Camera Review: Nikon Coolpix P7000

Positives

• 10MP CCD sensor
• Higher-resolution LCD monitor
• Excellent image quality at ISO 100
• Optical viewfinder
• Manual exposure and focus control
• Close focus to within an inch of the lens surface at wide-angle setting
• Built-in, effective HDR
• Short shutter lag time
• Long-range optical zoom lens
• 720p HD video 

Negatives

• Image quality deteriorates at higher ISOs due to small sensor
• No AF during video recording
• Heavier, larger than most compact cameras
• Optical finder shows less than 80% of view

Nikon Coolpix P500 review

Nikon Coolpix P500 test photos : At the CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging Show, held in Japan at the beginning of this year, Nikon introduced nine new digital cameras, including the Nikon Coolpix P500. The 12.1 megapixel Nikon Coolpix P500 belongs to the Performance series, which is Nikon´s most extensive series of digital compact cameras. The Nikon Coolpix P500 megazoom camera has a zoom range of a mere 22.5mm ultra wide-angle to 810mm super-tele. With the 36x super-zoom function, a subject can easily be shot at a close range, which is ideal for sport or nature photography. The Nikon Coolpix P500 digital camera became available last month for a suggested retail price of 429 EUR. 

Next to the super-zoom function, the Nikon Coolpix P500 digital camera is equipped with a tilting LCD screen. The 3" screen can be tilted 90˚ upwards and 82˚ downwards. Full HD videos are effortlessly displayed on the high resolution screen. Slow motion and speed up video recordings can be shot with the new Nikon Coolpix P500 megazoom camera. Another handy feature is that a photo can be shot at any moment while shooting video. Also nice is taking panorama photos, in 180˚ as well as 360˚. The Nikon Coolpix P500 is an easy to use digital camera with many advanced camera functions.  

The new Nikon Coolpix P500 digital camera is equipped with a 12.1 megapixel CMOS image sensor with back lighting. This increases the amount of light that shines on each pixel, which improves sensitivity and decreases noise. This makes it possible to shoot photographs under any type of lighting conditions with the Nikon Coolpix P500. Even blurry photos are a thing of the past with the Nikon Coolpix P500, thanks to seven functions that automatically prevent blurry photographs, such as Hybrid VR (advanced vibration reduction) and the Best Shot Selector (which automatically selects the best shot out of 10 consecutive shots). Nice pictures can be made with the Nikon Coolpix P500 camera even at night, thanks to Night portrait and Night landscape. 

The Nikon Coolpix P500 test photos were taken with a full production camera. This means that this Nikon Coolpix P500 is the same as the digital camera that is available in retail stores. The Nikon P500 camera will soon be fully tested on technical aspects in our DIWA test lab under laboratory conditions. The Nikon Coolpix P500 test photos in this article were shot in Madurodam miniature world in the Hague. The original Nikon Coolpix P500 photos can be downloaded via the links found underneath the pictures. 

Camera Test : Nikon D5100

Nikon kickstarted a revolution in the photography world when it included video recording in the D90, a DSLR that also wowed shooters with its fine imaging and great handling. Now Nikon’s new D5100 finesses that combo further. It’s the company’s first to include full 1920x1080-pixel recording at 30 frames per second. Nikon’s D7000 and D3100 can record 1080p, but only at 24 fps— great for cinema nerds, but not for watching home movies on regular high-definition TVs. The D5100 can please both crowds.

Plus, Nikon improved the D5100’s still-imaging capabilities over its predecessor’s. The D5100 has the same 16.2MP DX format (1.5X lens factor) sensor as the D7000, giving you almost 4 million more pixels than the D5000. Low-light shooters will appreciate the D5100’s extra 2 stops of sensitivity, topping out at ISO 25,600. Add in the 3-inch, 921,000- dot articulated LCD screen, and the D5100 looks like a full-featured camera for the everyday shooter, what we call a step-up model. Step-ups have significantly greater capabilities than basic entry-level DSLRs, but, by foregoing the more rugged bodies with weathersealing, come in at a price far lower than enthusiast models. The D5100’s current main competitors here are the Canon EOS Rebel T3i and the Sony Alpha A580, which we have not yet tested.

In the Lab
After running the D5100 through the Popular Photography Test Lab, we can say that the camera’s images look great. In fact, the D5100 earned an Extremely High rating in overall image quality— falling just short of an Excellent rating. With a resolution result of 2490 lines per picture height, it was a hair’s breadth away from our top score’s cutoff of 2500 lines.

In our color accuracy test, the D5100 easily achieved an Excellent score with an average Delta E of 6.31 for 8-bit TIFFs converted from 14-bit compressed NEF RAW files captured by the camera.

Unlike Nikon’s higher-end DSLRs, which give you an option of compressed or uncompressed RAW files, the D5100’s are stored using a proprietary form of compression. The advantage is that the RAW files are somewhat smaller. Of course, purists would argue that any compression is a bad thing. But as far as color was concerned, we had no problem with the D5100’s compressed RAW files. And the advantage of the smaller file size is that you can fit more shots per burst in continuous shooting mode. The D5100 gives you 16 RAW shots per burst compared with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i’s 6 per burst.

The D5100 kept noise to a Low or better rating all the way up to ISO 800. Canon’s T3i, with its 18MP sensor, was able to do so only up to ISO 400, giving the Nikon a 1-stop advantage in terms of critically clean images. Once you step up in sensitivity, though, the Canon takes the 1-stop lead. The T3i maintained acceptable levels of noise up to ISO 3200, while the D5100’s last level of acceptable noise in our test was at ISO 1600.

If you’re willing to accept noisy ISOs in exchange for extreme low-light shooting, you should note that the D5100 extends up to an equivalent of ISO 25,600 (Nikon calls this Hi 2) while Canon’s T3i reaches only ISO 12,800, a stop less advantage. If there’s one aspect of performance in which Canon’s T3i takes a clear lead, it’s in our autofocus speed test results. Since the D5100 doesn’t have an AF coupling pin, you have to use lenses that have internal AF motors in order to have autofocus. For the Nikon system, that means G-series lenses. So we used the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G to test the D5100 instead of the D-series Nikkor, which we find autofocuses slightly faster.

At the brightest part of our test, the D5100 focused in 0.50 second, while the T3i did so in 0.36 second at the same light level. The Canon remains more than a tenth of a second faster than the Nikon all the way down to the night-like darkness of EV 0. The gap tightened at EV –1 with the D5100 focusing in 1.01 seconds and the T3i in 0.95 second.

Both cameras become less consistent at EV –2, though the Canon was able to achieve focus regularly enough for us to report a number for it at this level. The Nikon often failed to focus at all at EV –2, so we did not include that light level in our test results. Neither is rated by the manufacturers to focus in such dim light. Nikon rates the D5100’s AF system to function down to only EV –1, and the fact that it focused in about a second at that level is quite impressive.

Nikon Digital Cameras Under 100 Dollars

Nikon Coolpix L11

For folks who are looking for the best digital cameras under 100 dollars, there are a few models which fit the bill. The Samsung PL20, the VuPoint DV-WPST541-VP, and the Nikon Coolpix L11 are generally available in most markets for less than $100 and they offer basic digital camera functions as well as good quality for the price.

The Nikon Coolpix L22 is specifically very popular, apparently for more than just their name. It is a compact camera that is able to do what bigger cameras do for much less money. The Coolpix offers users 6 megapixels, (for photos as large as 16 x 20 inches), which is more than you will find with most digital cameras under 100 dollars.

The Coolpix also sports a bright 2.4-inch LCD screen so that you can view and share your photos. The 3x zoom lens helps you get those close-ups you want while the trademarked in-camera red-eye fix automatically filters out most red-eye.

These amazing digital cameras under 100 dollars also feature an exclusive face-finding system from Nikon which automatically focuses on faces in your photos. Another highlight of this compact digital masterpiece is the D-lighting option which can help improve details and brightness on backlit or dark photos.

Of course there are other digital cameras under 100 dollars on the market as well, such as the previously mentioned models from Samsung and VuPoint, but currently the Nikon Coolpix is the clear forerunner.

Which Nikon Digital Camera Should I Buy?

Digital cameras make picture taking easier for photographers of any skill level. And for camera enthusiasts, Nikon is synonymous with a quality camera. Nikon offers many digital camera choices, from the ultra compact Coolpix line to the professional quality SLR cameras. Follow these steps to buy the Nikon digital camera that's right for you.


 Determine how you want to use your digital camera. If you want something you can stick in your pocket and carry around, you probably want to look at the lightweight Nikon Coolpix cameras. If you want to get serious about photography, look at the digital SLRs that offer a variety of lenses plus great photos with less available light.

Decide how much you want to spend. Nikon cameras range from approximately $120 to well over a thousand dollars. If you're on a budget, look at one of the Coolpix cameras. Like most SLRs, the Nikon SLR costs more than other cameras.

Ask yourself if you want to print your photos or if you're more likely to transfer them to your computer for emailing and to use on web pages. If your main output is going to be your computer, then you should be fine with a camera that offers 1.3 megapixel resolution. If you plan to print photos, choose a higher resolution camera of at least 3 megapixels. Professionals need a minimum of 5 megapixels.

Read reviews of the various Nikon cameras once you've narrowed down your choices with Steps 1 through 3. Photography magazines and consumer reports are one source of reviews. Another is Cnet.com, which allows you to compare different models.

Look at the extra features that come with the different models. One handy feature is removable photo storage that allows you to take more photos. Look also at flash possibilities, red-eye reduction modes and automatic features. Pay attention to the batteries. Digital cameras eat batteries for lunch. For cost and the environment, rechargeable batteries make the most sense.

Pay attention to your lens choice. Most digital cameras come with a zoom lens with variable focal length. Wide-angle lenses have short focal lengths, good for taking photographs of scenery. Longer focal lengths allow you to zoom in on distant objects. Most regular digital cameras come with a 3X zoom lens. Superzoom cameras provide zoom ranges of 8X or 10X and a longer maximum focal length. With the Nikon digital SLRs, you change your lens depending on your needs.

Buy Nikon cameras at a variety of retailers, both online and stores. Photography stores are a good bet for the greatest variety and knowledgeable sales people. If you're on a budget, you can find some of the Coolpix cameras at discount stores. Electronic stores like Circuit City tend to have more choices. Check Amazon for online retailers selling Nikon digital cameras.