Nikon Coolpix S800c is the first Android camera

The Wi-Fi-enabled 16-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S800c is the first camera we've seen that runs Google's Android operating system, which was previously limited to smart phones and tablets. Supporting Android and its apps is a ground-breaking innovation in digital cameras that addresses one of the major complaints people have about them (especially compared with smart phones): the inability to customize camera features.

According to Nikon, the S800c can download and run "camera-specific photo and video applications," such as photo-editing or photo filter apps, much the way they'd run on a smart phone. The S800c can also e-mail images and upload images and video to social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube, no computer needed.

Up until now, consumers were pretty much stuck with the features that were built into digital cameras. Some models' features could be changed, but only through an arcane process known as a firmware update, by which the camera maker fixed bugs and added a few new software capabilities.

Opening cameras up to the Android app market (Google Play), coupled with built-in Wi-Fi, gives consumers direct access to potentially thousands of apps for their cameras. Nikon did not specify which version of Android the Coolpix S800c will run when it is released next month.

Other specs on the S800c: It has 16 megapixels of resolution, a 10x optical zoom (25-250mm), a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen display, 4GB of internal memory, and a GPS feature. It will cost about $350 and be available in September.

Nikon announced two additional innovative Coolpix cameras, to be available in September as well. The 10-megapixel Coolpix S01 ($180) is a new type of subcompact for Nikon that the company claims is substantially smaller than anything it has designed before, measuring 3.1 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches and weighing just 3.4 ounces. The S01 will also feature a 2.5-inch touchscreen display, 3x optical zoom (29-87mm), and 8GB of flash memory. Like an iPhone, the S01 will have an internal, nonremovable battery.

The 12-megapixel Coolpix P7700, $500, is an advanced point-and-shoot that replaces the Coolpix P7100 as the flagship model in the Coolpix line. It will feature a very bright lens, with an f/2 aperture at its widest setting, which means it should perform well in low light. It has a 7.1x optical zoom (28-200mm), 3-inch swiveling LCD, the ability to capture 1080p HD video, and many manual settings. Like most advanced point-and-shoots, the P7700 has lots of physical dials and controls, can capture RAW files, and includes a hot-shoe for attaching an external strobe—but there's no optical viewfinder.

If you're in the market for a point-and-shoot, check out our free digital-camera buying guide at ConsumerReports.org.

—Terry Sullivan