Nikon Coolpix P500
Discontinued, this review from Feb, 2012

The Nikon Coolpix P500 has a 36x zoom, the longest zoom range on the market at the moment, a 23-810mm equivalent. It isn't quite as long on the telephoto end as the Canon SX40's 840mm, but it's 23mm wide angle is even wider than the SX40's 24mm.

Like the SX40 and the Panasonic FZ150, it has a 12 MP engine, but it currently sells at $350, or slightly less than the competition. It comes in standard black or a very attractive optional red, as shown here.

What's HOT about the Nikon P500:

1. It's 36x zoom will attract buyers who want the longest possible zoom range.

2. Widest of the wide angles--22.5mm, compared to 24, 25, and 27 for the competition.

3. Bright viewfinder, much better than the SX40

4. 3" diagonal, whopping 920,000 dot high res LCD screen--best in the group.

5. Panorama mode--gimmicky, but people like it, and the Canon SX40 doesn't have it.

6. HD movies at 1080p/30, 720p, and high speed low res movies at 240 fps

7. Lower price--$50 to $100 less than the competition

What's NOT so hot about the Nikon P500:

1. Picture quality not top of class, sharp at wide angle but soft at max telephoto

2. Slow focus, and show shutter action

3. Difficult to hold target at max zoom due to camera shake and slow shutter response

4. Relatively large viewfinder, but takes its time to come up to speed, especially in lower light

5. Battery charge via USB port, camera not available while charging

6. No independent battery charger, but you can buy one for $10. Should be included.

7. LCD screen has limited movement, gets smudged during use

8. No RAW mode--only the Panasonic FZ150 has it in this group

9. No hot shoe--if you need external flash power, forget about it

10. Small battery, more frequent recharges required (about once every 200 pictures)

11. No eye proximity sensor--must manually switch between viewfinder and screen (a nuisance when you want to see the shot you just took on your screen.

A Look at the Nikon Coolpix P500

Make no mistake, it is possible to take great pictures with the Nikon P500. In general, when focus is accurate, color balance and contrast are solid, and exposure is accurate compared to either the Canon SX40 or the Sony HX100V. And at the wide angle end of the zoom lens, pictures are sharp and clear.

On a cloudy day, the following test shots were taken with both the Nikon P500 and the Canon SX40:

Nikon P500, maximum wide angle,
good contrast and sharp detail

The photo below illustrates two recurring problems with the Canon SX40--the tendency to slightly overexpose the shot in auto mode, and the difficulty to frame the picture exactly like you want it:

Canon SX40, maximum wide angle,
not quite as wide as the P500, but close

One important benefit of the Nikon P500 is its exceptionally sharp image toward the wide angle end of the lens. Take a close look at the difference between the P500 and the SX40 in our Camera Comparison system.

Though the P500's pictures are sharp at wide angle, at the telephoto end of the zoom range it's a different story. Oddly enough, our P500 has a slightly longer reach on the telephoto end of the zoom than does the Canon SX40. This is true despite the fact that Nikon's spec claims a max zoom of 810mm, while Canon claims 840mm for the SX40. The following two photos illustrate several phenomena that were common on both cameras. First, the P500 gets slightly closer to the subject. Second, its image is softer than the SX40 at max zoom. Third, the SX40 tends to vignette at maximum zoom:

Nikon P500, maximum telephoto zoom,
slightly closer than the SX40

Canon SX40, maximum telephoto zoom,
slightly sharper, with vignetting

Focus accuracy a common problem. Among the more frustrating aspects of the P500 was the questionable focusing. Sometimes it could not find its target, sometimes it could find it but not lock on it sufficiently. This would lead to results like this:

Nikon P500, cropped detail of image at maximum zoom


Canon SX40HS, cropped detail of image at maximum zoom

The bottom line is that the P500 is frustrating to work with. Though the viewfinder is larger and brighter than the SX40's, it can take a long while to get up to speed, especially in a lower light scene. Focus is slower and less reliable than the competition, and there is some noticeable delay between the time you push the button and the time it takes the picture (shutter lag, we call it).

Another chronic nuisance is that the P500 has no proximity sensor, so it has no idea whether you want to use the viewfinder or the LCD screen (only one is active at any given moment). If you take a picture using the viewfinder, and you want to see a preview of the pic you just took on the LCD screen, you need to manually switch from the viewfinder to the screen by pressing a button on the upper left side of the camera. The Sony HX100V, which has essentially the same type of LCD screen, auto activates either the screen or the viewfinder based on how close your eye is to the viewfinder.

The Nikon Coolpix P500 comes in last place among the four models in the shootout. Image quality is uneven depending on which part of the lens you are using and whether the focus was tight or not. The camera is a nuisance to operate, and not one that we would recommend.