Nikon Coopix L810: why do I get crappy images

Hi all,


[if this isn't the right place for my question, please direct me where I should go? Thanks!]

I had a limited budget so I Googled, read tons of reviews, asked questions, purchased a few cameras, took them home and tried them out. I finally upgraded my PhotoSmart 425 to a Nikon CoolPix L810. I was sold on the (promised) higher quality, 26X optical zoom and the name (and pricing was good at BestBuy).


Video: My first impressions are a very annoying auto-focus that would blur the picture to up to 10 seconds while filming.


Photo: A strange digital smudge seems to appear on portraits. When I zoom the image in Photoshop, I can see the grain is smudged across the face, while other places it looks OK.


You don't often get a second chance to a great photo opportunity. So it's disheartening when you realize you missed it. Last night, my wife performed a classical piece during a concert, and the result of my filming is horrible! I'm ready to return this and go for something that won't waste my shots, time, energy and money.


My question: has anyone had issues with Nikon's CoolPix series, and if so, what solved it?


Please, don't tell me to Google. I'm asking iStock users because I see the work quality here, and I trust my inquiry will not be lost in an ocean of derogatory insanity thrown at me...


Thank you!


Andre Lefebvre

(Edited on 2012-11-21 19:43:07 by florenzo)

hi there - I've moved you to Photo forum

thank you!

Your camera has the smallest sensor size of any standard camera, so I'd say the images are probably as good quality as any similarly priced super zoom that has a tiny sensor and too many pixels crammed onto it.

Sadly, there's not a huge amount you can do about it. If you want higher quality images in lower light conditions, you'll need something with a bigger sensor. I don't know much about consumer cameras and super zooms, maybe there is a good one, but they tend to have ridiculously ambitious lens ranges and tiny sensors. You can't dodge the laws of physics, even if camera marketing spiel says you can.

I'm guessing here but probably trhe camera is on "Auto Everything". The concert you filmed was probably  in low light so the camera upped the iso settings automatically resulting in lots of noise. As Kelvin points out lots of pixels crammed onto a tiny sensor low light crazy optical zoom settings isn't a good combo. If Nikon could make a camera that met iS standards for 200bucks does video and stills 26x optical zoom they would have a winner

You have bought a cheap compact camera, and a large part of your money has gone on loads of megapixels (about the same number as the Nikon D4, which costs maybe 30x what you paid, just for the camera body) , and a massive zoom range.
As a comparison, my camera (no lens) cost 7x as much as you camera and my main lens has a 2.9x zoom (compared to your 26x zoom range) and cost about 10x as much as your camera. The combined zoom range of my 3 main lenses (very wide, standard, tele) is only about 12x, and their combined cost is maybe 25x what you paid for your camera.

If you are after image quality at a budget, you need a camera with fewer megapixels and a smaller zoom range, but a better quality sensor.

Better quality sensor usually means bigger physical size, and/or less pixels incidentally.


One of the problems of buying any consumer camera is that the reviews seem to be about the "features" and the size of the image and not about the image quality. Any photographer will tell you that extremely long lenses need firstly to be of good physical quality (read expensive) to get good results, and secondly your technique needs to be good too. Using full auto will allow the camera to set the ISO way up to get a fast enough shutter speed to avoid blurring at a particular focal length.That's going to give you bad, grainy images with a "consumer" type camera. Same with video; Low light=High ISO=Low IQ. Add that to the fact that (on still photographs at least) you probably have all sorts of processing turned on. "Sharpening" "Vibrance" and "Noise Reduction" are all going to make an already bad image worse.


As already said look for a camera with less megapixels and a smaller zoom range.  Also look for one where it's possible to shoot at with at least partly manual exposure, and to turn in camera image processing off.


Unfortunately, as always, more money equates to be      

If you want good photos from your nikon try shooting at ISO 80-100 and not more than 400 ISO in low light.  You should be able to set the ISO.  That will help.  Most compacts are sunny day cameras offering decent quality at low ISO's in sunlight.  Avoid zooming out too much as quality may degrade as you reach the maximum range.