D-SLRs are an object of aspiration and desire, but the prohibitive cost has been a major deterrent. As if to address this issue, camera manufacturers have attempted to bring the best of both worlds - relatively affordable price and certain features of high-end digital cameras. This constitutes an important camera segment in today's market.
Nikon has positioned its CoolPix P500 in this segment. The camera looks very similar to its DSLR range and back-illuminated 12 MP CMOS sensor. It is an upgrade to the P100 with a higher optical zoom of 36X from the earlier 26X and a few design changes such as an additional zoom rocker present on the barrel to be used by the left hand. Is it really a worthy upgrade? Let us find out.
Nikon has positioned its CoolPix P500 in this segment. The camera looks very similar to its DSLR range and back-illuminated 12 MP CMOS sensor. It is an upgrade to the P100 with a higher optical zoom of 36X from the earlier 26X and a few design changes such as an additional zoom rocker present on the barrel to be used by the left hand. Is it really a worthy upgrade? Let us find out.
Bundle
- Nikon CoolPix P500
- Lens cover
- Neck strap
- Data cable
- A/V cable
- Rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL5
- Battery charger
- Software disc
- User manual
The Nikon CoolPix P500 sports a design similar to many of Nikon's higher end and more expensive DSLR cameras and has similar ergonomics as well. The body is bulky and feels solid to hold. Built for right-handed people, as are most digicams, there is a rubber grip to get hold of the camera. The grip is just large enough to comfortably hold in the hand since this part of the camera holds the slim single Li-ion battery instead of the multitude of larger AA batteries.
There is space to hold the lens barrel with your left hand to stabilize the camera. As noted earlier, a zoom rocker is present on this barrel and can be accessed by the left hand. The usefulness of this rocker is that it is configurable to be used even for manual focusing, which gives you better control over focusing rather than through the control dial. Though lighter than a few of its competitors, the camera is not really light at 494 grams. Yet it does not feel too heavy possibly because of the superior ergonomics. The weight is actually useful as it provides some stability when shooting handheld. There are eyelets on either side to attach a neck strap, and of course a neck strap is also provided with the camera. The dimensions of the camera are 116 x 84 x 103 mm.
The lens used in this camera is the Nikkor wide angle 4.0-144 mm 1:3.4-5.7, which is equivalent to a focal range of 22.5 to 810 mm in 35mm format. The lens actually consists of 14 elements in 11 groups, and all of them are connected in a well-oiled mechanism for zoom and focus. It is a wonder that despite having so many lenses, the camera is not very heavy. The lens does not come with an automatic lens cover, but a manual cover is provided to protect the lens when the camera is not in use. There is a flash on top of the lens, which pops out with the aid of a mechanical button on the side, though not automatically. Just to the left of the lens is the focusing assist lamp, which helps the autofocus mechanism of the camera.
When you take a look at the top of the camera, you can see that just above the flash, there is a stereo microphone to record stereophonic audio. The placement at the top means that audio is recorded equally well even if the source is placed in any direction. However, the drawback is that you cannot have directional audio recording. Also, being placed so close to each other, we are skeptical about how effectively they can really record stereo sound (as you may later read in the review).
Selection of different shooting modes can be conveniently selected via a mode dial present at the top right. A nicely recessed power button is present on the right and has a green LED ring around it which glows when the camera is switched on. The top of the right portion, which is held by the hand, has a zoom rocker with the shutter release button at the center. The zoom rocker is used to zoom in and out, the subject being shot or filmed. There is a shooting mode button present just besides the shutter button to help you choose the shooting mode.
The back portion is dominated by the large high resolution 3-inch LCD display with 920k dots, thus producing a good image. The LCD can be pulled out, with vertical angular adjustments of 82 degrees downward and 90 degrees upwards, but there is no horizontal adjustment. In addition to this LCD, there is also an electronic viewfinder consisting of a color LCD with 230 dots. This lets you use the camera without a problem even in bright environments and under sunlight.
Another advantage of an electronic viewfinder is that it saves precious battery life. If you happen to be bespectacled, the dioptric adjustment dial on the side of the electronic viewfinder lets you view the image clearly without wearing glasses. The Monitor button on the left of the electronic viewfinder lets you manually toggle between the electronic viewfinder and the LCD. The Display button on the right lets you choose how much information appears in the preview display.
The red button near the top right present on a convenient slant is the dedicated video recording button. A thumb switch around this button lets you choose between HD (High Definition) and HS (High Speed) video modes. A horizontal dial present just to the right of this button is the Command dial, which lets you fine tune settings such as aperture, shutter speed, etc., depending on the shooting mode selected. The playback button to its right lets you view the recorded content.
A multi-selector dial present below this button lets you toggle flash, macro mode, delayed shutter release or adjust EV value, when clicked in one of the four different directions. The OK button at the centre confirms the setting. You can also sift through your recorded content using this dial when in the playback mode. The menu button near the bottom right lets you access the different functions of the camera, such as setting the image/video resolution, image stabilization, white balance, etc. As is self-explanatory, the button with the garbage bin icon is used to delete recorded content from the camera.
The placement of most of the frequently used buttons is good and they are placed such that you can easily operate the camera with just your right hand, even while holding it in the same hand using your thumb or index finger. The thumb rest and rubberized holding area makes it comfortable to hold while shooting.
The battery compartment can be accessed at the bottom of the camera and the hinge and door mechanism are really quite strong. The memory card slot is also present here. The compartment houses the Li-ion battery is also present here and the battery is prevented from slipping outside by means of a latch. One possible disadvantage of this battery over standard AA batteries is that after its life is over, you may need to buy another and being proprietary, you may need to shell out a premium.
There is also a threaded tripod socket to mount the camera on a tripod for steadier photo shoots. This is made of metal and is therefore made to last. The placement of the tripod socket is near the center of gravity, so there is no undue stress on the tripod and the mounted camera is well-balanced and easier to maneuver. Just like most other cameras, you cannot access the memory card when the camera is mounted on a tripod, because the battery compartment lid cannot be opened. Since this is a more serious camera than an ordinary point-and-shoot, this may be an issue for some.
There is a sieve on one side - the speaker, which is useful when you play back the video recorded by the camera. Video out is available in the form of a mini-HDMI and configured to be watched at up to a resolution of 1920x1080. As noted earlier, there is an extra zoom rocker present on the barrel, which can be configured to be used as a manual focus control, making it very much convenient and useful.
Features
The P500 has eleven shooting modes to choose from using the mode dial, thus allowing you plenty of options for manual adjustments. The most basic is the Auto mode where the camera controls just about everything for you, while in the Scene mode, the camera makes adjustments according to the subject being shot and lets you do some adjustments. There are P (Programmable), A (Aperture Priority), S (Shutter Speed) and M (Manual) modes, where you can exercise the most control over the different camera parameters.
There are 16 programs in the Scene Mode with standard settings such as portrait, landscape, night portrait, party/indoor, beach, snow, etc. There is a Sport Continuous mode to shoot fast moving subjects and it shoots with a burst. At Continuous H: auto or Continuous H:60 fps setting, it shoots 25 frames at 60 FPS, but at a lower resolution of 2 MP, while at Continuous H: 120 fps, it shoots 60 frames at around 120 FPS and at an even lower resolution of 1 MP.
Pre-shooting cache is used to improve the chances of getting a good picture, since up to five images are shot just before the shutter release button is pressed. Face detection and Smile detection is also supported in the Smart Portrait mode.
One of the attractions in this model is its 1080p (1920x1080) video recording at 30 fps with stereo sound. Autofocus and zoom works even during the recording. The ultra-silent zoom motor is not audible as you zoom while recording. High Speed mode lets you record for slow motion playback. Recording at 320x240 with 240 fps, 640x480 with 120 fps and 1280x720 with 60 fps is available for 10 seconds each, resulting in a slow motion playback time of 80 seconds, 40 seconds and 20 seconds respectively (played back at 30 fps). There is also an option to record at 1920x1080 at 15 fps for 2 minutes, resulting in fast speed playback for 1 minute. Sound is not recorded in the High Speed mode.
As we mentioned before, the camera can be controlled completely manually as well. You can set shutter speeds from as low as 1/2000 of a second to as high as 8 seconds, while aperture can be set from f2.8 to f8.0. The self-timer can either be set to Off or On, which means 2 or 10 seconds.
Another feature of the Nikon P500 is the hybrid image stabilization using a combination of sensor shift mechanism and Electronic VR for still images. This is very effective and eliminates the need to use a tripod even while shooting with full zoom, producing clear and sharp shots. Only Electronic VR is available during video shooting, so this is not much of a use, especially when you are shooting with high zoom without a tripod.
Photography enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that this camera supports auto-bracketing. This means that once the shutter release button is pressed with this mode enabled, the camera can shoot a sequence of three photographs with varying exposure levels, thus allowing you to produce HDR photographs with a wider gamut of intensity levels than is possible in a single shot. Active D-Lighting is also supported and this preserves details in highlights and shadows, thus creating photographs with natural contrast. Since automatic panorama stitch mode is not present in this camera, a software - ArcSoft Panorama Maker 5 - is provided to carry out the task on the PC.
The P500 has eleven shooting modes to choose from using the mode dial, thus allowing you plenty of options for manual adjustments. The most basic is the Auto mode where the camera controls just about everything for you, while in the Scene mode, the camera makes adjustments according to the subject being shot and lets you do some adjustments. There are P (Programmable), A (Aperture Priority), S (Shutter Speed) and M (Manual) modes, where you can exercise the most control over the different camera parameters.
There are 16 programs in the Scene Mode with standard settings such as portrait, landscape, night portrait, party/indoor, beach, snow, etc. There is a Sport Continuous mode to shoot fast moving subjects and it shoots with a burst. At Continuous H: auto or Continuous H:60 fps setting, it shoots 25 frames at 60 FPS, but at a lower resolution of 2 MP, while at Continuous H: 120 fps, it shoots 60 frames at around 120 FPS and at an even lower resolution of 1 MP.
Pre-shooting cache is used to improve the chances of getting a good picture, since up to five images are shot just before the shutter release button is pressed. Face detection and Smile detection is also supported in the Smart Portrait mode.
One of the attractions in this model is its 1080p (1920x1080) video recording at 30 fps with stereo sound. Autofocus and zoom works even during the recording. The ultra-silent zoom motor is not audible as you zoom while recording. High Speed mode lets you record for slow motion playback. Recording at 320x240 with 240 fps, 640x480 with 120 fps and 1280x720 with 60 fps is available for 10 seconds each, resulting in a slow motion playback time of 80 seconds, 40 seconds and 20 seconds respectively (played back at 30 fps). There is also an option to record at 1920x1080 at 15 fps for 2 minutes, resulting in fast speed playback for 1 minute. Sound is not recorded in the High Speed mode.
As we mentioned before, the camera can be controlled completely manually as well. You can set shutter speeds from as low as 1/2000 of a second to as high as 8 seconds, while aperture can be set from f2.8 to f8.0. The self-timer can either be set to Off or On, which means 2 or 10 seconds.
Another feature of the Nikon P500 is the hybrid image stabilization using a combination of sensor shift mechanism and Electronic VR for still images. This is very effective and eliminates the need to use a tripod even while shooting with full zoom, producing clear and sharp shots. Only Electronic VR is available during video shooting, so this is not much of a use, especially when you are shooting with high zoom without a tripod.
Photography enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that this camera supports auto-bracketing. This means that once the shutter release button is pressed with this mode enabled, the camera can shoot a sequence of three photographs with varying exposure levels, thus allowing you to produce HDR photographs with a wider gamut of intensity levels than is possible in a single shot. Active D-Lighting is also supported and this preserves details in highlights and shadows, thus creating photographs with natural contrast. Since automatic panorama stitch mode is not present in this camera, a software - ArcSoft Panorama Maker 5 - is provided to carry out the task on the PC.
Performance
When you switch on the camera, it takes under a couple of seconds to reach the ready-to-shoot state. When clicking photos, we noticed that it takes around 1.5 seconds between two shots and around 3 seconds when using flash. We shot at the lowest available ISO setting of 160 when possible.
The overall image quality is good, and the even focus ensures a crisp overall image at all points, indicating good optics. Color reproduction is quite good as is the case with most Nikon digicams. Chromatic aberration was not noticeable at no-zoom even when observed very closely, but it becomes increasingly visible towards the top right as the zoom levels are increased. The image seemed to be softer than expected, and the reason for this could be that the lowest ISO setting in this camera is 160, which is not good enough to obtain really sharp details. Noise levels are low, but they are still present and increase as the ISO is increased beyond 400.
The video recording quality is also quite good and this makes a good piece of equipment for recording at 1080p and you can silently zoom and focus (automatically or manually) while shooting videos. But if you have a keen eye, then you may want a real HD camcorder. The camera does not have a proximity sensor, thus there is no automatic switching from LCD to electronic viewfinder when your face is close to the camera. Also, you cannot switch from LCD to electronic viewfinder while video recording is in progress. Videos are recorded in the MOV format using H.264, while images are recorded in JPEG format.
The autofocus is quick and that makes a lot of difference when you want to shoot something quickly, such as a butterfly or a bird. The good thing is that it works well even in darker environments, which is something cameras usually have a problem doing.
On a full charge, the battery lets you shoot up to 250 shots. The good thing is that you can conveniently charge the battery by simply connecting the camera to the PC. The camera supports SD and SD HC cards. The P500 does have 43MB internal memory, which can be useful in a sudden death scenario, when you find that the memory card is full.
Sample images
When you switch on the camera, it takes under a couple of seconds to reach the ready-to-shoot state. When clicking photos, we noticed that it takes around 1.5 seconds between two shots and around 3 seconds when using flash. We shot at the lowest available ISO setting of 160 when possible.
The overall image quality is good, and the even focus ensures a crisp overall image at all points, indicating good optics. Color reproduction is quite good as is the case with most Nikon digicams. Chromatic aberration was not noticeable at no-zoom even when observed very closely, but it becomes increasingly visible towards the top right as the zoom levels are increased. The image seemed to be softer than expected, and the reason for this could be that the lowest ISO setting in this camera is 160, which is not good enough to obtain really sharp details. Noise levels are low, but they are still present and increase as the ISO is increased beyond 400.
The video recording quality is also quite good and this makes a good piece of equipment for recording at 1080p and you can silently zoom and focus (automatically or manually) while shooting videos. But if you have a keen eye, then you may want a real HD camcorder. The camera does not have a proximity sensor, thus there is no automatic switching from LCD to electronic viewfinder when your face is close to the camera. Also, you cannot switch from LCD to electronic viewfinder while video recording is in progress. Videos are recorded in the MOV format using H.264, while images are recorded in JPEG format.
The autofocus is quick and that makes a lot of difference when you want to shoot something quickly, such as a butterfly or a bird. The good thing is that it works well even in darker environments, which is something cameras usually have a problem doing.
On a full charge, the battery lets you shoot up to 250 shots. The good thing is that you can conveniently charge the battery by simply connecting the camera to the PC. The camera supports SD and SD HC cards. The P500 does have 43MB internal memory, which can be useful in a sudden death scenario, when you find that the memory card is full.
Sample images
Without zoom (wide angle)
With 36x optical zoom
In spite of our multiple attempts, we were unable to avoid minor blurring while taking photos at full zoom, even with the hybrid image stabilization turned on. A tripod is therefore a must at full zoom.
This is as close as you can get for the macro mode; about 10 cm. Macro mode captures details as seen in this portion of the previous photograph at actual size.
Fringing is noticeable heavily in this camera as can be seen at the edges of the objects in this photograph. The amount of fringing increases as the magnification is increased.
Here are a few more shots:
ISO 160, 1/640 sec
ISO 160, 1/1000 sec
ISO 160, 1/800 sec
ISO settings from 160 to 3200 are supported in this camera.
ISO 160
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
You can see that noise becomes increasingly evident as the ISO setting is increased and anything above ISO 400 is not really useful.
Verdict
Right from the moment I held the Nikon CoolPix P500, it felt a cut above the rest. The build quality is very solid and ergonomics have been taken well care of. Full manual control along with a host of options coupled with high speed and high definition video recording up to 1080p with autofocus and zoom are definitely enticing. Add to this the super zoom of 36X which is usable even with the camera being hand-held, thanks to the hybrid image stabilization. It really leaves no room for complaints, except for the fact that the lowest ISO setting available is 160.
The image quality is quite good, and so is the video quality, but for a camera that costs Rs. 23,950, we expect a lot more. Those of you who expect the P500 to bridge the gap between DSLRs and mainstream digicams, this will disappoint in the image quality department. Nevertheless, with minor image quality flaws, the Nikon CoolPix P500 is still miles ahead of ordinary point-and-shoot cameras and with plenty of features such as auto bracketing for an enthusiast to keep experimenting with.
Right from the moment I held the Nikon CoolPix P500, it felt a cut above the rest. The build quality is very solid and ergonomics have been taken well care of. Full manual control along with a host of options coupled with high speed and high definition video recording up to 1080p with autofocus and zoom are definitely enticing. Add to this the super zoom of 36X which is usable even with the camera being hand-held, thanks to the hybrid image stabilization. It really leaves no room for complaints, except for the fact that the lowest ISO setting available is 160.
The image quality is quite good, and so is the video quality, but for a camera that costs Rs. 23,950, we expect a lot more. Those of you who expect the P500 to bridge the gap between DSLRs and mainstream digicams, this will disappoint in the image quality department. Nevertheless, with minor image quality flaws, the Nikon CoolPix P500 is still miles ahead of ordinary point-and-shoot cameras and with plenty of features such as auto bracketing for an enthusiast to keep experimenting with.
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