Nikon's beginner bridge superzoom of 2009 — 10MP CCD, 15x 28-420mm equiv VR lens, AA power
The Coolpix L100 was a bridge-styled superzoom in Nikon's beginner-friendly L line, announced in February 2009. It offered a long zoom with fully automatic operation, sitting above the small L-series pocket compacts but below the enthusiast P-series bridges.
A 10-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD sat behind a 15x Zoom-Nikkor equivalent to 28-420mm, steadied by sensor-shift Vibration Reduction. The 3-inch, 230,000-dot LCD handled framing, sensitivity ran ISO 80-3200, storage was SD/SDHC, and power came from four widely available AA batteries.
Its appeal is reach and simplicity: Easy Auto with Scene Auto Selector, face-priority AF and Smart Portrait features do the deciding, so it suits beginners and casual travel or wildlife snapshots. There are no manual exposure modes, which limits it for learning photography.
AA power makes it an easy used buy since no proprietary charger is needed; rechargeable NiMH cells give far better life than alkalines. Test the long zoom through its full travel, confirm VR operates, and check the LCD and battery contacts for corrosion from cells left in storage.