Nikon COOLPIX S800c Pro Reviews

The Nikon S800c's design feels conflicted, with its camera and Android portions often seeming to be at odds with each other. Our conclusion after shooting with the S800c for some time is equally conflicted: there were things we liked about its design, and others that drove us batty. It's handsome, compact when you consider its zoom reach, and has swift autofocus. And while it does have issues with blur quite far into the image at both wide angle and telephoto, it's easier to forgive these problems when you consider that they're likely tradeoffs which allowed that compact, far-reaching optic in the first place. In other respects, image quality was mostly quite good. Unfortunately, the Nikon S800c offers little manual control over its images, and its burst-shooting performance and battery life are disappointing -- all things we'd see as significant drawbacks for the typical Imaging Resource reader. We could to some degree overlook these if the camera lived up to its billing as an Android smart device, but unfortunately there are just too many shortcomings in this area. For one, there's simply too strong a dividing line between camera and Android functionality. It's unintuitive that the shutter button does nothing when in Android mode, and disappointing the camera doesn't expose much of its feature set -- most significantly, its full sensor resolution -- to third-party camera apps.

The first of any new product line is never going to offer value for money alongside the thrill of the new. And the Nikon Coolpix S800c is an exciting product, even if the short battery life is an issue as is the fact that accessing the ability to take photos isn't as immediate as we feel it should be. Not a problem if you're using a smartphone and are therefore going to be doing more besides, but rather more of an issue on an actual camera. Then there's the disappointment that the actual images produced aren't any better than a point and shoot camera costing half as much. In truth then it is among early adopters rather than camera enthusiasts that the Coolpix S800c stands the best chance of finding an audience. Not just because of the premium asking price but also the initially modest camera specification, when compared what could be bought if you're not bothered about, or even put off by, an Android operating system. That said, while for now it might be considered something of a niche product, the smart money is still on a greater symbiosis between cameras and phones as being the shape of things to come rather than a passing gimmick. Which is why, importantly, while it ain't perfect, the Nikon Coolpix S800c is still a revolutionary product in its own right.

The Nikon Coolpix S800c is one of only two Android-based cameras on the market, with the other being the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Camera. The S800c takes the 'guts' of Nikon's Coolpix S6300 compact ultra zoom and adds a dual-core processor, 3.5' OLED display, 1.7 GB of memory and the Android 2.3 operating system. These additions make the S800 about $170 more than its more traditional counterpart. The one feature both the S6300 and S800c share is their F3.2-5.8, 10X optical zoom, which is equivalent to 25 - 250 mm. The lens is paired with Nikon's lens-based Vibration Reduction (image stabilization) system, which reduces the risk of blurry photos. Flip to the back of this stylish camera and you'll find a large 3.5in touchscreen OLED display with 819,000 pixels, along with the three traditional Android buttons. The display is bright and colorful, with a wide viewing angle. Outdoor visibility is just okay, and I had a hard time seeing my subjects in low light.

Unless you absolutely love the idea of having a point-and-shoot with a 10x zoom lens that also has access to Android apps, I would skip the Nikon Coolpix S800c. At least until the price comes down. Right now, you're better off getting the Coolpix S6300 (or another ultracompact megazoom) and an Eye-Fi wireless SD card.

Conceptually courageous, the Android OS feels like it’s forged rather than forced into this camera concept. Android - even version 2.3 - works as a great base to run apps, share images and much more. But the S800c has two main problems: it’s far too expensive for what is essentially an Android version of the point-and-shoot Coolpix S6300 at almost three times the cost, and battery life really isn’t up to scratch. The point-and-shoot functionality is fine enough, but it's not as finely tuned as we'd like and the lack of user control in some areas is a frustration. For £375 we'd have expected everything and the kitchen sink, as well as Android. The camera world now has its proverbial toe dipped into Android waters and, from this initial insight, it should make for a great partnership in the future. These first steps are big ones, but this concept will work only when battery life and price turn good. For now, the S800c falls short of the mark because of these two points.

A camera running Android sounds like a great idea and the S800c gives a good account of how useful it can be. It's going to appeal to many that a camera with decent image quality will also allow you to share directly to your favourite social networking sites quickly and easily. You can also use a number of apps to edit your pictures other than the options available in camera. This is a first attempt by Nikon and there are a few niggles which we feel will need ironing out. Firstly, the lack of 3G does limit the possibilities to use the internet, meaning you'll need to be at home or on a public Wi-Fi network to really make the best use of Android. Also, the version of Android is 2.3.3, version 4 is now available, making the S800c feel a little out-of-date already. Add this in with its hefty price tag and poor battery life, there are too many negatives to be able to recommend the S800c. But, this said, it's an exciting prospect and it's great that Nikon have made this step forward and we'll look forward to seeing how it progresses in the near future.