Nikon Coolpix P500 is a new Nikon model in Coolpix ‘P’ series released in March 2011 to replace Nikon Coolpix P100!

‘P’ in ‘P500’ stands for ‘Performance’ which means Nikon Coolpix P500 is at the top of the Coolpix range, with performance features just a little shy from professional DSLR cameras!

So, who is Nikon Coolpix P500 for?

Nikon P500 is for more advanced users of digital cameras that want to be able to manually adjust and control the settings on their cameras such as exposure time, shutter speed and aperture. But still these users are not professionals that would need the full DSLR camera costing much more than this Nikon Coolpix P500.

Check out our Nikon Coolpix P500 Facebook page where you can discuss with the users of Nikon P500 and see their photos.

Some of them are featured in this video, check it out:

What are the features of Nikon P500 that the users love the most?

First of all, one of the main features of this Nikon is its 22.5–810mm wide optical zoom of incredibly high 36x built in the camera, without the need to add additional lenses! This is the best in class that none of the competitors have managed to outperform!

Such lens allows you to shoot the whole range of different photos, from wide panoramas to close-ups! None of the other cameras except DSLRs offer such diversity.

Next, due to the 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, the quality of the photos made by Nikon Coolpix P500 will be extremely good in any situation, whether with good or low light conditions.

LCD monitor’s high resolution has been doubled from the predecessor, now containing 921,000 dots and it can be tilted for more flexible shooting. For example, with it you can compose your photos at waist level, not having to keep you camera in front of your head all the time.

With this model, Nikon introduced the Vibration reduction feature to not only still photo shooting, but also to video shooting, which means you can shoot quality movies in high definition with Nikon P500!

When we talk about vibration reduction, it is worth to mention that Nikon Coolpix P500 features 5 way image stabilization systems that work to eliminate the camera shake when taking photos, and it works pretty well, even at full zoom extension. But beware, do not ask from this camera something impossible; it will not reduce all the shake, for this you will need to have a tripod as that is what tripods are for and even professional photographers with much more expensive cameras are using it.

Many people love the Macro mode of shooting which this Nikon P500 offers as well. It means that you can come up to 0.4 in. (1cm) close to the subject making it up close and personal as the center of your photo. With macro mode you can shoot flowers or animals and catch their close-up beauty!

What are the features that users of Nikon Coolpix P500 don’t like and which could be improved?

The fact that Nikon P500 does not come with external battery charger which means that you need to charge your battery by connecting the camera to the USB or AC plug and during that time you cannot use the camera. The best thing to overcome this would be to buy an external charger and a spare battery, so you can always charge one separately from the camera.

The battery life itself could also be better. The battery lasts enough to shoot approx. 200 photos or around 2 hours of operating with video and photos.

Furthermore, Nikon P500 can be slow at auto focusing in the low light conditions, especially at higher zoom. The reason for that is because the camera How to come around this limitation? Use manual focus! With Nikon Coolpix P500 you have that option as well!

You cannot mount additional filters or lens shades on your Nikon P500 as there are no threads on the lens that would allow it.

Look at this video for some more information about this amazing Nikon Coolpix P500:

Find brand new Nikon Coolpix P500 here at the best price!

Here are the Nikon P500 full features:

-         36x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED Glass Lens;

-         12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor for high-speed operation and exceptional low-light performance;

-         Focus range approx. 1 ft. 8 in. (50cm) to infinity, to 7 ft. 3 in. (2.2m) to infinity;

-         Full HD (1920x1080p / 30fps) movie with stereo sound and HDMI Output;

-         5-way VR Image Stabilization System for blur reduction;

-         with ISO speeds up to 3200;

-         Sensor size 1/2.3 in.;

-         Storage media: SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards;

-         Top continuous shooting speed at full resolution: up to 5 shots at approx. 8 fps;

-         Macro close up mode up to 0.4 in. (1cm) to infinity;

-         Easy Panorama Mode that combines multiple shots into a seamless 180 or 360 degree panoramic picture;

-         Smart Portrait System includes a Blink Warning that warns you when your subject may have blinked. It also includes in-camera Red-Eye™ technology that automatically fixes red-eye, a Face-Priority feature that can focus up to 12 faces and a Skin Softening feature that smooths out skin tones at three different levels;

-         3 inch LCD monitor, with variable angle and anti reflection coating and 921K dots resolution;

-         Rechargeable Li-ion batteries EN-EL5;

-         Weight of 17.5 oz. (494 grams).

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