A couple of weeks ago, I talked about a mid-priced digital camera that emphasizes optical zoom capabilities over image size. That camera, the Canon Powershot S1 IS blows the optical zoom capabilities of my film SLR camera away, at least with the lens I use for every day photos.

A couple of days ago, Nikon announced a new series of digital cameras that also emphasize optical zoom capabilities. The top of the line prosumer model, the Nikon Coolpix 8800, combines the 10x optical zoom feature that I like so much in the Canon with an 8-megapixel still image capture capability. This lets you shoot an image that can be printed at 20 by 30-inches, if you are so inclined.

This camera is going to be tough to get before Halloween, but retailers like Amazon.com are taking orders now.

The other key feature on the Coolpix 8800 is vibration reduction. This is the first consumer-oriented Nikon digital camera to incorporate this technology, which makes high resolution pictures clearer in less-than-optimal shooting conditions. A situation where vibration reduction will improve pictures is in low light. When the flash isn't powerful enough to illuminate the entire subject of your photo, the camera's shutter has to compensate by staying open for a longer time. Without vibration reduction, shots like these are often impossible without a tripod or a monopod.

I'm looking forward to getting a Coolpix 8800 in my hands. I want to see how much vibration reduction improves the quality of photos that rely on my unsteady hands. As is the case with all digital cameras that produce big images and have large zoom capabilities, I want to see how fast and how accurate the zoom controls are.