One of the higher specification models, the S8200 has an attractive design thanks to the huge lens barrel on the front. Images go through a 14x optical zoom NIKKOR ED lens onto a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor. The 3 inch screen on the back has a 921,000 dot (307,000 pixel) resolution and is extremely clear with no motion blur.

Speed is a big issue for Nikon on the S8200 and because of this the autofocus and start-up time has been improved on. It certainly seems to be faster but the full review on a final sample with prove it.

For such a small camera, there’s a lot of zoom inside. It covers a 35mm equivalent of 25-350mm and to retain as much sharpness as possible, 2 of the lens elements are ED glass. ED stands for Extra-low Dispersion and is designed to reduce the amount of light scatter so that it gets onto the sensor precisely.

As with the other Nikon digital compact cameras in the new S series range, the S8200 has an EXPEED C2 processor which then files images onto either an SD, SDHC or SDXC memory card.

The camera feels very nice to hold, all the buttons are where they should be including an oversized video record button in the top right corner on the back of the camera. The RRP price seems about right. £279.99 gives you some tasty features in an attractive bundle. The S8200 should perform well in low light or at full zoom thanks to the sensor and the processor and faster start up will interest people who don’t have time to wait.

The Nikon Coolpix S8200 has an RRP of around £279.99 (325 euro) and will be available in red, black, white and silver.

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