Nikon COOLPIX L830 16 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 34x Zoom NIKKOR Lens and Full 1080p HD Video

After my first digital camera that I bought in 2006 started to have problems, I knew I needed to get a new one. I didn't want to spend a lot of money so after reading the reviews I took a chance and bought the Nikon Coolpix L830 about 2 weeks before I went on a trip to Europe. When it arrived all I had to do was pop the batteries in and point and shoot. It was fabulous and so VERY easy to use! I took over 3000 pictures on my trip (many from a moving tour bus and even a high speed train) and had only about half a dozen that were blurry and had to be deleted. This camera can use either rechargeable or regular AA batteries which make the camera a bit heavier than others, but I like the option of being able to easily pick up extra batteries whenever I'm traveling. The camera does not have a viewfinder which doesn't bother me at all because I like the large LCD screen to see what I'm shooting. But it's the zoom on this camera that is PHENOMENAL! I'm posting pictures I took of the sea lions on the rocks here in the Northwest.....the first picture was without the zoom so you have an idea of how far away they were. The second picture is with the zoom and I did not have to use a tripod to get such a clear picture, I merely leaned against a small railing and snapped away. The resulting photos were crisp and clear with no blur, so clear that you can even see the whiskers on the sea lion!! The video I took was just as vivid, both in picture and sound, as the still photos. The other picture was taken in France through the window of a moving tour bus. Even with the slight tint of the bus windows, the colors are nice and bold and there is no blur. And after seeing the great photos I had, my friend bought the exact same camera and now she is just as happy with her purchase. I have never owned a Nikon before, but I am completely sold on this camera and feel that I definitely got the best value for the money spent!

When I was getting ready to head out on a recent trip to the stunning Central America country of Belize, I knew that I would need something more to take pictures than merely the iPhone I carry in my pocket. I had some big plans to fulfill a life-long dream of traipsing through the Belizean jungle and taking pictures of the animals I found there. Since I'd had a (much) older style of Nikon COOLPIX previously, I made sure to include this version in my research pool. After a significant amount of research, I came back to the L830. It seemed like a good deal. It supposedly had the features I needed, but I was hesitant to pull the trigger on the purchase. It just looked like the price was too low. I didn't want to get snowballed by the low price into buying something I would regret as soon as I was out into the jungle. I was especially worried that the listed 34x zoom would crap out and leave me with nothing but larger, fuzzy shapes instead of the crisp, clear, high-definition pictures and videos I wanted to bring back. I needn't have worried. This camera is AMAZING. Seriously, I took pictures and video that would have been bragged about had they been taken by a professional wildlife photographer. The high-definition pictures showed every hair on the howler monkeys' bodies and every tooth protruding from the mouths of the crocodiles hiding away in the reeds at the edges of the Monkey River in south Belize. The 16MP sensor in the camera performed stunningly well in both the bright light of the pristine Belizean beach and in the dim mist surrounding the Mayan ruins at sunrise and the darkened interior of the caves we explored. Not only was the output magnificent, the controls were so very easy and intuitive, I barely had to read the instruction manual. Still, I did read that manual and found it to be clean, concise and packed with good tips on how to use the L830 up to its potential. There really was no downside to my purchase of this camera. I plan on using this for a long, long time. Definitely worth my money and yours.

This camera did everything I expected, based on the description. Many of the reviews I read before buying indicated that the viewing screen looked washed out in daylight and I found that to be true. As such, it is difficult to know if you're subject is in focus or whether the composition is ideal. Having said that, the tilting feature to the screen is very useful and unlike other cameras with a similar articulating screen, this one seems robust, unlikely to fail from overuse. The video it produces is clear and crisp, stills have good color and capture fine detail. Most of all however, the 720MM telescopic lens is fabulous, bringing distant wildlife, architectural features or geology much closer than I imagined possible with a small camera. While traveling, I witnessed many tourists with large SLR type cameras, sporting massive lenses that probably couldn't match the magnification power of mine. I must admit, I felt a little smug. Overall, I am very happy with the camera and as I said earlier, it does everything I expected and even more. But I do miss the viewfinder on my now broken SLR camera. Having to use a screen makes me feel less involved in the composition process. Additionally, my old SLR had a great host of "Manual" modes that allowed more creative photography that are missing on this unit. I hope one day, someone figures out how to combine all the features of this camera, with those of an SLR. In closing: I feel that this camera is a very good value, it's quick, light, has impressive lens qualities, uses standard AA batteries, which I view as a plus and seems rugged enough. I used it to great effect on a recent trip to Zion National Park, where I took beautiful photos and videos. If someone asked for suggestions on a great digital camera priced under $200, I would enthusiastically recommend this one.

I consider myself an avid hobbyist photographer. I also take photos for my blog, which I am establishing as part of my profession as a writer and researcher. For my purposes, this camera is perfect. It feels great in my hands and the zoom lens allows me to obtain a sharp focus on subjects even across a large lecture hall. I'm still learning all the features. The pocket guide is helpful, but I would recommend downloading the manual. A very helpful review by another purchaser includes the download link to the PDF document. Several reviews mention the lack of a viewfinder as a detriment. I've been taking pictures with my iPhone so the lack of a viewfinder is of no consequence to me. Plus the ability to add a memory card (which is really a necessity) means I can take as many photos as I want without worrying about storage space, which has become an issue with my iPhone. Your mileage may vary. I also like the option to change shutter speeds on this camera. Before I got my iPhone I was using a 5 MP Kodak EasyShare camera. It takes decent pictures but the shutter speed is so S-L-O-W I lost many great pictures. And I'm not talking about fast action shots,either, but rather expression shots from a speaker. Frustrating! Battery life seems OK if you use lithium batteries as opposed to regular dry cell batteries. Using lithium batteries is convenient if you're traveling, especially abroad, but you can also use rechargeable batteries with an external recharger. If you're bothered by the prospect of discarding batteries and having them wind up in landfills (I was), there are often local recycling facilities available (http://www.earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-single-use-batteries/), or you can recycle your batteries by mail for no charge (http://batterycenter.com/battery-recycling-program.html), These options provide the ability to discard spent batteries as responsibly as possible. Finally, I really like that this looks like a real camera, rather than a pocket camera. It may seem superficial, but I've already noticed that I am treated like more of a professional when I attend events as press when I'm using this camera as opposed to my iPhone. The red color is also gorgeous, and yes, I've received favorable comments for this, too. If you're a pro photographer, spend the money to get a top of the line camera. It's an investment. For me, this step up from a pocket point and shoot model was just the ticket. Very glad I made this purchase.

love this camera! so easy to use, its very comfortable in the hand, it feels quite friendly if that makes any sense :P The rubbery spots are very convenient for gripping it and taking pictures with one hand. I never use a flash, so the pop-up flash isn't really a bother. I was able to pull it out of the box and start taking pictures right away. The huge viewscreen tilts and swivels to make it easy to take a pic of something low to the ground (resulting in lots of right up in their faces cat pictures) and its big and bright. I'm very impressed with the quality of the images I've taken so far. Zoom is great, but be advised camera shake is multiplied when you have it on maximum zoom, so if you plan on taking lots of long distance shots I would invest in a tripod or monopod. I look forward to taking pictures from my window of deer and critters that wander into the far reaches of the yard. The macro is so much better than my old camera (a small digital point and shoot, its a trooper, but very basic) I tested it out on some earrings and was able to get very crisp extreme closeups, with little need for editing. it takes 4 regular 2AA batteries, which I like, as its quick and convenient, and I was able to pop in my old SD card and get to work taking photos. the red is gorgeous, which is a plus, a deep shimmery black cherry sort of color. only complaint- the neck strap is kind of narrow and uncomfortable, but that's an easy fix ------------- edit/update still love this camera, its July 31 and I'm only just having to change out the batteries it came with after quite a bit of use :) I'm finding the tilty viewscreen to be very handy, and have been super pleased with the quality of the shots I've gotten with the camera, and I'm still finding it very easy to use :) -------------- update- its 2016 and I still love this camera :P I even dropped it and freaked out and it was fine.

Just received this yesterday. I purchased it in anticipation of my wedding and honeymoon in Turks and Caicos next week. My digital SLR was bulky and I had increasingly found myself avoiding using it and my iphone, though handy and the quality of picture was usually good, I longed for a camera that would allow me some ability to zoom in closer to various activities. All I have done is experiment with the camera, so I am uncertain what the quality of picture will be as I am taking more serious pictures, but here are my initial impressions: 1) The camera is surprisingly light. My concern will be how it will handle an accidental drop, but I definitely like not carrying around a heavier camera. 2) The camera is easy to learn the basics. There are a number of buttons on the body to adjust features. After using my go pro, which is all menu driven and difficult to navigate, this is a breeze. It is also simpler to navigate than my Nikon digital SLR. 3) Several reviews indicated frustration with the auto focus. I am uncertain if this will be a problem. I attempted to take pictures of my maltese and she was jumping and running… every time I attempted to depress the shutter half way to focus, it would light up some and she would run towards me, which then caused the picture to be out of focus. 4) 34x Zoom… need I say more? The benefit of digital SLR cameras was the ability to obtain that level of control on lens. The lens on this camera gives incredible flexibility. There were a couple of reviews that complained that the zoom control was cumbersome. Anyone one who has used zoom on a camera will not find this any more awkward than any other zoom. I think it is about learning the touch of it. 5) $200 from Amazon! $200 for a camera with this capability is crazy. Gotta love the price point on a Nikon! 6) Love the ease of shopping on Amazon and reading all of the great reviews Overall, my initial impressions were quite favorable. I am looking forward to seeing how it performs while in Turks and Caicos. One other comment is that the instruction booklet was very anemic. It said on the outside, "Quick Start Guide" and it was just that. I am hoping that there are additional directions somewhere else to discuss the various "Modes" which you can use. No, you can't adjust aperture and shutter speed, but I rarely have a desire to control that much of the photography. I usually had my Digital SLR on auto mode anyway.

4.5 stars Just came in the mail today! After researching for months and narrowing it down to this camera, the FujiFilm FinePix S8200, and the Canon PowerShot SX510 HS, I am very glad I chose this Nikon. This was my first camera purchase. I usually take photos with my smartphone, however, I needed a camera for my upcoming study abroad semester in London. What I like about it: 1) Long zoom that you can utilize with left or right hand. 2) Easy to navigate menu/features. 3) Takes clear and crisp photos. 4) Great grip. 5) Tilt screen. Haven't really used this feature, but cool to have. Reasons it's not 5 stars: 1) No viewfinder. 2) You always have to remove the lens cap before turning on the camera. Just a bit annoying when you only want to browse through your photos. ****EDIT: Thanks to Chris in the comments I have learned you just need to hold down the play button to browse your photos**** 3) The battery/sd card door is extremely flimsy. It's easy to open, but when I go to close it, I feel like I might break it off. Hopefully that doesn't happen... Overall, I am very happy with this camera!

I loved the size, and feel of this Nikon. The zoom was great, the pictures sharp and the price, very good. And, I liked the Nikon's tilted screen. However, this was my first camera without a viewfinder, and after two weeks, I returned it and ordered the Panasonic Lumix FZ60 - a more expensive camera; but, with viewfinder. I really prefer having the option of having both. The majority of my pictures are nature - birds, flowers, scenery. I had issues with seeing the screen in bright light and it's easier for me the zero in on the subject faster with the viewfinder. It is also easier for me to hold my camera steady when using the viewfinder. The panasonic does not have as long a zoom, but it serves my purpose and cropping the final picture brings my subjects in beautifully. The Panasonic pictures are awesome, it's easy to use and has some great editing features. Bottom line, manufactures are missing the boat by not having more options with optic viewfinders in their comoact models.

Bought this as a pre-owned camera, so it was a bargain V new purchase cost. So far - had it only a couple of hours, I am over the moon, - it is an upgrade to my much older and 1st DSLR, and I am a real beginner - having never gotten to grips with the manual stuff, and stuck to the auto features: a determined to get the manual and do my homework this time. Came very well packaged and protected indeed - loved the box (seller will understand :) ) ... very happy with purchase over all. If you want a tecky feedback, am not the one to ask,

Came in a timely manner and the Camera works great. Awesome purchase

Item came defective, email sent explaining issue, the battery section of camera would not properly close once all 4 AA batteries inserted. Explained situation, provided photos, absolutely no response, no return address to return defective camera. Amazon returned my funds but still no address to return the defective camera.