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Attaining a excessive degree of optical zoom on DSLRs and full-frame cameras usually requires utilizing a big and heavy lens, like those you have in all probability seen getting used at sporting occasions or for wildlife pictures. Nevertheless, the zoom ranges of such lenses are nonetheless decrease in comparison with what may be achieved with point-and-shoot cameras, on account of their smaller sensors and bigger crop elements.
Nikon’s compact Coolpix P900 led the cost for some time, providing a formidable 83x optical zoom. Just lately, the corporate launched its successor, known as the P1000, which boasts of a staggering 125x optical zoom. There’s additionally 4K video help this time. All this in a package deal that may simply slot in most backpacks, makes the Nikon P1000 a really fascinating choice for these in search of the very best doable zoom vary. We have been utilizing P1000 for a number of days, and it is time to see if it is value its Rs. 75,990 asking worth.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 design and ergonomics
The digicam ships in a fairly sizeable field, and for good motive. The Coolpix P1000 is a chunky digicam that is roughly the scale of a mean skilled DSLR. In truth, it occupies an identical quantity to a Canon 5D Mark III with a 100mm macro lens. It is also fairly heavy at 1.4kg and the design of the lens and placement of a few of the buttons require you to make use of it with two fingers always.
The plastic physique feels sturdy and has a delicate texture that permits for a very good grip. The hand grip is chunky, with loads of rubber inserts, supplying you with the texture of a DSLR. The digicam is front-heavy because of the 17-element lens array, so it isn’t probably the most ergonomic design. That is one thing that could not be helped, contemplating the aim it is attempting to realize. The entrance of the lens has a hoop round it that allows you to alter focus in guide mode, however it will possibly additionally carry out completely different features like publicity compensation, ISO or white steadiness adjustment, relying on what you set it to.
The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a plastic construct and may be heavy to deal with
The left aspect of the lens has a button for a ‘snap-back zoom’ function and zoom lever. ‘Snap-back zoom’ is beneficial, as when you press it, the viewfinder zooms out a bit so that you can re-frame your shot, and when you launch it, it snaps again to that zoom degree. The zoom lever permits you to make minor changes to the zoom degree. The shutter button additionally has a zoom lever, and it may be programmed in an fascinating method, which we’ll get in to within the subsequent part.
The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a pop-up flash in addition to a sizzling shoe for attaching an exterior flash. The 0.39-inch OLED viewfinder has a decision of two.35 million dots and diopter adjustment. We like the truth that the viewfinder protrudes outwards fairly a bit, so while you look by means of it, your nostril would not contact the show simply, stopping sweat and dirt buildup. The controls on the highest embrace a mode dial, command dial, energy button, and customisable operate (Fn) button.
All of the ports are positioned on the left of the digicam and are lined by rubber flaps. These embrace a microphone enter, Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB, and an adjunct terminal. On the again, we now have a 3.2-inch show with a 921k dot decision. It may be totally articulated, which is sweet, however there is no contact help.
The rear LCD show may be totally articulated
There’s a smattering of buttons right here, all of that are huge and chunky and have good suggestions. This features a button for video recording, an AF/AE lock, one for manually switching between the LCD display screen and the EVF, and a multi-selector wheel with a hard and fast set of shortcuts.
Within the field, you get a detachable battery that is rated for 250 photographs per cost, a Micro-USB cable, a charging adapter, a Micro-HDMI cable, and in accordance with Nikon’s web site, a 16GB Class 10 SD card.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 specs and options
To realize this degree of zoom whereas nonetheless retaining the scale of the digicam comparatively moveable, Nikon has caught with a 1/2.3-inch sensor with a 16-megapixel decision, which is similar one used on the Coolpix P900. The digicam has a focal vary of 4.3mm to 539mm and an aperture vary of f/2.8 to f/8. While you account for the 5.6 crop issue, you get the equal of a 24mm to three,000mm focal size.
The Coolpix P1000 solely makes use of distinction detection autofocus and has an ISO vary of 100 to six,400. It additionally helps lens stabilisation for stills, and a mixture of this plus digital stabilisation for motion pictures. Different options embrace help for SDXC playing cards, RAW (NRW format), video recording at as much as 4K at 30fps, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g.
The digicam additionally helps Nikon’s SnapBridge software program, which helps you to connect with Android or iOS gadgets wirelessly. You possibly can have photographs robotically transferred to your smartphone as they’re taken, which works even when the digicam is off, so long as Bluetooth is on. Distant pictures can be doable because the app permits you to management the main focus, zoom, and different parameters proper out of your telephone. All of this works effectively, simply as we have skilled on earlier Nikon cameras.
The menu system may be very simplistic and straightforward to grasp, even for novice customers. The settings are unfold throughout 4 fundamental sections — Stills, Film, Wi-fi, and Miscellaneous. One of many settings value being attentive to is Zoom Reminiscence, which helps you to set varied ranges for the zoom lever on the shutter button. This fashion, you’ll be able to leap immediately from 24mm to 200mm, 800mm, and so forth, making it sooner to get to particular zoom ranges with only a few faucets.
ou may even set the zoom place when the digicam begins up, from the default 24mm, as much as 135mm. Digital stabilisation is not supported at 4K however it’s obtainable for different resolutions. The digicam can shoot 1080p video at 60fps and even 480p video at 120fps.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 efficiency and battery life
In our ISO take a look at, we test to see a digicam’s tolerance to noise as we go up the ISO scale. The Coolpix P1000 would not have a really giant vary and you may manually improve or lower it solely in full cease increments. Noise discount was stored at the usual degree for this take a look at.
Particulars have been maintained effectively until about ISO 1600, however at ISO 3200, there was noticeable discount in particulars within the effort to suppress noise. On the highest ISO setting, the picture was hazy and particulars regarded mushy. To be trustworthy, we weren’t anticipating excellent efficiency, given the tiny sensor.
Nikon P1000 ISO take a look at
The primary motive anybody would wish to purchase this digicam is for its zoom functionality, which is solely wonderful. It will possibly make objects which can be actually kilometres away look like they’re proper in entrance of you. The distinction detection autofocus will not be unhealthy at a variety as much as 1000mm, nevertheless, it begins getting slower as you method the utmost zoom degree. At 3000mm, the Coolpix P1000 actually struggled to focus at occasions, a lot in order that we needed to zoom out a bit so as lock focus. For those who’re capturing handheld then be sure you’ve received a very good grip on the digicam, as the load shifts ahead because the lens extends outwards.
The Coolpix P1000 is a good software for capturing distant objects just like the moon. In truth, this digicam has a Moon capturing mode that robotically allows a 3 second timer, provides a shortcut to leap to 1000mm zoom, and assigns the command dial to let you choose filters to offer the sky a unique color tone. When capturing handheld, the digicam’s vibration discount works very effectively in compensating for slight hand motion, even on the most zoom degree.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 digicam pattern: ISO 400, f/7.1, 2,200mm (35mm, faucet to see full measurement)
Nikon Coolpix P1000 digicam pattern: ISO 1,600, f/5.6, 1000mm (35mm, faucet to see full measurement)
There is a Chicken capturing mode that disables the shutter sound so you do not scare away any wildlife. The sluggish autofocus at excessive zoom ranges actually limits this digicam’s potential for critical wildlife pictures as we missed a few nice photographs of birds whereas we waited for the main focus to lock. This does not offer you a number of confidence when capturing fleeting moments, which is a bit disappointing.
Picture high quality is first rate beneath good gentle however is sort of mediocre in low gentle. In landscapes, we seen first rate element and colors. Dynamic vary was additionally fairly good. Macros shot on the widest focal size had good colors and sharpness however this lowered as soon as we went up the zoom vary. The picture high quality began degrading barely as soon as we went past 1000mm, which was noticeable at a one hundred pc crop. Colors have been nonetheless captured effectively however objects lacked good definition.
Additionally they appeared flat, for the reason that larger up the zoom vary you go, the narrower the aperture will get. In low gentle, particulars have been mushy, and edges round objects weren’t all the time effectively outlined, even with out pushing the ISO to six,400. You possibly can extract extra element and sharpness when you save your photographs within the RAW format, when you have the time and willingness to mess around in Adobe Lightroom.
Nikon Coolpix P1000 digicam pattern: ISO 180, f/4, 18.9mm (35mm), faucet to see full measurement
At full zoom, focusing is hard and pictures usually look gentle (Nikon Coolpix P1000 digicam pattern: ISO 1,600, f/8, 3000mm, faucet to see full measurement)
Nikon Coolpix P1000 digicam pattern: ISO 1,600, f/4, 105mm (35mm), faucet to see full measurement
Nikon Coolpix P1000 digicam pattern: ISO 1,100, f/3.2, 30mm (35mm), faucet to see full measurement
4K movies aren’t stabilised, so footage is a bit shaky when you transfer about. For those who’re staying nonetheless and capturing footage at excessive zoom ranges, the lens stabilisation works effectively. The image is sharp and clear at zoom ranges as much as round 1000mm, after which it begins getting a bit gentle.
Stabilisation works effectively at 1080p and 30fps, however the footage has a gentle shimmer impact while you transfer about, which is a aspect impact of digital stabilisation. At 3000mm, the Coolpix P1000 displays a number of focus looking, on account of which we have been pressured to dial down the zoom a bit.
Video high quality is first rate in low gentle however will get a bit noisy and gentle at excessive zoom ranges. Steady autofocus is not very fast because it takes a very good variety of seconds to lock focus while you change your framing or the focal size. There’s a guide video mode however there is no technique to change the main focus level, like you’ll be able to for stills, which is a bit disappointing. This implies you will have to maneuver your topic or the digicam, to get what you need in focus.
The LCD show produces a decently sharp picture however the brightness is not very excessive on the default degree, so we needed to max it out when capturing in daylight. The EVF produces good picture high quality, and the switching between the 2 is fast, because of the attention sensor. The eyepiece makes use of plastic as an alternative of a gentle rubber lining like most high-end cameras, which is not very snug for extended use.
There’s just one programmable button, which may be set to alter the drive mode, metering, ISO, and so on. Having a couple of extra customisable buttons or dials would have been good. The digicam has a most burst fee of round 8fps however you can even shoot a small video clip at 60fps or 120fps, and extract stills from it.
Battery life will not be nice, however we managed to get a bit greater than the rated variety of photographs per cost on common. We managed to squeeze in a couple of quick 1080p and 4K video clips, however general battery life may have been so much higher. With the bundled wall charger, it takes round three hours to completely cost the battery.
Verdict
The Nikon Coolpix P1000 provides the longest zoom you’ll be able to hope for from a digicam that may match right into a backpack, which is an enormous accomplishment in itself. This comes at a excessive worth of Rs. 75,950 and actually, at this worth we additionally count on excellent picture high quality, which this digicam struggles with.
It does supply wonderful lens stabilisation even at full zoom, a totally articulating LCD show, good grip, and first rate high quality 4K movies. Sadly, the autofocus would not encourage confidence, which limits the kind of pictures you’ll be able to obtain with this digicam. Additionally, low-light and battery efficiency was a bit weak, and lets not neglect that it is a handful to hold round.
For those who’re merely in search of excessive zoom, then the older Nikon Coolpix P900 makes a number of sense. It nonetheless has a decently giant 83x or 2000mm zoom degree, and packs in comparable guts because the P1000 (with the omission of 4K video and RAW help), all for a worth of simply Rs. 32,950.
For those who’re taking a look at higher picture high quality, then the Panasonic DMC-FZ2500 is a good choice at round Rs. 80,000. It solely has a 20x zoom, but it surely’s extra feature-packed and the 1-inch sensor ought to offer you higher picture high quality. Lastly, in order for you higher zoom ranges from a 1-inch sensor digicam, then Sony’s RX10 III and RX10 IV are a few of the greatest you will get, however their costs transcend Rs. 1,00,000.
Worth (MRP): Rs. 75,950
Execs
- Spectacular zoom vary
- Superb lens stabilisation
- Totally articulating show
- RAW and 4K help
Cons
- Heavy and ponderous
- Common high quality JPEGs
- Battery life might be higher
- Autofocus may be sluggish
Rankings (out of 5)
- Construct/ design: 3.5
- Picture high quality: 3
- Video high quality: 3.5
- Efficiency: 3
- Worth for cash: 3.5
- Total: 3.5
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