Digital cameras offer no bargains in image quality compared to what one can get with an old 35mm film SLR for the same price, but--in those cases where digital is needed--the old cameras that once were high-end can be decent bargains today. In the point-and-shoot department, with a very long lens, this 12-year-old camera is adequate for fieldwork and casual photos of wildlife, when you don't want to drag a heavy outfit along with you. Originally a thousand dollar camera, it has a lot of features and can be used manually, will take RAW images, and so on but it is very fiddly and requires a lot of time to figure out how to customize it. For the experienced photographer who wants to do that, it's an even better camera, and for $50 or less is a bargain--if one can be had that was gently used and is in perfect operating condition.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Although this camera is steadily becoming outmoded, it is absolutely stuffed with great photography and cinematic options which are no longer attributed to the equivalent versions of today's digital cameras. This means that the old Nikon 8700 has kept its relevance for budding am-pros. It is still easy to find accessories for this device via NikonUSA.com, Craigslist, eBay or Amazon. You do have to be careful where you buy from as some of the used 8700's are not in great shape anymore (mine has a significant lens stutter when it tries to focus or zoom). Other than that, I would highly recommend this camera for its dynamic range and affordability.
Very impressed with this camera even though it is probably 10 year old technology. If your goal is to have a simple to use camera that takes very good pictures, this one will work for you. You can let the camera do the thinking for you, or you can take control and use manual settings. The only complaints I have is that the lens is a part of the camera, with no ability to exchange lens. Also when using manual settings the menus are not simple to use, and the internal battery which retains the date and time is not user-replaceable. Once that battery stops holding a charge, which it will do after a few years, you have to manually set the date and time each time you change the main battery.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This camera is a dinosaur, but is perfect for use in astrophotography and other specialized applications. I had several mounts for this camera for my telescope, in addition to remote control, wide angle and 2x lenses. This is my third such unit. The first one failed (after nearly 10,000 images), and I accidentally drowned the second one in a massive thunderstorm (NOT lol at the time). If you are looking for a general purpose camera, buy something newer instead. If you want a totally flexible unit with a zillion attachments and add-ons, this is still a great camera.
I liked this camera from the start because of the look plus the zoom and the features were great. Unfortunately I think my expectations for this camera were just a tad to high since I started there and then started on a downward spiral of cons. It's a nice camera but it stays exclusive to CF Cards which aren't as easily used and readily available as SD cards for instance. Also I don't know if it was me or the camera but I ran through battery life like it was going out of style. Camera refuses to focus in anything but sunlight. That being said I did send this camera back assuming it was defective so it may have been. Out of the hundreds of pictures I TRIED to take very few, and by very few I mean about 10-15 total, came out clearly. Beyond that I enjoyed the many options you had to choose from on the settings front. It was very customizable. For me they were useless as I am a very casual photographer b ut for someone with a little more know-how I'm sure these settings come in quite useful. All in all I'd say that the Nikon Coolpix 8700 is a great camera for any photo buff looking to get a reasonably priced camera as a back-up. For the rest of us... point and shoot and super zooms are the way to go :)Read full review
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