Nikon Coolpix P1000 Nikon - Review 🏆

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is a superzoom digital camera that features a massive 125x optical zoom lens, providing an incredible focal range from wide-angle 24mm to super telephoto 3000mm. With its extremely versatile zoom range, the P1000 is designed for photographers who need the flexibility to capture wide landscapes, architecture, and group portraits as well as distant subjects like wildlife, sports, and celestial bodies.

Key features of the P1000 include its 16MP 1/2.3" BSI CMOS sensor, EXPEED image processor, Dual Detect Optical VR for up to 5 stops of shake reduction, and ability to capture 4K UHD video. The camera has a large 3.2” 921k-dot vari-angle LCD as well as a 2.36M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. It offers full manual exposure controls, RAW image capture, and numerous automatic modes for those who want point-and-shoot functionality. With its incredible zoom power packed into a portable bridge camera body, the P1000 makes it possible to photograph virtually any subject.

Design

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a robust yet sleek DSLR-style body, giving it a premium and professional feel. The camera body is constructed from high-quality plastic and magnesium alloy components, making it durable while keeping the weight manageable.

The handgrip and rear thumb rest are both deep and ergonomically shaped, allowing for a secure and comfortable hold when shooting. The physical controls are well-placed and easy to access, with a variety of dials and buttons for adjusting settings. The mode dial makes switching between manual, semi-manual, and automatic modes simple.

Build quality is excellent with tight seams and solid hinges on the vari-angle LCD screen. The lens barrel and mechanisms also feel sturdy and reliable. Overall, the P1000's physical design reflects its positioning as a flagship superzoom camera aimed at enthusiasts and demanding users.

The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i is an advanced laser rangefinder designed for golfers seeking precision and efficiency on the course. It features a built-in, high-visibility OLED display for clear readings and utilizes Nikon's Hyper Read technology for fast and stable measurements. The rangefinder is compact, easy to handle, and provides both slope-adjusted and actual distance measurements. Its water-resistant design ensures durability in various weather conditions, making it an ideal tool for any golfer. For more details, visit the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i page.

Image Quality

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor that delivers impressive image quality with excellent detail and sharpness. The 16MP resolution allows for large prints and image cropping flexibility.

The P1000 utilizes Nikon's EXPEED image processing engine, which provides outstanding image processing power and helps produce low noise images even in low light conditions up to ISO 6400. The EXPEED engine also enables fast continuous shooting up to 7 frames per second.

Overall, the image quality from the P1000 is very good for a superzoom camera. While a small sensor, the 16MP resolution and EXPEED processing delivers highly detailed images with vibrant colors and low noise, especially at lower ISOs. The image quality won't match larger sensor cameras, but it's quite good given the incredible zoom range.

Another great product is the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S. This versatile telephoto zoom lens offers exceptional optical performance across its zoom range. It features Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization to help reduce camera shake, making it ideal for handheld shooting. The lens is designed for the Nikon Z mount system and delivers edge-to-edge sharpness, beautiful bokeh, and minimal distortion. It's perfect for wildlife, sports, and action photography.

Zoom Capabilities

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is equipped with an incredible 125x optical zoom NIKKOR lens, providing an impressive 24-3000mm focal length range. This allows you to capture extremely tight close-ups of distant subjects like wildlife, sports, and celestial bodies. Even the moon can be photographed in great detail despite being 357,000km away.

To put the zoom range in perspective, at 24mm wide angle, the field of view is similar to a smartphone camera. At 250mm, details of faraway people and buildings start coming into view. By 3000mm at full telephoto, you can clearly see a subject from several kilometers away as if they are right in front of you.

The lens also offers a 4x digital zoom on top, extending up to an equivalent of 12000mm for extreme long distance photography. However, image quality gradually deteriorates with increased digital zoom so optical zoom is recommended whenever possible.

The powerful zoom capabilities open up unique photographic opportunities that are simply not possible with regular camera lenses. From candid street shots to closeups of animals in the wilderness, the P1000 gives you tremendous compositional flexibility to frame your shots exactly how you want.

Video Recording

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 excels when it comes to video recording capabilities. It can shoot 4K UHD video at 30p or 25p, with a high bit rate of 144 Mbps. This produces very detailed, sharp video footage. You can also shoot Full HD 1080p video at up to 60p. For slow motion, there is an option to record 1080p at 120fps or 720p at 240fps. The variety of resolutions and frame rates allows you to choose the best setting for your needs. Whether you want highly detailed 4K video or smooth slow motion effects, the P1000 can deliver excellent results. The optical image stabilization helps keep footage steady when handholding the camera. Overall, the video features make the P1000 a versatile choice for both photographers and videographers alike.

Autofocus and Speed

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a fast and accurate autofocus system. It offers several autofocus modes including Target Finding AF, which automatically locates and focuses on the main subject. There is also a manual focus option for precision focusing.

The P1000 has a shot to shot time of around 0.88 seconds at full resolution, which is quite fast for a camera with such a high megapixel count. The fast EXPEED image processor helps provide quick performance when shooting continuously or taking multiple shots in a row. While not made for sports photography, the P1000 can capture 7 frames per second in continuous shooting mode.

The autofocus system is able to lock onto subjects quickly, even at the extreme 3000mm telephoto zoom range. Overall, the autofocus capabilities and shot to shot speeds of the P1000 are very good for a superzoom bridge camera.

Display

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has a large 3.2-inch rear LCD screen with 921k-dot resolution. This provides a crisp, clear view for composing shots and reviewing images and videos.

One of the most useful features of the display is that it's vari-angle, meaning it can tilt and swivel to different positions. You can tilt it up or down, or rotate it to face forward for selfies and vlogging. This flexibility allows you to shoot from all kinds of positions and angles, even with the camera held overhead or down low.

The rear screen is also a touchscreen, providing an intuitive interface for selecting settings, focusing, and navigating menus. Touch focus and touch shutter are handy for quick operation. Overall, the high resolution vari-angle touch display makes the P1000 very convenient to use.

Connectivity

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has good connectivity options. It has a USB 2.0 Micro-B port for file transfer and charging. The P1000 also has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless image transfer and remote control from your smartphone or tablet. The WiFi and Bluetooth work well for quick transfers, but large image files may be better transferred via the wired USB connection.

The P1000 has built-in GPS that geotags your images with latitude, longitude, direction and altitude information. This allows you to see exactly where your photos were taken on a map, which is handy for landscape photography or documenting your travels. The GPS acquires signals quickly to geotag your images.

Overall, the connectivity options on the P1000 allow for versatile wireless control and image transfer. The inclusion of Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS make it easy to remotely control the camera, instantly share photos to your mobile device, and geo-tag your images.

Battery Life

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is powered by an EN-EL20a rechargeable Li-ion battery. This battery has a rating of 7.1V/1900mAh and allows for up to 250 shots per charge when using the LCD monitor, or 240 shots per charge when using the electronic viewfinder, according to CIPA testing standards.

The battery life is quite modest compared to a DSLR, but reasonable for a superzoom camera. The main drain on battery is the image stabilization system when zoomed in at extreme focal lengths. Turning off vibration reduction can help extend battery life further if needed. Overall the EN-EL20a battery provides sufficient power for a day of shooting, but carrying a spare battery is recommended for longer outings or when recording a lot of video footage.

Summary

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is an impressive superzoom camera with some exceptional strengths, but also a few weaknesses.

Pros

• Massive 125x optical zoom range, allowing you to capture incredibly close-up shots of distant subjects
• Excellent image stabilization helps counteract camera shake at longer focal lengths
• Large 1/2.3" image sensor and 16MP resolution produce good image quality
• Decent autofocus performance, even at extreme telephoto settings
• Vari-angle screen allows flexible viewing angles
• Raw shooting provides greater editing flexibility
• 4K video and external mic input for improved audio

Cons

• Very large and heavy body can be unwieldy to handle and transport
• Small maximum aperture limits low-light performance
• Autofocus can struggle in low contrast situations
• No weather sealing
• Mediocre battery life

Final Verdict

The P1000's record-breaking zoom range is its main selling point and most appealing feature. For those seeking massive zoom power for wildlife, sports, and celestial photography, the P1000 delivers incredible reach. However, the image quality doesn't quite match premium interchangeable lens cameras. For general travel and walkaround use, the size and handling issues are limiting factors. But overall, the P1000 is a specialist tool that excels at ultra telephoto shooting and expands creative possibilities. Just be ready to deal with its quirks and significant heft.