Nikon Coolpix S80 and P7000 hands-on

Sharing the limelight with the Nikon D7000 today were these two Coolpix cameras: the OLED touchscreen-donning S80 (left) and the prosumer-oriented P7000 (right). Let's start off with the S80: this 14.1 megapixel compact turned out to be pretty sexy and solid, and we had no qualms with sliding its lens cover, either. That said, the 3.5-inch touchscreen was one helluva double-edged sword -- sure, it was responsive to our touch input (for tap-to-capture or tap-to-focus), but a lot of the times we found our naughty fingers slipping onto the screen, thus accidentally triggering the camera. And just as we speculated, the lack of physical buttons (zoom control and shutter, for instance) was pretty intimidating to begin with, but as with many smartphones these days, it probably just takes time to get used to this newfangled interface. If we were to improve the camera as it is right now, we'd probably throw in a sharper alternative for the OLED display -- despite its wide viewing angles and vibrant colors -- for the sake of focusing and playback.

Do read on for our thoughts on the P7000 after the break.%Gallery-102327% %Gallery-102330%

We didn't have much time to fiddle with all the buttons and dials on the 10.1 megapixel P7000, but its flat scroll wheel -- not featured on its predecessor -- next to the sharp screen proved to be a great addition for scrolling between photos. Leaving picture quality aside, the rest of the camera was a bit disappointing -- first and most importantly, our right hand didn't feel all that comfortable over the reduced grip area (especially on the back), and the exposed strap hook on the right wasn't helping, either. The tiny viewfinder also left a lot to be desired, but then again, you'd probably want a DSLR anyway if that kind of detail bothers you. Anyhow, we'll see if the pundits agree with us in their upcoming reviews -- who knows, the low-noise performance might just make up for the ergonomic loss.