Nikon Coolpix P900 83x Optical Zoom

Decoding What Makes the Nikon Coolpix P900 Ultra-Zoom Camera Click

Compact, durable, travel-friendly and much more than being just functional, Nikon Coolpix P900 has been engaging attention since the day of its launch. It is perhaps, the most sensible pick for photography enthusiasts who dont want to be bothered with the finer nuances of photographing. Here, we discuss why we adore the P900 and try our best to dissect its features, and uncover its shortcomings, if any!

Nikon Coolpix P900 - the mega zoom camera

Physical Attributes: Nothing Remarkable but it Delivers

A sturdy and well-built camera, the Nikon Coolpix P900 has a solid plastic body with an ergonomic rubberized handgrip. An additional thumb grip at the rear of the camera makes it ideal for hand-held shooting. Mounting it on the tripod too is easy. Though the P900 cannot be called the most compact Coolpix camera, it is rather easy to hold, even when you need to maintain the grip for longer durations, patiently waiting for the right moment. Major areas, like lens, feature textured surface, to give you a better grip—not a groundbreaking aspect but very handy!

Some folks might want to hold the Coolpix P900 with one hand but unless you have strong forearms, stick to using two hands—mainly because of decent weight, at nearly 900 gram i.e. with battery and memory card.  The camera does not come with a hood or shade. Lesser external buttons means a cleaner look—the uncluttered look makes the P900 look smarter than it actually is.

The overall form is not going to dazzle you but then, the Coolpix P900 does not stress on the aesthetics. It is a performer and that is where we get more serious with understanding its capabilities.

First Impressions: the P900 Impresses

Unarguably, the P900 is built for capturing impressive ultra-zoom images with minimal effort. It is the most well packaged solution for folks who like to click on-the-go. Whether you venture out under the night sky or explore wildlife while the sun blazes, the COOLPIX P900 will deliver as an unfussy, ready-to-perform camera. From family holidays in remote locations to the workplace, you can carry the COOLPIX P900 anywhere. Trust the exceptional 83x Optical Zoom to deliver amazing clarity. The P900 is among the best digital cameras from the house of Nikon—at first glance, it is hard to find any shortcomings.

Nothing Seems Beyond Reach for the COOLPIX P900

Get up-close with nature using the ultra-zoom P900 for capturing brilliant stills. The image stabilization helps you capture amazing, detailed–oriented photos. You get excellent richness and depth with the exceptionally powered zoom. The rapid AF & reduced shooting time lag set the P900 apart from other members of the P series Coolpix fraternity. For clicking quality stills of swiftly changing scenes, the P900 is perhaps the best option. A few moments with it and you realize the how easy it becomes to capture frame-by-frame moments.

Recommended for Wildlife Enthusiasts and the Outdoorsy type

Impressed: Zooming-in is Unbelievably Good!

The P900 lets you enjoy the advantages of having a spectacular zoom of 2,000 mm focal length. Focusing on your mart becomes incredibly easier, more so when the Dynamic Fine Zoom offers 4,000 mm enhanced digital zooming as a standard option. The Zoom microphones let you capture Full HD movies with superior-quality directional sound.

P900 - the bridge Camera with Exceptional Zoom Lens

Lesser Handling Requirements, Equally Efficient in Low-lit Conditions

A feature that should impress most photographers is the Snap-Back Zoom Button. Located on left side of the lens, it allows you to control the zoom with one hand! Try this when you are more acquainted with the camera and its somewhat sizeable form. The assurance of great images and videos is strengthened with the 5.0-stop Dual Detect Optical VR. Now, you dont need to carry your tripod wherever you go. Both handheld photos and tripod stills are comparably clear, and videos are stable. The Coolpix P900 scores big with its sharp, flawless, low noise and brilliantly colored live views in near darkness—perhaps, setting a benchmark for digital cameras in low-lit environments. The back-illuminated 16MP CMOS image sensor is very efficient, maybe the best the Coolpix P series has witnessed, so far!

Nighttime photography is no longer challenging!

Snapbridge: A New Way to Share Images!

No more waiting for sharing what you have just clicked. Just tap on the NFC enabled Nikon P900 to connect and share your stills and videos. Built-in Wi-Fi radio lets you connect with other Wi-Fi enabled devices like smartphone, iPhone, tablets, and iPods and share all the moments without breaking a sweat. An exceptional app—the Snapbridge, offers you the liberty of sharing photos on-the-go, even in remote locations, with compatible smartphone or tablet. This includes sharing photos directly from the camera without having to sync the device with PC!

Excellent Response & GPS/GLONASS/QZSS Support

Cannot pinpoint the exact location for getting the perfect shot? Dont stress! The Nikon P900 provides detailed location information with the GPS/GLONASS/QZSS international satellite systems, tracking accurate locations within seconds. This is the best solution for capturing unpredictable, impromptu moments that make for memorable images. The Nikon P900 delivers the best of high-speed shooting experience with its remarkable Rapid AF and reduced shooting time lag.

Swiveling Vari-Angle Display: Lending More Dexterity

There has been a lot of noise about high-resolution Eye-Level Viewfinder—a feature now making it to the high-end cameras, but the P900 goes beyond incorporating this very useful feature. It gives your head-turning photography a new perspective, helping you click thrilling stills with precise high-resolution view. You can capture the desired frame in crowded places too that are hard to reach, try trick shots and explore creative perspectives with real-time views of what has been captured in the frame.

Maximum dexterity with the swiveling vari-angle display

Sensitized to Seasoned Clickers: Get the PSAM Manual Mode Benefit

The P900 is a holistic camera, i.e. it works equally well for seasoned photographers who usually aren’t too happy with conventional limitations of compact digital cameras. With the PSAM mode dial, the more demanding photographers can take full control of the shooting mode and also, play with effects. You can easily choose the aperture length and shutter speed to get the perfect image with the right amount of exposure in difficult shooting conditions.

More Personalized Camera Performance

You get to customize the camera in the Menu settings with a minimalistic approach to physical buttons. You get the hang of the camera easily, shooting without having to look at the buttons every time. The scroll wheel lets you set exposure compensation, focus, timer and flash options while the Function (fn) button gives access to ISO settings and other advanced options.

Minimalistic Control

Overview of Clicking Performance

The Nikon P900 is fast, and the overall responsiveness is captivating! An average of 360 shots per charge cycle makes the Nikon P900 a decent option for recreational clicking or professional assignments. You can capture a whole excursion and share it before you need to find a charging outlet for the camera! Rated at 360 shots as per Nikon / CIPA test results, the camera might give a lesser performance while extended use of the built-in GPS and Wi-Fi. You get focused pictures every time, whether you take single shots or use any of the customization settings. The response time in turning on the camera, taking the first photo, moving from shot to shot is commendable while the average focusing time and shutter response is good too.

Here are the findings of the speed test by Nikon:

Concluding Thoughts…

The Nikon Coolpix P900 seems like the best answer for greater zoom applications, particularly in a compact Bridge camera form factor. Looking at some of the bulkier DSLR cameras with their 55 mm, 75 mm to 200 mm limitations and telephoto lenses or compact cameras with insufficient zoom, this Coolpix is definitely a more sensible option. It seems like a great buy for those who don’t want to fiddle with advanced settings of DSLRs that can often get overwhelming. Anything that doesn’t fit the bill? Hmmm….perhaps the weight that can take some getting used to but overall, cannot think of a serious sore point!