If the last thing you want in a digital camera is "average," you'll want to consider Nikon's Coolpix P3. It offers a good mixture of above average features, along with some features not found on many digital cameras. Be prepared to spend a little more, though, as the model also carries a slightly above average price tag of around $400, especially for a camera that's essentially a point-and-shoot unit.

Let's start with the Coolpix P3's 8.1 megapixels of resolution, which is quite a bit more than you'll find in your average consumer-level digital camera and is good enough for high-end prints up to 13x19 inches, under the right lighting conditions.

Image quality with the Coolpix P3 is very good, both indoors and outdoors. Nikon has included Vibration Reduction technology with the Coolpix P3, and it works very well for reducing blurred images. Nikon also included an especially good "face-priority" auto-focus feature with the Coolpix P3, making it easy to shoot portraits with good results.

You'll also find a 3.5X optical zoom lens with this model, which is slightly above average. (Most consumer digital cameras have a 3X optical zoom.) You might not notice the extra 0.5X very often, but it will come in handy on occasion.

This camera's 2.5-inch LCD is sharp, bright, and easy to see in all types of lighting, which is especially important because the LCD serves as the unit's only viewfinder.

The Coolpix P3 doesn't quite fit in the ultra-thin category, but it's still thin enough to fit into most pockets, measuring about 1.2 inches in thickness. Because this model has no handgrip, though, some photographers may have a hard time holding it comfortably.

The only significant area where the Coolpix P3 is average (or a little below average) is in its response times, which are poor for a $400 digital camera. Be prepared to wait 4-5 seconds after pressing the power button to take your first photo. Our tests showed that shutter lag can be as much as 1 second when using auto-focus, and shot-to-shot delays run from 2-9 seconds.

Finally, the Coolpix P3 includes wireless transmission capabilities, which is handy for passing photos to your computer without taking the time to connect through a USB cable. You can set the camera to automatically send photos immediately after you take them.


Pros: Most features are above average, LCD is sharp and bright, high resolution, wireless capabilities
Cons: Price is a little high, response times are poor, LCD is the only viewfinder

Warranty
1 year, limited