Product Description

PRODUCT FEATURES:8.0 Megapixels for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches3x optical Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens gets you close to the actionAnti-Shake Mode minimizes the effect of camera shakeHuge, bright high resolution 3.0-inch LCD makes it easy to view and share picturesAdjusts up to ISO 1600 to keep shooting even in lower lightIn-Camera Red-Eye FixFace-Priority AFD-lighting

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8932 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Ruby Red
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: 25597
• Released on: 2008-03-26
• Dimensions: 2.40" h x 1.20" w x 3.70" l, 1.62 pounds
• Display size: 3

Features

• 8.0-megapixel resolution for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches
• 3x optical zoom; Anti-Shake AE mode
• High-resolution 3.0-inch LCD makes it easy to view and share pictures
• In-Camera Red-Eye Fix; enhanced Face-Priority AF automatically focuses on up to 12 faces
• Capture images to SD memory card (not included)

Manufacturer Description

For carefree shooting and consistently great pictures. An impressively high, 8-megapixel count delivers pictures with true-to-life color and pleasing details. What's more, it means images can be significantly enlarged, and still look absolutely stunning.

Coolpix L18 Highlights

New Anti-shake AE Anti-shake AE helps you take great pictures free of complicated operation by automatically increasing shutter speed and raising the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement.

Expansive 3.0-inch LCD monitor A huge, bright LCD monitor makes it a cinch to compose shots and play them back anywhere, ensuring clear viewing, even in direct sunlight.

AA-size batteries for carefree shooting anywhere Compatibility with AA-size batteries, which are widely available around the world, means carefree shooting virtually anywhere without worrying about recharging or running out of power.

Easy auto mode Easy auto mode makes photography even easier by taking control of settings, so you simply turn on the camera and shoot freely.

Coolpix Premium Features

Coolpix in-camera technologies give you the edge when it comes to taking beautiful pictures more easily and with greater enjoyment. Included are innovative functions that increase shooting opportunities in a broader range of situations, help to optimize images, and add a new dimension of fun to sharing those results.

VR image stabilization Nikon Coolpix cameras offer an array of VR technologies that produce blur-free images when shooting in unsteady conditions or at slower shutter speeds. Selected models are equipped with one of two types of Optical VR, Lens Shift VR, which delivers sharp and steady images effective for shooting and faster framing with the LCD, or Image Sensor Shift VR, which moves the image sensor to accurately compensate for camera shake. Other models offer Electronic VR which applies movement data to image processing to turn blurred images into beautifully clear results.

Better pictures in lower light Selected Coolpix models offer ISO capability beyond the range of conventional digital compacts. An exciting advantage that greatly increases photographic possibilities, high ISO capability delivers excellent exposure in challenging conditions, broadens the scope of possible subjects and allows scenes to be captured beautifully without compromising natural light.

Face-priority AF Available only with Nikon Coolpix cameras, the clever Face-priority AF function helps ensure satisfyingly crisp portraits no matter where the subject is in the shot. By automatically detecting people's faces in the frame, the photographer is free to press the shutter for sharp portraits with focus exactly where it's wanted.

D-Lighting Only Nikon delivers the advantage of D-Lighting, a unique technology with the ability to rescue underexposed images or shots taken with excessive backlight. Accessible in Playback mode, this innovative feature automatically creates a copy of the image, adding light and detail added where necessary, while leaving correctly-exposed areas untouched. As a result, images are significantly improved in a manner that is much more natural looking.

In-camera red-eye fix Coolpix cameras offer refined red-eye reduction capability that surpasses other digital compacts. First, a series of pre-flashes stimulate the subject’s pupils, causing them to constrict. The camera then analyzes the captured image for the remaining presence of red eyes, automatically correcting them in-camera before saving the image to memory.

Customer Reviews

Great camera for the price!
My wife and I just recently replaced our Sony DSC-W5 (5 megapixel) camera with this one, and here are our impressions so far:

1) The Anti-Shake AE is something new for us, as the DSC-W5 didn't have it. Actually, we would get blurry pictures all the time in low-light situations with the DSC-W5 (which did not have Anti-Shake AE), and the new Nikon L18 does not seem to have as much trouble as the old camera did. Low light pictures seem to come out great.
2) This camera removed red-eye in the camera AUTOMATICALLY. You don't know how much of a time saver this is! My old DSC-W5 took crappy pictures when we turned on the red-eye protection, and the L18's pictures are MUCH better with the anti red-eye.
3) This camera does a better job of focusing on people than my old DSC-W5 did. It was pretty impressive to see multiple focal points on the easy-shoot mode. The focus was spot-on.
4) The colors are bright and vibrant. Much more so than my old DSC-W5.
5) The screen on this camera is HUGE. We love the sharpness and brightness on it.
6) It supports the new SD-HC cards. That means we can put the new 4GB and 8GB cards in it, and aren't limited to just the 2GB ones.
7) The Video capture (640x480 VGA) takes great, sharp AVI video captures. Great for those times where you don't have your camcorder available.
8) There is some limited internal memory in case your memory card gets full!
9) You can have any picture come up on the startup screen. So we took a picture of our name and phone number, put it in the internal memory, and set it as the start up picture. That way, any honest person that finds our camera has the info to return it.

All in all, this is no SLR or any other high end camera, but it does well what we need it to do - capture our four children and the wonderful moments in their lives.

Warranty terror
I have enjoyed my Coolpix L18! It's a great camera! I purchased it after purchasing the L14 as a gift for a family member and hearing the continuous 'bubbling' reviews about it. The L18 is easy to use and also download your photos! Although I have had no problems with my L18, I have a word of CAUTION concerning Nikon- should you have any problems arise with their product, return it immediately!!! The Coolpix L14 Gift had an 'error' within the first 3 months. Following the troubleshooting directions, it appeared to correct itself. Unfortunately, 5 months later the identical problem occurred again. This time I retrieved the gift and returned it for repair under its one year warranty. Nikon has failed to honor their warranty. We were, however, able to reach their agreement to pay half of the original quoted repair cost. Had it not been a gift that has been thoroughly enjoyed, I would not have given in to the blackmail. Although the cameras are wonderful, the warranty is 'just a piece of paper.' Nikon has left a stain on its wonderful product line. I enjoy my L18 camera, but should anything go afoul, I will not go through that ordeal with Nikon again.

Great camera... until!
This was a great camera, but unfortunately the key word is "WAS". I purchased the camera for general shooting, nothing fancy, and it worked great. I replaced my Fujifilm FinePix with this Nikon Coolpix. I enjoy the thinner design, making it easier to keep in a small purse. The red shell adds nothing to the photos, but I'll take that over a dull gray any day. Aside from aesthetics, there are many features packed into this stylish hardware, probably more than I've fully utilized. As with any digital camera, the most important feature is point and shoot picture taking. I hate the cameras that have 17+ picture modes and the rotating "option wheel" on top. 99 times out of 100 I am just turning the camera on and snapping a shot... I don't need to change any shutter settings. This Nikon has a handy toggle on top that allows for picture taking, picture viewing, or video taking.

The large LCD screen is vibrant and makes it easy to view photos. It saves space by eliminating the old-fashioned "eye hole," which is fine with me because I rarely use it anyway. I'll take the larger LCD. Red-eye was always a problem with my Fujifilm, but this Nikon did a great job of eliminating it; every photo seemed very clear and bright.

I've also used the video feature a few times. Unlike my Fujifilm, you can actually zoom in and out while taking video. Video quality is nothing spectacular, but it is tolerable for short clips.

Downloading the pictures and videos to my computer was a snap. Again, Nikon won big points with me because this is the easiest camera I've used... and one of the cheapest too.

However, as I mentioned earlier, there was a catch. After only 4 months of use, my photos began to have a hazy ring around them. It looked like there was some fog or a smudge on the lens. I've wiped the lens carefully, but the problem remains, causing me to believe that this problem somehow lies inside the camera lens - a problem I, of course, can't solve without having to call the distributor and get the run-around on how to get it fixed, despite my free one-year warranty-with-purchase. A digital camera that takes blurry photos is no better than a paper weight, even if the paper weight is colorful and shiny. Either the lens is out of alignment or my entire family has developed astigmatism.