Nikon COOLPIX P900 Digital Camera with 83x Optical Zoom and Built-In Wi-Fi(Black)
I have a D610 camera with sevral lenses, which I use for my landscape photography. However I have developed an interest in bird watching lately. I wanted to photograph the birds that I see, so that I can look at those pictures at leisure after returning home, and try to identify them with the help of field guides. I felt that I did not have enough time on the field, to look at the birds carefully remember its markings and consult a filed guide on the spot. Too much time wasted in what could be used to watch more birds. I looked into spotting scopes through which pictures could be taken using a phone adopter, but the quality was not good and also they require tripods and are expensive. I also thought of buying the Tamron or Sigma 150-600 mm lens, but although their price is reasonable, they weigh quite a bit. I have some back pain and cannot realistically carry that much weight along with the binoculars. Too difficult for me at the age of 62. So when I learnt of this camera from Nikon, and looked at the sample pictures, I decided to pre-order. Got it yesterday and must say that I am VERY impressed. Took it to the neighboring state park and got a lot of good photos. They, understandably , are not in the same league as those with full frame cameras, but are highly useable and are greatly increasing my ability to learn the names of the birds. Connecting it to my iPhone 6 was very easy. Weight is very manageable. I did not use a tripod even when using at the maximum zoom range of 2000, but still got good, decently sharp pictures. However I do intend to use a tripod whenever I can. But it does not seem essential. I had thought that not having RAW would be a great disadvantage, as I invariably use RAW for my full frame Nikons, but I have actually felt relieved, being forced not to able do a lot of post-processing. Saves time to spend on the field. I did some simple editing in Lightroom, mainly an S curve, noise reduction and some sharpening. Do remember to customize it at "U" setting, so that you have the spot focusing available to you. Otherwise you may end up with sharply focussed branches rather than the bird. Use fine JPEG setting. I am looking forward to the moon eclipse on April 4th. Highly recommended.
I'm a semi professional photographer, been working part time at it since the 90's and needed a long zoom solution for vacation photos. I have a Canon 100-400 L lens and thought about coupling it with one of my APS-C bodies and a 2x teleconverter but something about carrying all that gear for photos with little to no commercial viability didn't appeal to me. This camera came up a a warehouse deal with an additional 15% off for Amazon Prime day and so I thought I'll get it considering I'm going on vacation to Yellowstone and could use an the extra long zoom reach.
To put the camera to the test I took the obligatory moon shot but then I took a short trip. I visited a local wild life ranch and cavern here in San Antonio area called Natural Bridge Wild Life Ranch and Natural Bridge Caverns. In the wild life ranch I snagged a shot of a Zebra which I sold four copies of in a week just by word of mouth - so much for no commercial viability.
Wildlife Ranch photos here:[...]
Cavern Photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1675684126085238.1073741885.1535609413426044&type=1&l=2f0cb6c5a6
It was a lot of fun to play with the camera, the zoom reach is beyond expectation and certainly has a bit of a WOW factor to it. The fact the camera has manual modes is a bit of a misnomer since the shutter and aperture range you're allow to play with are not the full spectrum but a very limited set, for example, when zoomed in you can open all the way up to f6.5 or stop all the way down to f8.0. Ideally with an inexpensive lens I'd have liked to stop down to f11 to ensure edge to edge sharpness. Do to this limitation I ended up using full auto and adjusting the scene selection as well as using exposure comp for almost every shot.
As one might expect this kind of zoom range makes it easy to induce camera shake but the camera does a reasonably good job of suppressing it. For example, shooting at 1/500 of a second and zoomed to 2000mm yields a sharp image about 1/3 of the time. During shooting I was constantly pixel peeping to see if focus was sharp which it usually wasn't so the solution is to take lots of shots, bracing, holding breath, leaning on something (I brought a mono pod into the caverns). Shooting with it on the wide angle is great if you're not using flash (flash was too powerful and no flash settings, could possibly fix with a napkin or post-it over the flash), zoomed all the way out the P900 provides a nice f2.8 aperture which is faster than some of the competition in the range with smaller zoom lenses.
Back at the computer it was disappointing not to have Raw files to work with. The jpgs were highly compressed and I suspect highly processed in camera to compensate for the inexpensive lens. My first test shots at home made me adjust the in camera processing to add one more notch (you can add up to three) of both contrast and saturation. None the less there is a stop or two of additional range in processing the images in Adobe LR. Highlights and shadows were unrecoverable when completely blown out something my 5D has probably spoiled me on. In the end I think I threw out 1/5th of the shots and about 1/10th of remaining were worth talking about (see links). Like I said before, the solution to the shortcomings of the camera are to take multiple shots of the composition and subj. you want. Honestly I think if I had used my APS-C body and teleconverter I wouldn't have fared too much better and the time spent taking extra shots with the P900 would have been spent catching my breath carrying an additional 5lbs of gear; not to mention shaking the cramps out of my hand.
---Summary---
Pros:
Zoom Reach
Relative portability
Value considering the lens is unique
Cons:
Small sensor size
compression noise
ISO noise even at relatively low ISO (I was trying to keep it at or below 800)
high rate of poor shots
Slow to respond after taking multiple shots (serious problem if you intend to do bird watching)
And not such a con but a note, there are better options out there in this price range if you're not looking the occasional bird photo or moon shot.
I teetered on the edge of returning it but in the end it does provide unique shots at a price that doesn't hurt that bad. So if you can find a deal you're probably going to be very happy with it.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Hell yes - gotta try this zoom, it's insane and worth the shortcomings especially if you have a little skill (or just patience) and can work at overcoming them.
I am a very serious photographer who often keeps a new camera about 6 mos before upgrading to the next new thing. I feel like I have skipped 5 or 6 upgrades with this Nikon P900. I'm blown away at the incredible zoom and other features that came as part of the package. I would never have believed you could take a camera like this and zoom from a close up showing the intimate details of your thumb print to zooming in to be able to see the rings of Saturn or to count the moon's of Jupiter. It has an option to be able to capture the rotation of the earth by taking 150 time elapsed photos and combining them into a movie clip. It's incredible.
I am not a professional. I recently picked up birding and wanted to upgrade my Nikon D40 to a better zoom camera that could hold more than a 2GB memory card. I was wavering between buying a nicer zoom lenses or a new camera. Every lenses that I liked was well over $1000 so I thought I would give the P900 a try. I am really happy with my choice. The weight is also a plus - it is light enough that it goes unnoticed in my backpack on a hike.
I have added 2 accessories : a ~$20 monopod and a ~$7 UV filter
The two photos of a woodpecker are from this weekend – zoomed out and zoomed in (using a monopod). They were taken mid day with low light.
I've noticed that I have stopped using binoculars when bird watching and now only use the zoom on the camera. While I am really impressed with the quality of zoom, I am let down by the battery life. My D40 could go 2 or 3 full without a charge and this camera can only go 1 day.
I've been putting the camera through its paces for several weeks now. It's definitely a birder's dream. No need to carry my Nikon SLR around with all the lenses. This camera has great light gathering ability, even at full zoom.
A technical comment on the claim of 83x magnification. Prior to digital zoom cameras, zoom was measured (binoculars, telescopes) as the magnification over visual. The 35mm visual level is about 50mm. The camera manufacturers (all of them) started using "zoom" as the magnification over the lowest wide-angle setting, in the case of this camera, 28mm. So, expect about 40x magnification, not 80x. That said, the 16mp sensor allows you to magnify the picture several times on your computer and get very good results. A few of the reviewers said the pictures at high zoom weren't clear. I suspect that they are shooting at great distances expecting sharp images, and as astronomers know, all the air instability and particulate matter in between the lens and the subject are magnified and can cause very muddy images. I am finding at a distance of under 100 yards, the pictures are remarkably clear.
As a snapshot camera, it doesn't provide any improvement over an 8mp I-Phone camera, so I won't be carrying the camera around to social events. However, at a recent large meeting, I was able to take a shot of a group engaged in conversation from about 50 feet, and everyone thought they had taken a selfie.
There is a long learning curve. I probably have only used about 20% of the capabilities and am rethinking my methods of bird photography in view of its prowess. For positive bird identification, I usually start with a 50mm view and then zoom in to about 1000mm, keeping the bird solidly in the viewfinder and taking the photo. Then at home I further enlarge the photo to verify the identity. I even find myself setting the camera at about half zoom, aiming at about where the bird is, knowing that I can get a good enlargement of the bird at home.
Several additional advantages of this camera:
There is no mirror to cause camera shake. I'm rather amazed at the clarity of the photos, even at high zoom.
The flip out screen not only allows me to see the frame from many angles, but it protects the screen from damage.
The auto-focus works much better than my old Nikon, particularly with birds high up in flight. If I can get the bird in the frame, the auto-focus will work on it.
It appears the flash is stronger and more under control than my old Nikon.
So, I'll give it a 5. More than meets my expectations at an affordable price.
Feature Product
- 16MP CMOS Sensor;6-level brightness adjustment
- 24-2000mm 35mm Equivalent Focal Length. Sensor Size: 1/2.3 inch
- 83x Optical Zoom NIKKOR Super ED VR Lens
- Vari-Angle TFT LCD Screen
- Electronic Viewfinder
- Full HD 1080/60p Video
- Built-In Wi-Fi, NFC, and GP
- 166x Dynamic Fine Zoom, 332x Digi Zoom
Description
The zoom power of the Nikon COOLPIX P900 is nothing short of spectacular. This is 2000mm of optical zoom-more than any Nikon COOLPIX yet. Advanced shooters will appreciate the outstanding image quality and DSLR styling-a sure grip, a swiveling Vary-angle display, a high-resolution Electronic Viewfinder that turns on automatically when lifted to your eye, even a PSAM mode control dial. Those who simply want great photos and Full HD videos without any fuss will appreciate the point-and-shoot ease and long battery life-up to 360 shots per charge!
I've been using Nikon super-zoom cameras for over a decade now. I started with the P80, went to the P510 and later P610, and now have the P900. They've gotten bigger, and MUCH better, over time (and even the oldest ones still work just fine!). They will NOT take the place of a dedicated DSLR with appropriate lens for specific uses, but where they shine is being ready for anything, anywhere, at any time. No lens-swapping, no huge camera bags of extra lenses and associated gear; all you need is the camera and a spare battery or two. 24-2000mm equivalent of zoom is at your beck and call, ready to bring that distant bird or creature right up close without the associated danger, or any chance of scaring it off. Macro close-up for making tiny things look BIG. Wide angle for the family reunion or crowd shots, or creative cityscapes. All the modes you need, plus a few more. You don't HAVE to use them, but they are there if want/need them. Great battery life. Full HD video.
The P900 is fairly large; if minimizing size/weight is important to you, I'd recommend stepping down to the P610. Otherwise, get the P900 and enjoy!
When it comes to any product the first thing is to state wheat are you going to do with it. I love to view images on large 1920 x 1080 27" monitor, at full screen mode. I bother me to see other things on the screen like bars and menus of the computer / browser. So for me the paper print quality of a camera is completely irrelevant.
I also love things from either very far or very close... I love strong vivid colors and that the image is painfully sharp.
And so, after changing few factory defaults of the P900 in its menus, it takes images the way I like.
I have chosen the Vivid mode in picture control, and enhanced by a click the sharpness, contrast and saturation.
In the ISO department I chosen Auto 100-400.
The Noise reduction is set to Low - the P900 does very good job keeping clear images, by far better than the Canon SX60 I had before, Even at ISO400 you get very clean images.
Than I set the resolution to 1920x1080 so it 100% to monitor resolution and not fitting needed, no loss details.
That does the trick for me. I already learn how to hold tight when shoot zooms.
Results are fantastic.
True, this camera is plastic made, fill flex under pressure, control are moving little to lose to my taste, but who care? We're here for great images and I believe most people are getting new gadget every 2-3 years anyhow, so long as the P900 leave and function for the next 2 years - I'm good.
This is the BEST camera I have ever owned. We were at the Arches National Park. I shot a picture of the full moon that night and had to zoom out a little to get the entire moon. The zoom is just so fantastic on this thing. From a tiny spider to a moon. The night pictures are as great as the daytime pictures. It's clarity is wonderful also. My camera friends are jealous because they have to whip out all of their lenses where I just zoom and shoot. If I could give this a 10 star, I would!
Greetings Reviewer,
I never thought I would like another camera like my former Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR, which I had to replace due to a terminal drop from a 6 foot height.
I shopped extensively to find an equivalent digital camera, which I found in the Nikon Coolpix P900. Fantastic camera!! Sure, the YouTube reviewers PRAISE the P900 for its 83x zoom feature, but the proof is in taking many photographs during a trip. The YouTube reviews have mentioned the P900 camera does not perform well in low lighting, but I have not noticed this in the P900. I am pleased with the photo results in low lighting. Also mentioned in the reviews, the P900 camera is large and weighs more than your average digital camera, so it can be taxing when carrying the P900 all day, but that is why they made neck straps.
PROs
I like the grip and where the control buttons are located. I like the zoom how it pulls in objects from great distance. The camera comes with a one 1850mAh battery, but I recommend purchasing the two 2600mAh battery with AC-DC charger set, as the higher mAh will take about 500 shots per charge. You can set to alternate between the back monitor (for general shots is good) and the eye view monitor (for distance shootings for more precise focus), to save on battery power. I like the wide range of video options from 25-450 fps, so I can do standard, fast motion or slow motion videos. Nice! I also purchased the 67mm Vivtar Professional Goja lens filters and macro lens from 2x-10x, which helps protect the lens and helps with bright sunsets. I bought the wireless control for the Nikon by Foto&Tech, so I can take remote shots with me being in the photo with the family. I understand the P900 can be remotely controlled by using your WiFi mobile cell phone by adding a Nikon app. There are many more features offered on the P900, but that will take time and opportunities to utilize in recording stills and video images.
CONs
Having said that the buttons are well placed, I do have an issue with the placement between the Video button above and the WiFi button below it. I have on several occasions accidently pushed the WiFi button (which sets the WiFi search going) vs intending to press the Video button above. Its a bit frustrating, but given time I will train my thumb to know which button is for video. Outside of this issue, I am good to go take photos.
I wish you well on your photo adventures.
I wanted to buy this camera solely for the 2000mm equivalent lens (for the price of the entire camera, you can't come anywhere close with a DSLR lens). But I had several concerns. These included:
1) Multiple bad reviews indicating poor quality control (out of the box issues with things not working correctly or at all).
2) Amazon.com's ominous “All sales final. Sold as is.” legal disclaimer.
3) The camera's small sensor size (1/2.3”) as compared to my trusty Canon EOS 60D.
Despite all these reservations, I threw caution to the wind and made the purchase.
As soon as I received the camera and had fully charged the battery, I started testing it. After several days of testing, I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps Nikon has started to address their quality control issues or maybe I just got lucky with my camera, but everything seemed to work well.
I was also surprised at the image quality. I didn't expect DSLR quality images (nor did I receive them) but the images I did get are much better than I had expected considering the size of the sensor.
This camera will never replace my DSLR but it is a great addition to my photographic arsenal. It's a fun grab and go camera with an amazing zoom and better than expected image quality.
