The Nikon Coolpix P5100 is an advanced compact digital camera. It has 12 megapixels and a 3.5x zoom lens. It offers a number of more advanced features. My feeling is that Nikon are aiming the Coolpix P5100 at owners of SLR cameras who would like a camera that is more convenient for carrying around. The camera is also likely to appeal to anyone who is looking for a step up in terms of quality from a more typical point and shoot camera.
Image Quality Nikon Coolpix P5100 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The sharpness levels of this shot suggest that a high quality lens has been used. One of the most significant points for me is the way the sharpness is maintained as you move towards the edges of the photo.
Colour balance is good and the scene is a fair reflection of how it looked on the day. There is an issue with glare. This is more or less unavoidable in this scene at this time of year. Every camera I test has the same problems with the low sun.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
The brightness of this photo helps to bring it to life. As with other cameras this shot is the softest in terms of focusing. This should not be a problem unless you are planning to make extra large prints.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
A pleasant enough shot, but one that makes me wish the lens was that bit longer. This would increase the flexibility of the camera.
Outdoor Portrait
The Coolpix P5100 gets this shot just about right. I like the colours. There is a warmth to them, but they do not dominate the photo. Sharpness is also good.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
This photo is much better than I have become used to seeing in this test. Focusing is well above average and the shot is also brighter. In order to compensate for the lower light the Coolpix P5100 automatically increases ISO. This adds noise to the photo, but you can choose whether you prefer this result to the indoor shot taken with flash.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
This is not my favourite result of these test shots. Focusing could be a shade sharper and there is also a slight greenish tinge to the colours.
Colours
Colours are a matter of personal taste with some people liking them to be stronger than others. The colours produced by this camera fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to strength. This helps them to retain a natural feel.
Macro
It is quite possible that you will buy a digital camera and never use the macro mode. Even so I find the quality of the macro shot to be a fair indication as to how good the lens of a camera is. This is one of the best macro shots I have taken in terms of clarity, brightness and sharpness. There is a small amount of purple fringing visible around the edges. This should only be an issue if you are planning to shoot macro shots of jewelry or other shiny objects under bright lighting.
ISO 400
Using higher ISO settings can be useful in lowlight where flash cannot be used. Many cameras really struggle as soon as you start to push up the ISO setting. The Coolpix P5100 is certainly one of the better cameras at this level.
ISO 3200
Above ISO 400 picture quality starts to slide quite quickly. Once you reach ISO 3200 the camera really starts to struggle.
Overall
The Coolpix P5100 ticks most of the boxes when it comes to picture quality. There are very few areas I have a problem with.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.31 seconds and five in 10.18 seconds. These are average times. With the flash times increased to 0.47 seconds for one photo and 14.30 for five shots. These are average times or perhaps slightly faster.
If you are used to a digital SLR and are thinking of buying the Coolpix P5100 more or less as a pocket camera you will notice that the camera fails to match the faster shutter times of an SLR. The truth is though that there are not many high quality compact cameras able to beat this time by very much.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The Coolpix P5100 has a real feeling of quality to me. Considering the features it has it is a very compact camera. With a grip on the front it has a small resemblance to a mini SLR camera. It is available in black.
Dimensions: 98 x 64.5 x 41 mm
Weight: 200g
Batteries: Lithium ion (EN-EL5). Nikon suggests you should be able to take in the region of 240 shots between charges.
Memory cards:
Nikon have built a generous 58mb of storage into the Coolpix P5100. It is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards. I was able to take 27 photos before the internal storage was full.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Ease of use rating:Good. With all the features the camera has it will take a while to find your way around. Nikon have made the camera as easy to use as possible. I especially like the option selector dial in the top right hand corner of the camera. This makes selecting options quick and easy.
Points I like:
Design - features - picture quality - option selector dial - build quality - LCD screen clarity
Where it could improve:
There is nothing that really stands out to me.
Verdict:
The Nikon Coolpix P5100 does the job it sets out to do and I would be happy to own one. It has a wide range of features, yet Nikon have still made a camera that is easy to get to grips with. You should soon be able to find your way around. Recommended.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Nikon Coolpix P5100 Summary |
| Description: | 12 megapixels and a 3.5x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 8 |
| Features: | 9 |
| Colour: | 9 |
| Macro: | 9 |
| Indoors: | 9 |
| Value for Money: | 9 |
| Style: | 9 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 9 |
| Build Quality: | 9 |
| Total: | 88 |
| Verdict: | The Nikon Coolpix P5100 is one of the more advanced compact digital cameras. It has many features you would expect to find on an SLR, but retains a certain ease of use. Picture quality is very good and the camera feels good in the hand. Recommended |
| Review Date: | November 2007 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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