For some time now, Nikon has been one of the only major manufacturers to not carry an ultrazoom in their lineup. That all changed today with the announcement of the new 18x zoom Nikon Coolpix P80.

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Sporting a look familiar to Nikon's other P-series advanced amateur offerings and using much of the technology already seen in other P models, the 10.1 megapixel P80's impressive Nikkor zoom covers an equivalent range of 27-486mm. For a lens of this focal length, Nikon's Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization system isn't just a nicety, but indeed a necessity.

Like most ultrazooms, the P80 is designed to offer DSLR-like performance in a compact package, offering up the standard PASM manual control modes in addition to a full list of scene presets. With sensitivity up to ISO 6400 and an impressive burst shooting rate of up to 13 frames per second (albeit at a lower resolution), the P80 has some promise for low-light and action shooting.

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In addition to an electronic viewfinder, the P80 comes equipped with a 2.7-inch, 230K-dot wide-view LCD. D-Lighting dynamic range correction, Face Priority AF that can detect up to 12 faces, and in-camera red-eye correction have all come to be expected for cameras in this class.

In spite of falling DSLR prices, ultrazooms continue to be a market that generates a lot of consumer interest, and we're not surprised to see Nikon getting into this game.

The new Coolpix should be available this month, with a suggested retail price of $399.95.

Nikon Coolpix P80 Specifications: