Nikon Coolpix P5000 Review

The Nikon Coolpix P5000 offers a whole range of advanced features in a very compact body. If you are looking for a digital camera with features you would normally find on a digital SLR camera, but would like them in a small camera the Coolpix P5000 could be the camera for you. Alternatively if you already own a digital SLR and would like a second, more portable camera then this camera is likely to fit the bill. It has plenty of megapixels (ten) and a three and a half times zoom lens.

The big question with the Coolpix P5000 is does the picture quality live up to the features the camera has. I'm please to say the answer is yes.

From my outdoor test shots I can see that the level of sharpness the lens is capable of is some way above average. On top of this the sharpness stays as you work your way towards the edge of each photo. Not surprisingly the sharpness is lower in the second shot, taken with the lens zoomed all the way out. This makes the scene that much more distant making it harder for the Coolpix P5000 to lock focus onto the scene.

There is a small loss of detail in the first and third shots where the bright sunlight reflects from the boats in the pictures.

One facet that stands out is the colour in each shot. I really like the green foliage as well as the blue skies. Some digital cameras struggle with colour when it comes to the third shot with the lens zoomed in. This can wash out colour from the sky. This does not happen here and the Coolpix P5000 copes very well with that problem. I am also used to seeing some of the blue lines and areas on the boats taking on a purple ting. Again this camera easily overcomes the problem. My specific colour test also highlights the balance of the colours this camera offers.

In poorer light the camera still manages to focus well. Both the indoor portrait and the extreme lowlight test with beer bottles are in sharp focus. The indoor portrait is one of the very best. Colours are once again excellent. The amount of flash used is ideal and the photo is neither over nor under exposed.

The macro shot is another success. There is more detail showing than a lot of cameras manage although there is just a touch of purple showing in places.

Pushing the ISO rating up affects the quality of the photo. At ISO 400 you can still get an acceptable photo. Although noise is creeping in at this point the photo is still worth taking. Once you push the rating up above this the Coolpix P5000 starts to struggle. At its maximum rating of 3200 picture quality is extremely poor. The fact is that it is likely to be very rare that you would wish to use this setting. I think it would be better if it was not there at all.

The Coolpix P5000 puts in an average performance when it comes to shutter lag. A single photo took 0.43 seconds and five photos took 11.15 seconds. With the flash on times increased to 1.65 seconds for a single photo and 13.23 seconds for five shots.

Apart from the single shot with flash on these are not bad times, but I would like to have seen a faster response.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Very compact for a digital camera with this amount of features. I am very impressed by the design and the way the camera feels in the hand too. I also found the layout of the buttons and dials worked well for me.

Lithium ion. Battery and charger supplied. Nikon suggest you should be able to take in the region of 340 shots between charges.

31mb built in memory (enough for around fourteen photos). Also compatible with SD cards

Click here to save money on SD cards.

Very Good - A camera with this number of features can appear daunting. Therefore Nikon have done very well in producing a digital camera that despite its range of features is still easy enough to get up and running with.

Viewfinder - picture quality - design - build quality - LCD screen - features

High ISO picture quality

The Nikon Coolpix P5000 is a very handy camera. Plenty of features, good picture quality and a pleasing design. I like this camera and am happy to recommend it.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Nikon Coolpix P5000