Nikon Coolpix P90 Digital Camera (12MP, 24x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

The Nikon P90 is a great idea if you want the capability of a full size Digital SLR without the cost of or the messing about with different lenses. The Wide Angle, Macro and Zoom are well above anything else I've seen in this class of hybrid digital camera.
I got the Nikon P90 mainly because of it's amazing built in 24x optical zoom, to give me the ability to take pictures of birds (the feathered variety), without lugging several different cameras, lenses and the tripod all the time, just in case you came across a sudden opportunity, which would invariably pass by the time you got the DSLR set up.
On the up-side, the P90 does everything you need, it is relatively compact and light, the 3" LCD screen is high resolution and the electronic view-finder is reasonable. I prefer to use the electronic viewfinder as it is a more natural position to hold the camera and adds stability when hand-held as opposed to being on a tripod, also it conserves battery life.
The lag between pressing the shutter to being able to frame the next shot is about 2 seconds and is no slower on the highest photo quality setting than on the least, much faster than my Olympus compact C-765 but perhaps not as fast as a Canon DSLR, still it is fine for what the camera is.
On the down side, there is no live histogram facility, only when reviewing pictures after you have taken one! Also there are too many fancy features such as smile and blink warning, scene settings and features for dummies; why not just use Auto? The technology could then be diverted to having the much more useful live histogram.
A word of warning: You must remember to remove the lens cover before you switch it on, as the lens extends 3/4" when it powers up and if you forget, (like I do), causes an error message on the screen. Again some kind of sensor could prevent this, perhaps more useful than the probably never used features!

Having had my Nikon P90 for 4 weeks I wouldn't be without it. As a bridge camera I can carry it around without having to worry about having the right lens for my DSLR. The 24x optical zoom covers all my photograph needs. The flip out movement of the 3" LCD screen makes composing the picture very easy. I like taking flowers and the Macro facility is superb for this. There is some purple fringing on high contrast subjects mainly at the 640mm end of the zoom. The thing I would like is a RAW record mode hopefully there will be an update of the firmware as Cannon have done. Like I. L. Knowles review I keep leaving the lens cap on which I hope doesn't damage the lens motor and a live histogram would be an advantage as it is all to easy to burn the highlights out. Overall I am very pleased with my Nikon P90 and meets all my photograph requirements

The Right Camera for Me
Nikon Coolpix P90 Digital Camera (12.0MP, 24x Optical Zoom) 3.0" LCD

I used this camera for several trips around the world and took breathtaking photographs, all the while it was reliable and user friendly.
Who needs a professional DSLR camera when you have the P90? Ok i know those professional photographers who take pictures for a living will not agree, but if you're an amateur who wants to take fantastic pictures with all the options and features that you might want, including the far reaching zoom (sniper zoom i call it!), then this one is definitely for you. For us amateurs, any additional complication won't bring in any benefits; nikon found the right point in terms of ease of use and creating outstanding pictures with all the needed features.
one thing i found extremely useful in sensitive areas where i wanted to take discrete photos of the local population is the retractable screen.. it allowed me to take pictures while keeping the camera on my belly attached through the strap, sneaking into the LCD turned upwards.. instead of actually holding the camera to my face!
Buy another battery though if you'll be taking many pictures and videos and wont have access to a charger for 2 days or so..