Based on a production Nikon Coolpix P5000
Just when Nikon fans had given up on the company ever producing a serious enthusiast compact camera again (thanks to the arrival of the affordable DSLR), along came the P5000, the nearest thing to a high-end compact since the demise of the Coolpix 8800 and 8400 a couple of years back. It's a big leap forward from the previous, slightly disappointing P ('performance', apparently) series cameras, with a more complete feature set, a flash hot shoe and a much more sensible design (previous models were modeled on a bar of soap, and offered similar handling). Although nowhere near as advanced as the real big beasts of this sector, it is much more compact than cameras like the Canon G7, and it does come with a decent level of expandability (add on lenses, flash etc) - and it's very keenly priced. So is this the camera to put Nikon back on the enthusiast compact map? Let's find out, starting with the headline spec:
- 10 megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD
- 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor lens
- Lens shift VR (Vibration Reduction)
- ISO 64-1600 (3200 in 5MP mode)
- BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the sharpest image automatically from ten sequential shots
- P/A/S/M modes plus 16 scene modes
- Compatibility with system-expanding accessories
- Macro shooting enables shooting from as close as 4cm (1.6 in.)
- SDHC card compatibility
- Approx. 21 MB of internal memory
- Face-priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, D-Lighting
- 2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating
Nikon Coolpix P5000 specifications
| Street price | • US: $360 |
|---|---|
| Body Material | Metal and plastic |
| Sensor | • 1/1.8 " Type CCD |
| Image sizes | • 3648 x 2736 |
| Movie clips | • Motion JPEG (AVI) with sound |
| File formats | • JPEG Exif V2.2 • DCF • DPOF • Motion JPEG AVI |
| Lens | • 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor (36-126mm equiv.) |
| Image stabilization | Lens-shift VR |
| Conversion lenses | Yes (optional) |
| Digital zoom | up to 4x |
| Focus | • Contrast Detection AF • Macro • Infinity lock • Manual focus |
| AF area modes | • Auto (9-area automatic selection) |
| AF assist lamp | Yes |
| Focus distance | • 30cm (1 ft.) to infinity (∞) [W], 70cm(2 ft. 4 in.) to infinity (∞) [T] • Macro close-up mode: 4cm (1.6 in.) to infinity (∞) [W], 40cm (1 ft. 4 in.) to infinity (∞) [T] |
| Metering | • Through-the-lens (TTL) metering • 256-segment matrix • Spot • Center-weighted • Spot AF area |
| ISO sensitivity | • Auto (64 - 800) • ISO 64 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 2000 • ISO 3200 (5MP or lower only) |
| Exposure compensation | • -/+ 2EV • in 1/3 EV steps |
| Exposure bracketing | • 3 shots |
| Shutter speed | 1/2000 to 8 s |
| Aperture | • Six blade iris diaphragm • 10 (in steps of 1/3 EV) |
| Modes | • Auto shooting mode |
| Scene modes | Face-priority AF, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist, Voice recording |
| White balance | • Auto |
| Self timer | • 10 or 3 secs |
| Continuous shooting | • Single |
| Image parameters | Normal, Softer, Vivid, More vivid, Portrait, Custom, Black-and-white |
| Flash | • Built-in • Range: (W) 0.3 to 8.0m (1 ft. to 26 ft. 3 in.), (T) 0.3 to 4.0m (1 ft. to 13 ft. 1 in.) • Flash Hot Shoe • Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Anytime flash, Flash cancel, Slow sync., Rear-curtain sync. |
| Viewfinder | • Real-image zoom viewfinder • Approx 80% coverage |
| LCD monitor | • 2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating • 230,000-dot • Approx 97% coverage (record mode) |
| Connectivity | • USB • AV out (NTSC / PAL) |
| Print compliance | PictBridge, DCF, DPOF, EXIF print |
| Storage | • SD / SDHC / MMC card (optional) • Approx 26MB internal memory |
| Power | • Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (supplied) • AC Adapter EH-62A (optional) |
| Weight (No batt) | Approx. 200 g (7.1 oz.) without battery and SD memory card |
| Dimensions | Approx. 98 x 64.5 x 41 mm (3.9 x 2.5 x 1.6 in.) excluding projections |
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).
Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.
We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X, Y, and Z and ideally A, B, and C.
This article is Copyright 1998 - 2016 and may NOT in part or in whole be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.
Comments