nikon p80 Q & A -- questions and answers about the nikon p80 in everyday use (especially for newbies)
The Nikon p80 generates a lot of questions and this post is a response to several that I’ve received in comments lately. Rather than reply after each individual comment, I decided it might be good to create a series of posts devoted entirely to p80 questions and answers. That way you’ll be able to find most of your answers in one place. Or maybe two or three, since I’ll add more Q&A in coming posts. So here goes part one…
First and foremost, it’s important to remember that the Nikon p80 is a very different animal from most other “point-and-shoot” cameras and understandably generates a lot of confusion, especially from folks just making the step up from a basic point-and-shoot camera. Things like —
- how does it compare with such-and-such;
- how can you get the best pix from it;
- how to make photos with the least noise
— these are all things that will eventually be important to you as you move beyond the point-and-shoot phase of photography.
The list of questions/answers below is far from complete, but it’ll get you started and probably trigger more questions which you can ask in additional comments. Later I’ll try to collate the most common queries into an FAQ.
I’ll begin with some specific questions that Kate asked here. I’ll try to answer each one briefly, with some more general comments near the end of this post. Here goes…
Q — “Will a Nikon D60 outperform the p80? If yes, how much so?”
A — Yes. The D60 is light years beyond the p80 in performance. They are completely different cameras and designed for different uses. They’re also hundreds of dollars apart in price. And for all these reasons you really can’t compare the two. The p80 is an advanced point-and-shoot; it will never equal the performance or potential image quality of a DSLR — any DSLR, not just the Nikon D60.
Q — “If I take a picture with a p80 then set the D60 with the same adjustments will the picture be visibly better? Even with the “G” lenses that comes with the D60?”
A — Maybe. In the hands of someone who can use the D60 well you’ll probably see a difference. And someone who can use the p80 well can still create stunning photos that can rival those from the D60. The camera is only a tool, but…
In almost every circumstance, a DSLR will produce better image quality than the p80. The p80 is not a DSLR, so if you want DSLR performance and image quality, you need to focus your energy on which DSLR (plus lenses and accessories) you can afford.
But bear this in mind: the Nikon D60 is an entirely different tool than the p80. The real key to a “better” photo is the photographer, not the camera. Camera is only a tool to record an image. The fidelity of that image depends in great measure on the camera, but the quality of the photo has almost nothing to do with image fidelity or the camera itself. You can make stunning photos with a pinhole box camera if you know how.
Q — “What about noise level? The p80 can go down to ISO 64 while the D60 is ISO 100, so at ISO 100-200 will the D60 produce a lot less noise?”
A — The brief answer here is: yes, for any given ISO, any DSLR will usually produce photos with less noise than the p80. This is especially true at higher ISOs.
Noise is related to sensor size and sensor construction. Generally speaking the larger the sensor, the lower the noise. The sensor in the p80 measures about 6mm x 4mm. The D60’s sensor measures 23.7mm x 16.7mm, about 66% as large as a full-size frame of 35mm film and more than sixteen times larger than the sensor in the p80.
Sidenote — Read here, here, here, here and here for good explanations of what causes digital noise and why a larger sensor is better.
Q — “I have small hands…. I remember my friend used to have a F90x some years ago and it felt BIG and HEAVY in my hands… In all the forums I read they say that the D60 is a lot smaller, now the question is… Is the dimished weight and size of the D60 a problem?”
A — A problem in what way? Are you asking if the quality is going to be less because the camera is smaller? If so, the answer is “No.” As noted above any DSLR (even a Nikon D40, since we’re talking about Nikon models) will produce better image quality than the p80.
If you’re concerned about the size of the camera and how it feels in your hands, go to a camera store and examine the cameras they sell. That’s the only way to determine whether the camera will be comfortable for you or not.
The camera is only a tool. “Bigger” and “bulkier” cameras may be better in some respects than others, or they may not. Size alone is not an important factor. How the camera processes light is important.
Q — “If I take a photo with a F90x using velvia 50 film, and ask the lab for a 8×10 and 13×18 prints.. Will the D60 outperform the f90x if i ask the lab to print the same sizes (of course using the same lenses, flash and settings)?”
[Note: the US version of the F90x was the Nikon N90.]
A — Probably not. First of all, the “same lenses and… settings” will produce different results on different cameras. But even if that were not the case, the F90x will almost always give you better image quality than the D60 (or any other 35mm-style digital camera). It’s certainly capable of far better quality than the D60 or any other 35mm-sized DSLR. Here’s why…
Even the best digital imaging still cannot match the quality of film. The nature of the digital medium makes this almost impossible because digital sensors render the world in absolutes while film renders the world in continuously variable shades, the same manner as your eye does.
This is especially noticeable in the “blown highlights” you’ll find in almost all digital images. Even the best digital sensor produces only 255 possible shades of gray from darkest-to-lightest or black-to-white. And it reproduces these in specific steps along the scale of dark-to-light. When it “hits the wall” at step 255 (maximum white), it cuts off abruptly and senses nothing beyond that point. This is called “clipping” because any brightness beyond the 255 level is cut off — clipped out of the image.
Film does not operate along a scale of steps. The emulsions on modern film react to light in the very same way the retina of your eye reacts; following a smooth logarithmic curve in which multiple shades of gray are easily distinguished from one another. Digital sensors cannot distinguish between level 100.3 and level 101. They can see only level 100 or level 101. But your eye (and modern film emulsions) can easily notice the shading difference between level 100.3 and level 100.5, or 100.5 and 100.7. Your eyes (and film) can distinguish information that digital sensors cannot detect.
That’s why professional photographers who specialize in creating broad-spectrum, high-quality images with great detail prefer film over digital. Digital just doesn’t have the same tonal range or smooth tonal transitions that film permits. It might come close. But today’s technology cannot equal the range and tonal smoothness of film.
The primary reason for the success of digital cameras has been convenience, not quality. That’s the same reason the 35mm format became so successful. Serious photographers (other than news photographers) don’t use the 35mm format. For example, most advertising photography is shot in the 2-1/4, 6×7 or 4×5 formats. Serious landscape photographers use either 4×5 or 8×10 formats.
Quality is why the magazine Arizona Highways still insists that landscape submissions be on 4×5 film. They’ll make exceptions in some cases for some subjects, “but in order to achieve high-quality reproductions” the magazine advises photographers to submit 4×5 color transparency film.
There’s more to add, but that’s all I have time for today. I’ll try to amplify this post again in a day or two and offer some specific buying advice for those considering a p80, and for those who may be torn between buying a p80 (or other super-zoom compact) and a DSLR.
Thanks for reading the blog. Your comments are always welcome. Just click the link below to add one.
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cuneyt said 476 days ago …
hi
I am for 2 days P80 owner and have some confusing data about manual focusing. does it possible or not.
p80bob said 475 days ago …
Thanks for your question!
Manual focus is possible on the p80, although it’s very clumsy (imo). And because the focus “steps” from point to point, I find it far from satisfactory. Here’s how to do it…
(from the P80 Manual )…
1 Press the flower at the bottom of the multi-selector button to display the focus menu and choose MF (manual focus).
2. Use the up or down buttons (left and right) on the multi selector to adjust the focus.
3. When you’re satisfied with the focus you see on the screen, press OK.
— Peace,
Bob
majoy said 462 days ago …
hi,
i was googling about P80 price when i came across your site.
i just bought my p80 (impulsive buy) last month during a trip to Singapore and i haven’t actually had time to study it yet. i even contemplated on selling it because i thought i wasn’t ready for such camera (you see, my previous cam was a sony cybershot w series and then shift to casio exilim – a gift from my parents).
I don’t really fancy to be a pro photographer but i admire wonderful photos. So when i went over the pics i took from my trip using the P80, i found out that there were several quite wonderful photos i made (personal opinion). Sure I’ve heard aperture, shutter speed and other dslr terms but i wasn’t that familiar, so what i did was just manipulate the manual setting and then point and shoot.
Probably i would go out more and shoot more pictures and read some more stuff about photography.
i’m inspired.;)
you can see my pictures here:
www.flickr.com/photo…
Bill Bart said 446 days ago …
My p80 records on SD and SDHC fine and I can view both on my camera. The SDHC can’t be read on my computer to transfer pics. The regular SD works fine. I have tried several HC cards and formated them in the camera, all the same results. Any clue?
Thanks
Kayzad said 431 days ago …
i wanted to know how to use the zoom at night it just doesn’t focus at the complete 18x thanks….
p80bob replies...
That may be a tough one, Kayzad. The p80 does not focus well in low light situations. And if your subject is more than 10-12 feet away, the autofocus assist lamp probably won't help.
Zooming to the full 18x tends to flatten the contrast in a scene, and your p80 uses a focusing system called "contrast detection." So there may not be enough contrast for the p80's focusing stuff to latch onto when you zoom to full extension.
Best thing to do is put more light on your subject. If you can't do that, the you might try manual focus. It's a pain to use, but it does work.
Peace,
-- Bob.
Hoang said 430 days ago …
hi Bob again,
i will most likely buy the DSLR, but now i’ve come down to 2 choice.
1. D40 6 mea pix
2. D40× 10 mega pix
im wondering will the higher the mega pix is, will it help if later i want to enlarge the pix and hang it in my room?
and should i get the lense with VR ( its a bit more expensive)or just the normal with out the VR.
and can you tell me more about the noise, i quiet don’t get understand that, i’ve done a bit of research.
and how to convert the lense from mm to how far the distance can cover in feet, i try to convert 5mm to ft, but it didn’t seem right.
thank you very much Bob
p80bob replies...
Well, Hoang, that's probably a good decision.
If I were you, though, I'd skip the D40x and consider the D60. The D60 is a newer model than the D40x and offers all the features of the D40x with some slight improvements. D60 is also priced comparably or even lower than the 40x, depending on where you buy it. And it's usually sold with Nikon's VR lens, unlike the standard-issue D40x or D40.
If not for the VR lens, I'd still go for the D40 over the D60. But I've not seen the D40 for sale with a VR lens, although you can buy a D40 body-only and a VR lens separately. It just costs more to do it that way. VR is helpful in low-light situations and at telephoto lengths, but not really essential for the "normal" 18-55mm lens.
BTW... don't try to convert mm to feet. The "mm" refers to the focal length of the lens (distance from the optical center of the lens to the sensor) and has nothing to do with distance to your subject. See the discussion of focal length here.
To answer your question about the noise I mentioned earlier, look here.
As for the megapixel difference between the D40 and D60 or D40x, that's not really important. More megapixels don't make the camera better. The sensor technology makes the camera better. In fact, in some cases more megapixels actually make the camera worse! So forget about megapixels. Any of these cameras will produce very nice photos at 13x19" or A3 sizes... as long as they're good photos to begin with. And that's something that has very little to do with the camera and a whole lot to do with the photographer.
Look here for a review of the D60, plus more about the D40 (which is still a great camera). That site's also a great resource for almost everything Nikon and well worth exploring. Some elitist Nikon users and wannabes like to sneer at the writer's ideas and writing style, but I've found them stimulating, helpful and informative.
Enjoy learning and have fun taking pictures!
Peace,
-- Bob.
kcgirl27 said 426 days ago …
hi everyone. this site is great because i am HELPLESS when it comes to these cameras. last year i started in a photography class in school. (im a teenager) and i really enjoyed taking pictures. But im not good with choosing. i definitley want a nikon. & i am mainly interested in quality, im low on cash so my price range.. no higher then 550?. So if i could ask all of you experts. Which would be the best of choice. Oh and what is the difference between the p80 and d60? I mean just in general. Like whats the “P” and what is the “D” standing for? if you guys could answer id be blessed!! thanks.
oh and two more questions.
Ok one um how is the camera charged? as in batteries or with like a charger.
oh and do these cameras just plug in to desktops or laptops and upload or do they require different ways..
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your questions, kcgirl. For complete descriptions of the Nikon P80 and the Nikon D60 look here. For prices and user reviews look here for the p80 and look here for the D60. Those links will help you understand the differences, battery questions and how they connect to your computer.
Peace,
--Bob
jackie said 350 days ago …
i’ve recently just ordered my nikon p80…and i bought a sandisk sdhc memory(8gb) card…that will work right? and how many pictures will it hold?
Thanks!
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your question, Jackie. Nikon says the p80 will recognize a 4gb card. That's the size I use in my p80, so I know it works. I use a sandisk Extreme III in my p80.
Don't know about an 8gb card since I've never tried one in the p80. The camera software may not be able to address the larger capacity, so if it's like most computer storage you may only be able to use 4gb of it. But you'll know when you try it, won't you!
You'll be able to get several hundred photos on a 4gb card, even at maximum jpg size. It all depends on the pixel density you set in your camera.
Have fun with your p80!
Peace,
-- Bob
Brie said 336 days ago …
Hi bob
I just bought my p80 and I am having problems with lighting, i am wanting to take photos of people indoors.(like photo shoots ) I went to a camera shop and told the dude I was barely getting started with all this photography stuff, and he was very snooty, telling me I should have waited to buy a different camera. he was telling me the only thing i could do with this camera is buy this very expensive light that was 700 bones and i dont have that kind of money. any help you can give me so that i can make beautiful portraits of my family with the right lighting ?
p80bob replies...
Hi Brie and thanks for the question. I wish the answer were simple so I could get it all into one reply. Instead, I'm gonna point you to some good reference material that will guide you. But first of all you need to know that the $700 light your camera store guy tried to sell you is _not_ the answer. No way!
Good photography is not about spending money on the latest and greatest stuff. It's about using your tools effectively.
You don't need a $700 lighting setup for pleasing portraits. You do need more than one light, although two or three good photofloods mounted in some cheapie $5 Home Depot reflectors can do the job well enough to get you started.
When using the p80, you'll need enough balanced light so the camera can shoot at a low ISO, preferably ISO 64 or ISO 100. That will give you sufficient exposure control to manipulate the image effectively.
Forget about using the p80's onboard flash. It won't cut it for good portraiture. For that matter, neither will any other flash because nothing else works with the p80.
What you _do_ need is to know about lighting and exposure. You'll get most of that knowledge through playing around and experimenting with your camera and different lighting. But since you're a newcomer to photography you'll first need a place to start.
This book is probably one of the best resources you'll find about lighting and photography. It's filled with techniques and advice and should give you dozens of ideas for things to try out. And while it's not _just_ for newbies, it explains what you need to know in easy language that any beginner can clearly understand.
P.S. -- You'll also find some other good recommendations at that link.
Enjoy your p80 and be sure to let us know where we can see some of your photos!
Peace,
-- Bob
rafael said 254 days ago …
Hi Bob. I bought a p80 last week and I saw in amazon two Opteka lenses for the p80. One is a .45x Wide Angle and the other is a 2.2x Telephoto HD². Link...
I googled the brand Opteka hoping to find reviews and i found in pro photo blogs that the’re kinda cheap (the pair of lenses cost in fact, 64$ and comes with a mini tripod).
Since i’m a newbie and want to experiment, what would you recomend? should I buy these ? apparently i don’t need any adapter to use the lenses.
Thanks in advance, this blog is god send.
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your question Rafael!
I'm not sure what to suggest. Opteka makes "okay" stuff, although the optical quality is pretty low. Still, 64 bucks isn't much and won't be a heartbreaker if your experiment doesn't work out.
Not sure why you'd want a wider angle than the p80 already delivers, and I expect you'll see some increased distortion with it. The 2.2 tele would increase your maximum reach to the equivalent (in 35mm terms) of 1069mm, so be sure you've got lots of light and a shutter speed greater than 1/1000 when you shoot with it. You might get away with 1/800 with the p80's VR, but you'll still be better off using a tripod at that reach.
Most important of all is to have fun with your p80! And the $64 ticket price is a tiny one (unless you need it to buy groceries for the family).
If you decide to go for it, come back here and let us all know how you like the Opteka add-ons.
Peace,
--bob.
Sue Friedman said 198 days ago …
I took pictures without a memory card. I don’t know what cord/connector I need to connect my P80 to my MAC computer to view and save the pictures. Can I get a ‘cord’ at a Best Buy or Radio Shack??
Thank you
p80bob replies...
Hi, Sue and thanks for your question. (It's nice to get one that has a simple answer!)
You should have received a special USB cable in the box with your p80. It looks like a regular (wide, flat) USB cable on one end (which plugs into your computer), has a large tubular gizmo somewhere in the middle of the cable about 2 inches long and a half-inch or so in diameter, and a tiny USB connector on the other end which plugs into your camera.
To transfer your photos with it, follow these steps:
1. Turn the camera off.
2. Turn the computer on.
3. Plug the cable into both the computer and the camera. Be careful plugging in the camera-side connector -- make sure you have it turned correctly to match the camera receptacle and it'll slide in easily. Don't try to force it.
4. Turn on the camera.
5. Launch your Nikon Transfer software.
You can find these instructions (with illustrations) in your p80 Owners Manual on page 75.
If you've lost or misplaced your p80's USB cable, you can get another one here.
Enjoy your p80!
Peace,
-- bob
Bo said 176 days ago …
Bob,
First, thanks for this site! Its a huge help to “newbies” like me.
I was very close to selling the p80 I bought last year because I really didn’t like the pictures I took with it. I was looking for a step up from the normal point and shoot but I just can’t seem to get it.
The pictures always seem to be grainy and lately there is a vertical “light beam” through alot of the picture. Is this a camera problem or do you have a suggestion on how to clear up the pics and prevent the light beam?
Thanks,
Bo
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your question, Bo.
Unless you're shooting only indoors without flash, you shouldn't be seeing a whole lot of "grain" in your pics at normal sizes. But if you enlarge and crop a frame for just a small detail, a lot of "grain" may become apparent.
The stuff you're calling "grain" is most likely noise that's generated by the small sensor the p80 uses to capture images. Only way to avoid it is to shoot within the camera's limitations... that is, always make sure you have plenty of light and be sure to fill the frame with your main subject as much as possible.
It's really difficult to guess what's going on with your p80 without seeing an actual photo that came from it. Do you have a photo posted anywhere (Flickr, Picasa, or anywhere else) so we can look at it? If you do, paste the URL into another comment so we can find it on the web. I'd also need to see a photo with the "vertical light beam" to help you with that.
Thanks again for your question, Bo. I'll try to help but really need to see a couple of photos that show what you describe to be certain I tell you the right thing.
Peace,
Bob
Alan Andrade said 168 days ago …
hi , bob i was wondering i prefer using manual mode for shooting but i was wondering what is the best settings for action pictures is normal sunlight
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your question, Alan. I usually use Shutter Priority mode, then set the shutter as fast as it'll go in whatever light the meter sees. I like to keep it above 1/500, and preferably at 1/1000 or 1/2000 when possible. The high shutter speed gives you the ability to stop action very nicely. It also forces the camera to use a more open f-stop. This works nicely to isolate your subject from the background when zooming because the wider the aperture, the more the background will blur.
If the action is intense, it's also a good idea to set the camera to continuous shooting mode (see manual p.98). This will force the camera to fire off a series of shots each time you press the shutter release. You'll find you can get some surprising stuff as a result.I've used the Sports Continuous mode (selected by the Mode dial) a few times, but prefer using Shutter Priority instead because SP gives me greater control. When you set the camera to Sports Continuous mode, the camera selects everything for you. Some folks prefer it that way, but I'm not one of them.
Enjoy your p80, Alan. Take lots of pictures!
Peace,
-- Bob
elizabeth said 137 days ago …
Is the P90 any better at stop action photos in dim light versus the p80??
p80bob replies...
Thanks for asking, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, the p80 and p90 both suffer from the same drawbacks in that situation... they both need lots of light to work with a high shutter speed. In fact, so do most other cameras.
Depending on what kind of action you're trying to shoot, you'll probably need a shutter speed of 1/320 second or faster. You'll see much more success if you can shoot at 1/500 or faster, and 1/1000 is even better. But to use those shutter speeds you need plenty of light.
It's important to understand that it's not the _camera_ that's at fault, it's the amount of light that reaches the camera. And whether you use a p80, a p90 or a D300s, you still need a high shutter speed and lots of light to get a good stop-action photo that's clear, in focus and well exposed.
You'll improve your chances by finding ways to light your subject brightly. That usually means shooting in bright sunlight or intense artificial light (a brightly lit arena, for example). You could also use off-camera flash or a combination of on-camera and off-camera flash units.
Using off-camera flash with the p80 can be a challenge, though, because most slave flash units will fire when the p80 on-board flash fires its first burst... the one it uses to check white balance and focus. There are some flash units that can be set to ignore that first burst. Here's one that I'm told works with the p80, but I haven't tried it, so can't vouch for it myself.
Thanks again for your question!
Peace,
-- Bob
lindsey said 107 days ago …
is there a fish eye effect on the p80? or do i have to buy one?
p80bob replies...
Thanks for asking, Lindsey, but no, there's no fisheye effect built into the p80. Only way to achieve that would be with an add-on supplementary lens.
The p80 isn't designed to handle the weight of an add-on lens, though. A very lightweight filter (with adapter) won't cause problems. But the heavier weight of a lens (assuming you can find one to fit) may cause trouble with the p80's built in lens. Nikon cautions against using any additional stuff mounted on the p80 lens barrel.
Best and safest way to create a fisheye effect on a photo snapped with the p80 is to do it in post-processing. There's lots of appropriate software that'll work, depending on your computing platform.
Enjoy your p80!
Peace,
Bob
Pratik said 47 days ago …
Hi Bob,
Thanks for this useful info. I am a proud owner of a P80. I do find however that my pics are not very ‘vivid’ as such. That is using it in the ‘Autofocus’ mode I find that other cameras working in the same mode tend to produce pics that are more bright as compared to the p80’s in the same light conditions.
Not sure whether its an issue with the default settings of the camera. Could you tell me a good way to tweak the settings to get a ‘high contrast’ pic without having to resort to photoshop? Thanks very much.
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your question, Pratik.
The simplest way is to use the PAS or M modes and set your p80 to "Vivid" or "More Vivid" in the Optimize Image section of the Shooting menu. These two settings will boost contrast, sharpness and color saturation of your images by different, pre-set amounts, so experiment to see which you like better. You can also change sharpness, contrast, and saturation individually using the Custom menu.
You might also want to adjust your White Balance settings according to the type of scene you're shooting. See page 94 of your p80 manual for a discussion of this procedure. It's easiest to set White Balance to "Auto" (the camera default), but you may find that setting a custom white balance gives you better results in some situations. Once again, experiment with it to see how different settings change your results.
Most important is to avoid shooting towards a light source. Keeping the light behind you will improve the contrast of your photos because it eliminates the light scatter or "lens flare" that can wash-out the colors and contrast when shooting into the light.
Take a look at pages 86-107 in your p80 manual for more info about these settings and how to change them. Most of all, have fun and take lots of pictures!
Peace,
Bob
Davidoff84 said 25 days ago …
Bob, please help me! I have a P80 for one year…and a lot of questions, iy you cand help me. I know that you can theoreticaly play with the Aperture Value to get some effects…like a water fall in blur efect..with the the aperture opened to f2.8..or to make an portrait and focus on the subject with the f8 for example…and i´ve tried different aperture values…and nothing..al my photo look the same.. it´s probably my fault..please help me. p.s. sorry for my english. by the way i-m very disapointed of the low light focus capabilities…and the manual focus.. thanks Bob
p80bob replies...
Thanks for your question David. I'm not sure I can give you any good answers because I'm not really clear on the problems you're having. Do you have a Flickr or Picasa account? If not, set one up and post some of your photos. Then, the best idea would be to come back here and post a link to one of the photos you don't like and perhaps I (or other readers) can make some suggestions to improve the shot.
As far as low light and manual focus on the p80, I've said many times on this blog that the p80 works well in good light. Anything less than good light can be a problem. And I've also said elsewhere on this blog that the p80's manual focus leaves much to be desired. Actually, let me be plainer: in my opinion, manual focus on the p80 stinks. That's why I never use it.
Set up a Flickr account for yourself then post some pix on it and come back here to let us know where they are. Once I can see a photo, I may be able to help with suggestions.
Peace,
Bob
Davidoff84 said 23 days ago …
dear Bob, thanx for the reply. This is the link to one of my Flickr photos: www.flickr.com/photo… as you can see, the background is unclear and ambiguous. This a photo taken with the Automatic mode. Now, I know you can get the same efect playing with the aperture value. But I don´t know how..theoreticaly I know…but in practice it does´t work. thanks one more time. Have a nice evening. David
p80bob replies...
Okay, David, I think I understand what you're asking now (after seeing your photo). As I understand it, you want to have the blurry background so your subject jumps out clearly, is that right? (I'm going to assume it is.)
What you're talking about is a phenomenon called "bokeh," where the backgrund is blurry and out of focus while the main subject is sharp and well-defined. This effect is created by the "depth of field" (also called "DOF") of your camera's lens. To quote from Wikipedia "In optics, particularly as relates to film and photography, the depth of field (DOF) is the portion of a scene that appears acceptably sharp in the image. Although a lens can precisely focus at only one distance, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of the focused distance, so that within the DOF, the unsharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions."
What you want to achieve is a shallow depth of field. That's when the subject is sharp and the background is blurry because only a very small front-to-back zone of the picture is in clear focus. But getting a truly shallow DOF out of the p80 is troublesome. The p80's teeny-tiny sensor is just too small to do the job effectively. This isn't a deficiency that's unique to the p80 however: all super-zooms and point-n-shoot cameras suffer from the same deficiency because the sensors in these cameras are all too small in relation to the size of the lens aperture (opening through which the light passes).
The larger the camera's sensor, the better your photos will be... in all respects.
Also keep in mind that the longer the focal length (telephoto shots), the shallower your depth of field will be, and the shorter the focal length (wide angle shots), the deeper your depth of field will be. So shooting a wide-angle shot (like the one you have here may not show any bokeh at all, especially when you don't use the lowest possible aperture number. Even then, the small sensor in the p80 is the limiting factor. It just can't do the same kind of job as the larger sensors in micro-four-thirds cameras or DSLRs.
But back to the depth of field discussion. Any depth-of-field discussion can get very involved, so it would be a good idea to hit that Wikipedia link again for some serious study.
Getting down to cases, though, the way to get maximum background blur is to shoot with your lens at its maximum aperture (smallest F number). This allows the maximum amount of light to enter the lens and also reduces the depth of the focus zone that surrounds your subject.
Conversely, when you want as much of the image as possible to be sharp, you would use a smaller aperture (higher F number). And this extends that zone of in-focus area so that it covers a greater distance in front of and behind your subject.
If you want to learn more about maximizing "bokeh" and using depth-of-field effectively, it's worth getting your hands on this book and this one, and this series, too.
Any of those will help you get even more enjoyment from your photography, no matter what level of skill you have now.
Thanks again for your comments, David. I'll add you to my list of Flickr galleries to keep up with and I'm sure others who read this will do the same. Some nice photos there! Enjoy your p80 and take lots of pictures!
Peace,
--Bob
Davidoff84 said 23 days ago …
thank you a lot Bob! and for the patiency. That was very useful information. Now I understand perfectly how it works the “bokeh” effect. I´l experience and then post some photos on my Flickr account. thanks one more time. And enjoy everyone your P-80 and make a lot of photos. Greetings to everyone!
p80bob replies...
Glad I could help, David. Drop by with questions anytime.
Enjoy your p80 and don't forget to.... say "cheese!"
Peace,
--Bob