Nikon Coolpix P7000 Preview

Nikon Coolpix P7000 Hands-on Preview, by Barnaby Britton, September 2010

Preview based on a Nikon Coolpix P7000 with firmware v1.0

It was not all that long ago that the so-called ‘luxury’ compact camera market was one of the most important (and lucrative) for the major camera manufacturers. Before DSLRs were affordable, high-end compacts, with DSLR-inspired ergonomics and full manual control were extremely popular amongst enthusiast photographers.

Inevitably, as soon as DSLRs started dropping in price to below $1000, demand for high-end compacts dropped as well. In recent years, only two manufacturers – Canon and Panasonic – have maintained a convincing presence in this segment of the market, with the venerable Powershot G-series and Lumix LX-series respectively – the latter especially gaining a deserved reputation for high-end ergonomics, as well as image quality. The latest cameras in these two ranges – Canon’s Powershot G11 and Panasonic’s LX5, are cast in the same mold as their predecessors, and both offer a range of advanced features in tough, metal bodies with plenty of external controls.

It has been a while since Nikon seriously threatened the ‘luxury’ compact camera market, but the Coolpix P7000 is Nikon’s latest attempt to grab a slice of the action, and follows two rather disappointing models – the P5100 and P6000 – which, despite their high build quality and RAW capture modes, offered (amongst other problems) relatively poor image quality compared to their competitors.

With the P7000, Nikon has made a very clear break from the industrial design of previous P-series compacts. So much so that from every angle, the new camera much more closely resembles the Canon Powershot G11 than anything which has ever carried the ‘Nikon’ badge on its front plate. Like the G11, the P7000 is a fairly large, square camera, with plenty of external controls. Like the G11 it features a 3in LCD on its rear (albeit not an articulated one) and chunky, ‘old fashioned’ mode dials on its top plate. A flash hotshoe and optical viewfinder complete the impression of a camera that is a near-clone of its closest competitor. Even their sensors have nearly identical specifications – 10MP CCDs with a similar ‘standard’ ISO range from ISO 80 (Canon) and 100 (Nikon) to 3200 at full resolution.

So what are we to make of the P7000? Nikon’s enthusiast DSLR users have been crying out for a G11-type compact camera as a more portable alternative to their DSLRs for some time, and it looks like they have got exactly that. Is the P7000 the answer to their prayers? Read on to find out. We’ve had a working sample for just long enough to produce a hands-on preview, including a gallery of images.

Nikon Coolpix P7000 Key Features 10MP CCD sensor 720p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone ISO 100-3200 RAW capture option (.NRW format) and NRW+JPEG (fine) 7x zoom (28-200mm equivalent) f/2.8-5.6 with 2 ED elements and built-in ND filter 720p (1280×720) motion picture mode with AF and lens zoom during recording 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen 4 Picture Control preset modes + custom mode EXPEED C2 processor Active D-Lighting Electronic virtual horizon HDMI output Zoom memory function i-TTL compatibility with Speedlight SB-400/600/800/900 flashguns Dual IR recievers (front and rear) for wireless remote control ML-L3. Coolpix P7000 specifications Recommended price $499.95 €549 £489 Sensor 1/1.7″ Type CCD 10.1 million effective pixels Image sizes 3648 x 2736 (4:3) 3648 x 2432 (3:2) 3584 x 2016 (16:9) 2736 x 2736 (1:1) 3264 x 2448 2592 x 1944 2048 x 1536 1600 x 1200 1280 x 960 1024 x 768 640 x 480 1024 x 768 Movie clips 1280 x 720 @ 24fps 640 x 480 @ 30fps 320 x 240 @ 30fps File formats Still: JPEG (Exif v2.2), RAW Movie: MOV [H.264 + Linear PCM (monaural)] Lens 28-200mm (35mm equiv) f = 6.0 – 42.6 mm 7x optical zoom F2.8-5.6 Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups (including 2 ED elements and 4 aspherical elements) Image stabilization Yes (Lens-Shift) Digital zoom up to 4x Focus Auto focus :TTL – 99-point Auto/Manual selection AF – 1-point AF (center spot, normal, wide) Subject tracking Face detection AF modes Single full-time AF lock Yes (on/off selectable) AF assist lamp Yes Focus distance Closest focus distance 2 cm (macro mode) Metering Matrix Center-weighted average Spot (center) Spot AF area ISO sensitivity Auto ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO 6400 AE lock Yes Exposure compensation +/- 3EV in 1/3 stop increments Shutter speed Auto (1 – 2/2000 sec) 60-1/2000 sec Modes Auto Program AE Shutter Priority AE Aperture Priority AE Manual Custom U1/U2/U3 Low Light Noise mode SCENE Movie Scene modes Auto Portrait Landscape Sports Night portrait Party/indoor Beach Snow Sunset Dusk/dawn Night landscape Close-up Food Museum Fireworks show Copy Backlighting Panorama assist White balance Auto Daylight Incandescent Fluorescent FL1 Fluorescent FL2 Fluorescent FL3 Cloudy Flash Manual (Kelvin adjustment) Custom 1/2/3 Self timer 2/10 seconds Smile Self Timer Continuous shooting Approx. 0.7 shots/sec. AF: Approx. 0.7 shots/sec. Image parameters Picture Control (Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Custom 1, Custom 2) Flash Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill flash, Manual (1/64 – full power), Slow sync, Rear curtain sync Flash exposure compensation +/- 2EV in 1/3 stop increments External Flash Compatible Nikon Speedlight models LCD monitor 3.0 inch LCD 921,000 dots 100% coverage in playback mode (97% in live view) Connectivity USB 2.0 Hi-Speed HDMI mini connector AV out (PAL / NTSC switchable) Remote control Optional wireless Remote Control ML-L3 Connectivity USB 2.0 Hi-Speed HDMI mini connector AV out (PAL / NTSC switchable) Storage SD, SDHC, SDXC Power Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL14 Weight (no batt) 310g (10.9 oz.) approx Dimensions 114.2 x 77.0 x 44.8 mm If you are new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you comprehend some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.

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Nikon Coolpix P7000 Preview

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