Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Record Location (Black) (OLD MODEL)
Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Record Location (Black) (OLD MODEL)
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- 16.1MP 1/2.3\"-type CMOS sensor
- 7 frames per second continuous shooting
- 42x F3.0-5.9 optical zoom lens (24-1000mm equivalent)
- ISO 100-3200, expandable up to 6400
- 1080p HD video
- 3.0 inch articulated LCD with 921,000 dots
- EVF with 100% coverage
Brand : Nikon
Category : Electronics,Camera & Photo,Digital Cameras,Point & Shoot Digital Cameras
Rating : 4.5
Review Count : 934
Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Record Location (Black) (OLD MODEL)
- I waited almost 6 weeks to get this camera at a reduced price and it has been well worth the wait. The reference manual alone is over 260 pages long, but if you plan to take shots using other than Intelligent Mode, it\'s worth the read to familiarize yourself with this camera and its many functions. I\'ve read the previous reviews on this forum...the criticisms centered around focusing problems, stability at the zoom\'s far ranges, short battery life, difficulty downloading shots using a memory card and motor sounds that can be heard during playback while panning during motion picture photography. I\'ll go over each one. I took shots of birds in our backyard utilizing the the zoom at full range. I was able to get clear shots of the bird feeder but in order to get a clear shot of the sparrows, I had to focus elsewhere. I was able to take these shots without using a tripod, something my old Olympus 800UZ from two years ago could not do because using the zoom at maximum would cause instablity. In short, I had no stability problems using the Nikon, but to get the autofocus to hone in on a small bird, I had to focus on something else for it to work. Although I\'ve experienced similar problems with the Sonys, Panasonics, Olympus and Samsung digital cameras I\'ve owned in the past, the Nikon autofocus problem was only resolveable if you focus on another object. I tried motion picture shots of the same birds in the yard, panning in and out without hearing any discernible motor sounds during playback, which means the motor problem mentioned in earliler reviews has been corrected, or the sound mentioned was barely discernible to begin with. As far as battery life goes, I have sadly come to the conclusion that this may be correct. The original battery with the lower MaH rating(storage capacity) lasted for several days and conked out without much notice. I used an aftermarket battery as replacement with a higher MaH rating and it didn\'t last more than a few hours on a full charge. Using the EVF, editing features, autofocus without taking a lot of shots can drain your battery quickly even with the power saver set at 30 seconds to go in standy mode. By the way, using a higher rated battery also means it will take longer to charge that battery, in much the same manner as having a larger gas tank on your car takes longer to fill than a smaller one. A word about battery chargers: It is not necessary to use the supplied camera cable to charge your batteries in-camera. Ebay has higher rated batteries and wall chargers that also charge your batteries using a ciagarette lighter in your car, a handy accessory if you\'re down to your last spare battery while on a road trip. It is not necessary to use the supplied camera cable to computer port to download photos. I\'ve found that an SCHC memory card reader can also read and download photos to your hard drive, although using the Nikon software supplied with the camera to download your photos is slow and cumbersome. I used Webshots desktop and downloads take a fraction of the time but with drawbacks: There are no editing features like the Nikon software on Webshots, and motion picture photos taken on the memory card will not download using this method, nor can you use the many editing features included in the Nikon software even if you download videos using Real Player. There is no in-camera guide to explain various functions like my Oly had, and it would take another camera bag to lug around the 260 page instruction manual that can be downloaded from the Nikon web site. The sweep panorama is a technological breakthrough compared to the assist panorama (also an available option here) which requires the user to take up to 3 separate photos while panning across 180 or 360 degrees and using a floating target to ensure the pictures are stitched together correctly by the camera\'s computer. The net result often was that photoshopped or stitched together look instead of the smooth look you get from the sweep panorama function. The in-camera GPS function is only good when you\'re outdoors and able to get GPS signals. To make a GPS log, the camera\'s reference manual tells you to download it from their web site using a card reader and a memory card every week or two. Click on the My Computer link before you insert the card reader so you can determine which removable drive it can be found on your computer. If you download it to your desktop, right click your mouse and transfer the file to the removable drive on your computer where the memory card is located. If you click on one of those two drives while the card reader is insterted, you can see the NCFL folder where the info is being stored. Right click your mouse on the file created by the download and drag it to the NCFL folder. Insert the memory card into your camera and your camera will update the A-GPS file in about two minutes. Two years ago, I thought we had seen the last of the EVF, but Nikon has brought it back. For those that prefer a monitor for composing shots, it is adjustable for those hard to reach shots at concerts. If you still prefer the convenience of AA batteries instead of Lithium-Ion, I see no evidence that any major camera manufacturer plans a return to that standard again now or in the near future. I would have preferred a time-lapse photography function, but given the numerous features included here, I won\'t quibble. While I have no intention of retiring my tripod, I won\'t have to use it as much for wildlife shots and sunrises and sunsets from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. I\'ve never owned a Nikon before, but after this camera, I will give serious consideration to owning another one in the near future. I just hope next year\'s model can resolve the autofocus issue encountered in the P510.
- I have been using the Nikon P510 daily for about 6 months. There are a few things I really like about the camera, quite a few things I don\'t like (or could certainly be better), and a few things that should be included.I have been using digital photography for about the last 15 years, and digital exclusively for about the last 6 years. I have a DSLR and an assortment of lenses, I needed a really long zoom and was considering lenses in the several thousand dollar range, when it occurred to me that maybe a newer generation superzoom might be a cheaper (and lighter) way to go. Before purchasing this camera, I tried the FujiFilm HS30EXR, X-S1 and Lumix FZ150, each for about 2 weeks thanks to Amazon Prime. Although, I loved the Fuji cameras, their image quality and image stabilization was not as good as the Nikon or Lumix. The lumix had as good or better image quality compared to the Nikon, but not the zoom reach (600 vs 1000 mm equivalent). So, after taking the same pictures with them all, comparing the pixel detail, noise, overall image quality, and ultimate \"usability\" I decided the Nikon P510 was the best long telephoto producer at that time. The ability to shoot still subjects, hand holding the camera, when it was fully zoomed to the 1000 mm end, at exposures as long as 1/8 second and get consistently crisp images played a major role in this decision(Yes, I Am Serious).DP Review did a good review of this camera, I am only giving my opinion from six months of daily use.The GOOD:* An excellent lens (especially considering the zoom range)* Exceptional optical image stabilization (Nikon calls it vibration reduction)* Very good color reproduction, and white balance* Good flash exposure* Very good articulated rear screen* Good overall image qualityThe Not so Good:* Menu is not very intuitive. Things that should be easy to adjust are difficult to find.* No focus lock, No exposure lock. Holding the shutter button does lock them until the shutter releases, after the shot, exposure and focus reset even if you continue to hold the button half depressed.* A significant time delay in the \"live view\" image you see in the EVF, or on rear screen compared to real time. This delay is probably less than 1/2 second, but is significant enough that you will loose many action shots.* Zoom lens takes about 3 seconds to extend from full wide to full telephoto, then the auto focus may take another 2 - 3 seconds, depending on the illumination and contrast of the subject. The auto focus is generally very accurate, once obtained, which can be difficult at long zoom (I frequently have to initiate a refocus to get the subject focused in, rather than the foreground or background).* The video quality is not good at all. The P510 may be able to shoot decent video if you use manual focus, but the few times I have taken video, the auto focus is way too active, even in good lighting/contrast situations. If you want a camera for video, I highly recommend you look at a different one (both the Lumix and FujiFilms I tested before buying this one, had much better video performance).* Very low light or night photography is generally best left to other cameras. However, with sufficient illumination, such as a city that is well lighted, the results can be very good.* Pretty bad chromatic aberration in high contrast areas (especially at wider angle zoom).* Extremely prone to highlight clipping. I have to shoot about a stop faster than metered most of the time to avoid this clipping, and this increases noise in the shadows (and no doubt causes some loss of shadow detail).* Function button is difficult to find without looking, as it sits just behind the shutter release and is even with the surface from which it should emerge (I put a droplet of clear epoxy on it).* With a zoom this long, auto focus can be very difficult (focusing on a bird in a tree for example). Nikon and other superzoom makers should offer a way for the user to direct auto focus as it gets close to focusing on the intended subject, rather than having to refocus over and over until the camera eventually finds focus, AND they certainly should make it easy to maintain that focal point until the user decides to refocus.* Battery life isn\'t too bad. I get between 100 and 150 shots on a charge. My shooting isn\'t typical, I would think the average user would get over 200 shots per charge. Others have criticized the lack of an external charger, however, I think that for the casual user, USB charging through the camera might be sufficient. If I were going on vacation, or serious about capturing images of an event, I would want at least one spare battery. I bought 4 spare batteries and a charger on eBay for about $15
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