If you want to capture the action accurate up, the 12.1-megapixel Nikon Coolpix P500 ($399.95 supervise over), with its 36x zoom lens, will get you right there. But with this digital camera, you get more than just an insanely long lens. Excellent image feature, speed, and a well-rounded map set, are part of the deal. Just keep in mind: The P500 is huge, in view of the fact that it houses a huge lens, but you don’t get a generous sensor, like you would with a compact interchangeable lens camera or a Digital SLR.
Design
Even if the P500 facial appearance a huge 36x zoom, a generous, articulating 3-inch LCD and a levelheaded, SLR-like grip, it weighs in at a surprisingly set alight-suspicion 1.1 pounds. At 2.3 by 4.06 by 1.26 inches (HWD), even if, it’s not tiny. All that interval is to hold the camera’s fantastic zoom lens. The grip on the right side provides a firm hold even as framing your shot, and well-placed buttons and switches place forward bounty of control; the camera feels excellent in your hand. You get dyed-in-the-wool buttons for relentless shooting and record recording, and a scroll veer for gap/shutter/manual-shooting settings.
P500 View SlideshowSee all (8) slides
More
For a huge camera, the P500 has a relatively tiny, 28.5mm2 sensor. To equate, the pocket-sizeCanon Powershot S95′s ($399.99, 4 stars) has a 43.3mm2 sensor, and better, but P500-size interchangeable-lens cameras like the Sony Alpha NEX-3 ($549.99, 4.5 stars) have even better sensors).
P500 Specifications
- Type
- Superzoom
- Megapixels
- 12.1 MP
- Media Plot
- Reliable Digital Extended Room
- 35-mm Corresponding (Wide)
- 22 mm
- 35-mm Corresponding (Telephoto)
- 810 mm
- Optical Zoom
- 36 x
- LCD size
- 3 inches
- Record Resolution
- Yes
The LCD cover is top-notch; it’s as generous and astute as what you’ll find on much pricier digital SLRs. With a resolution of 921K dots, it’s three era that of most top-and-spring out cameras. The spectacle is mounted to an arm that you can pull out and tilt up or down. It’s excellent to have when you have to spring out with the camera privileged than or not more than your head.
Still-Image Performance, Record, and Conclusions
The P500 is quick, powering up and shooting in an average of 2 seconds, and you only wait 1.5 seconds between shots. Shutter lag, the time from pin push to image capture, is a mere 0.5 seconds. In the PC Mag labs, we use Imatest to neutrally rate image feature. And the P500 twisted in fantastic performance numbers. In terms of serration, the camera delivered a very astute center-weighted average of 1,894 lines per depiction height. And the P500 can handle low-set alight shooting with aplomb. I was able to crank the ISO sensitivity up to ISO 3200 and noise remained not more than the 1.5-percent acceptability threshold. Shooting at this high ISO means you can get away lacking a sparkle at home and additional low-set alight situations, and still get clean, usable images. To equate, the somewhat tiny PowerShot S95 twisted up an average of 1,858 lines per depiction height, and kept noise not more than 1.5 percent up to and counting ISO 1600.
A commanding record-recording device, with the P500, you can capture footage in high-def at 30 frames per second in either 1080p or 720p. You also confirmation tiny high-speed record (240p at 240 fps and 120p at 120 fps), which is then played back at normal speeds for a slow-shift look. You can zoom and progress the fantastic 36x zoom lens even as you spring out, but both actions produce affront excellent-natured and clicking noises that will get picked up in your recordings.
Nikon includes a mini-HDMI port so you can plug it right into an HDTV for record and still-image play back. A proprietary USB port (with an built-in cable) lets you connect the camera to a notebook. In view of the fact that the camera records to SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards, you can use a card booklover to transfer photos too.
If major zoom factor is your digit one priority, the 36x Nikon Coolpix P500 delivers. Even as it’s high-priced for a release-lens top-and-spring out camera, you won’t find a further-success lens for the $400 price. And you get speed, fantastic image feature and levelheaded low-set alight performance in the bargain. If you can sacrifice some zoom for a camera that fits in your pocket, our Editors’ Extent, the the $330 18x Coolpix S9100 is much more compact, less high-priced, and offers top-notch speed and performance.
