Nikon Coolpix P510

This versatile Coolpix P510 megazoom caught our eye at the Camera and Photo Imaging Show (CP+) with its 42x optical zoom lens which has a 6x longer zoom reach than its P500 predecessor. It only fixed lens camera with the longest zoom reach. Apart from a 3-inch, 921k-dot resolution tilting screen, this shooter captures 1080p full-HD videos and manages a rapid 7fps in burst mode at full resolution.

Upside

We handled the camera at CP+ and liked that the P510 comes with a size grip for more secure handholding. On the side of its lens barrel sits a zoom lever which can help videographers reduce camera shake. Although its glossy finish may come across as tacky to some, we did feel that it was of reasonably good build quality to handle day-to-day use.


The major highlight for the camera has got to be its versatile 24mm to 1,000mm zoom range which makes it a very capable "do-it-all" camera--users can capture sprawling landscapes and architecture, while zooming in to capture the occasional wildlife. Users could probably fill up 2/3 of the frame when shooting the moon at the longest telephoto end--which is out of reach for typical long-zoom compacts.

Since telephoto zooms don't produce very sharp images indoors due to camera shake, we still yielded reasonable sharp images (at 1000mm at 1/30 of a second) thanks to the company's proprietary Vibration Reduction (VR) technology. However, we still recommend using a tripod if you require images with optimum sharpness.

The P510 comes fitted with a new 16-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor and Expeed C2 image processing engine which the company claims can result in higher quality images in lowlight conditions as well as provide better color performance. Those with trouble remembering where they shot their images would be pleased to know that the camera also comes with GPS capabilities which tag location information to the captured images.

Downside

We would have preferred a fully articulated screen for those occasional self-portraits, similar to the screen found on the Canon PowerShot G1 X.

With many camera makers introducing Wi-Fi connectivity in their latest snappers, we were surprised that Nikon did not implement such a feature in the P510. It would have been a bonus to be able to sync photos to external devices such as a tablet or smartphone while on the go.

Based on specifications, we were puzzled about why the Coolpix P510's battery could only last 240 images compared with the Coolpix L810 (450 images), given that both cameras are in the same category and that the P510 was the superior model. We think this is could be due to the increased power consumption needed by the inbuilt GPS module.

Outlook

Overall, we think that the Coolpix P510 is quite the versatile camera with it's an extended zoom range that covers the popular focal lengths needed for a wide variety of shooting situations. With a newly-developed BSI sensor, it could provide better image quality than most CCD-sensor cameras, especially in low-light conditions. Coupled with GPS capabilities, the P510 looks to be a good travel camera if you don't mind the slight bulk.

Pricing and availability of the camera in Asia have yet to be confirmed, but we'll update this story when we get more information from Nikon.