, but when I knew I would want to upgrade within a few years anyway no loss. These cheaper cameras may have no resale value, but with such little cost who cares. I have never been impressed with the Kodak 'award winning' Easy Share software. I am amazed anyone would find it usable, but I suppose I am just spoiled with ACDSee Pro image editing software features, short of it being the most unstable software I've ever used, and still not made for Mac users.

I thought it would be nice to use an external flash with this camera, but it does not have an external flash shoe. That is one drawback to this camera; how I'm limited to the built-in flash, but it seems very sensitive in most indoor lighting conditions. I've found I like the look better without the flash in most cases anyway. I love the faster click to capture ratio that has always been a problem with any low level digital camera in the past, but I was blown away with how fast I am able to take the next shot with hardly any noticeable wait time. Also the feature of taking HD video like it was a regular video camera is nice. It may not have the best stereo mics for recording audio, but that's a whole other topic. This is a very user-friendly light weight camera if not compact, which takes very nice shots for a small investment.

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