Nikon Coolpix P500

alaTest has collected and analysed 680 reviews from magazines and websites. People really like the portability and color. The image stabilizer and design are also mentioned favorably, whereas many are less positive about the contrast and performance. There are some mixed ratings about the memory and low light performance.

usability, design, stabilizer , color, portability

battery, focus, features, performance, contrast

We analysed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Nikon Coolpix P500 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 93/100 = Excellent quality.

See all Nikon Digital Compact Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 680 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (48% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (34% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (10% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (4% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Usability
  Show positive (77%)Show negative (2%)(Show all)
Battery
  Show positive (6%)Show negative (30%)(Show all)
Design
  Show positive (65%)Show negative (3%)(Show all)
Stabilizer
  Show positive (57%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
Color
  Show positive (57%)Show negative (7%)(Show all)
Sensor
  Show positive (43%)Show negative (5%)(Show all)
Focus
  Show positive (5%)Show negative (22%)(Show all)
Portability
  Show positive (65%)Show negative (6%)(Show all)
Shutter
  Show positive (28%)Show negative (28%)(Show all)
Flash
  Show positive (21%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)
Show more features

Showing 345 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 345 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (380)

Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500 review

 

This super-zoom bridge camera sports a 36x zoom lens, sensor shift image stabilisation, 1080p video recording and a 12.1 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor.

Hugely flexible zoom range ; Articulated three inch screen ; Zoom control on the lens barrel ; Low noise at high sensitivities ; High Seed and High Definition video ; recording

Struggles to focus at maximum telehoto ; Sharness and contrast dros at telehoto end ; Continuous shooting burst is over in under a second

At the telephoto end, the camera struggles to focus, and images can lack the contrast and sharpness seen at shorter focal lengths. If this is taken into account, and care is taken when using the telephoto end of the zoom range, the P500 can still yield...

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500 review

 

Although we all like the idea of swapping camera lenses as and when we want to, in reality a one-lens-fits-all approach makes for greater convenience. A couple of months back Canon's latest 35x optical zoom PowerShot in the SX30 IS nudged ahead of the...

Huge optical zoom range, relatively easy to use, well labelled controls and buttons, reasonably fast and responsive

Won’t fit in the pocket, visible pixel fringing, corner softening and soft results at maximum telephoto slightly mar an otherwise impressive performance

This is an able compromise between compact camera and DSLR for those who need a paparazzi like lens reach on a budget. Though sharpness does suffer at longer focal lengths, for all encompassing general-purpose snapping the P500 is hard to beat

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500

 

Nikon's latest 'mega zoom' just edges ahead of its Canon SX30 IS rival by offering a huge 36x optical reach. But can its performance keep up?

Class-leading 36x zoom lens ; Full HD video with stereo sound ; Flip out screen ; Full manual controls

Mediocre image quality ; Bulky ; Same price as entry level DSLR

If you're after a truly super, superzoom then you can't get much better than the Nikon P500. It's 36x zoom is quite simply one better than the competition, spanning as it does a range of 22.5 - 810mm (in 35mm terms). With Full HD video, including...

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500 review

 

Last week we reviewed Nikon's mid-price ultra-zoom camera, the Coolpix L120, and were impressed at what Nikon had achieved with a limited budget. This week it's the turn of the upmarket P500.

The lens sacrifices sharpness for zoom range, but this capable camera packs a huge number of fun features.

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500

 

A great superzoom camera which is marred by battery issues.

Good automated and manual controls,36X zoom with 22.5mm wide-angle,High-speed movie and burst modes,Very good image quality,Very good image quality

No RAW shooting,Stabilization struggles at full telephoto,Stabilization struggles at full telephoto,Slightly soft images

Very Good

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500

 

Nikon's superzoom comes with a hugely impressive specification, and in use it lives up to it for the most part

Verging on greatness, the P500 is let down only by noisy images in anything other than the best light

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500 review

 

With its 36X optical zoom, the Nikon Coolpix P500 is the current ruler of the megazoom world. At 35X, only the Canon PowerShot SX30 is in close pursuit, but the SX30's 24mm wide angle specification is no match for the P500's superwide 22.5mm lens, a...

The Nikon Coolpix P500 offers a lot of features on top of its 36X optical zoom that will appeal to enthusiasts and snapshooters alike. The wide range of features means that anyone can pick up the camera and start shooting or, in the case of experienced...

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Expert review by:

Nikon COOLPIX P500

 

Nikon COOLPIX P500: Nikon flexes its extreme focal length muscles

The COOLPIX P500 looks and performs like a DSLR. Image quality is excellent, the LCD is pleasant to use, and the 36x zoom is the icing on the cake

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Expert review by:

Nikon Coolpix P500 Review

 

With a massive 36x optical zoom lens the Nikon Coolpix P500 offers one of the largest optical magnifications on offer. The Nikon Coolpix P500 review follows....

Superb handling, excellent build quality, impressive images on occasion

Pin cushioning at wide angle, limited tonal range

The Nikon Coolpix P500 offers plenty, and the zoom isn't unmanageable, making it one of the better bridge models currently available

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Expert review by:

Nikon CoolPix P500

 

Will it bridge the gap between DSLRs and mainstream digicams?

Good color reproduction and image quality, good 1080p video recording, superb LCD display, 36x optical zoom, rugged build, ergonomics, hybrid image stabilization, auto-bracketing

Noise at ISO 400 and higher, image quality could have been better, lowest ISO 160, no automatic panorama stitch mode

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Product Specifications

Configuration

Autofocus: Yes
Built-in Flash: Yes
Changeable Lens: No
Image Stabiliser:Optical Image Stabiliser
Integrated GPS Module: No
Touchscreen: No
View Finder Type:Optical / Electronic Viewfinder + LCD

Connectivity

Bluetooth: No
HDMI: Yes
HDMI Interface: Yes
PictBridge: Yes
WiFi Connectivity: No

General Features

3D: No
Bridge Camera: Yes
Chip Type:CMOS
Product Type:Compact Camera
Sensor Size:1/2.3''
SLR / Compact:Compact Camera

Lens

Longest Shutter Speed in s:2
Shortest Shutter Speed in s:1/1500

Memory

Compact Flash Card: No
Memory Stick / Memory Stick Pro: No
Memory Stick Duo / Duo Pro: No
Memory Type:Internal + External
Micro Drive: No
Multimedia Card: No
SDXC Card: Yes
Secure Digital Card: Yes
Secure Digital High Capacity Card: Yes
XD Card: No

Power Supply

Battery Model:Nikon EN-EL5
Battery Type:Nikon EN-EL5

Recording

Aperture Priority: Yes
Face Detection Mode:Face Detection
Movie / Voice Recording:Movie + Voice
RAW Format: No
Serial Shot Mode: Yes
Shutter Priority: Yes
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