A 3x f/2.8-4.8 zoom lens with focal lengths from 7.5 -22.5 mm (equivalent to 36-108 mm in 35mm photography) and a powerful 5.1x digital zoom let you move in real close even to far-away subjects. A brilliant 2.5-inch TFT color monitor and an optical real-image viewfinder with eyesight correction make framing a cinch. Close up, focusing in the Rollei dp8300 is possible in the macro range from 5 to 50 cm. Beyond 50 cm, an autofocus system takes care of optimum focus.

An important asset for subsequent creative processing of images is the option of recording in TIFF file format. The slightly less memory-intensive JPEG format may be used in FINE, STANDARD or ECONOMY quality. There is a choice of four different image resolutions. In addition to stills, the Rollei dp8300 will also record video clips with the duration of recording being limited only by the capacity of the memory card. In the Standard mode, the clips are recorded with 30 images per second, in the Eco mode with 15 images per second and 640 x 480 pixels. SD memory cards with up to 1 GB may be used; a 64MB SD card is supplied with the camera. In addition, the Rollei dp8300 will also record brief commentaries of up to 30-second duration.

To give you maximum leeway for individual control, the camera offers an impressive range of options, starting with flash (Forced, Off, Red-eye Reduction) and white balance (Manual, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1 and 2) to multi zone evaluative and spot metering, and right up to automatic TTL focusing. When it comes to exposure compensation, you have a choice of Auto or Manual over ±2.0 EV in 1/3 increments. The self-timer, finally, has delays of 2, 10 and 10+2 seconds. To transfer your stills or video clips to your computer or a TV set, the camera has a USB 1.1 and a video interface (NTSC, PAL).