Overview
The Nikon Coolpix P90 is an advanced digital camera offering plenty of zoom power. It has 12 megapixels and a 24x, wide angle lens. There are a range of manual exposure controls and a number of other more advanced features that give you control over the final photo.
Why Buy The Nikon Coolpix P90
The lens offers plenty of scope and flexibility for most photo opportunities. Picture quality is good and there is an impressive set of features.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
24x
3 inches
114 x 83 x 99 mm
460g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
No
Yes
Lithium ion
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
The Coolpix P90 benefits from the fact the trees are in full bloom and the sky is a pleasant, warm shade of blue. This helps the camera to produce a bright, colourful first test shoot. On the whole the camera handles the strong sunlight well.
This picture shows just how much extra width you are able to squeeze into the shot thanks to the extreme wide angle offered by the Coolpix P90. Sharpness is inline with expectations with a small loss of quality that I normally associate with a wide angle lens.
I realise Nikon are pushing the boundaries with this length of lens, but purple fringing is more noticeable with the Coolpix P90 than with most other super zoom digital cameras. This is the bit where I normally say, but you will only notice this on larger sized prints. The fact is with this camera you may notice purple fringing in very bright conditions even on smaller prints.
Overall the Coolpix P90 can take sharp photos. There is a slight tendency for sharpness to slip as you move towards the edges. Here though you will struggle to notice much of a fall off unless you make large sized prints.
Portraits
Standard portraits taken outside should not pose any problems at all. You should be able to take sharply focused portraits. The length of the lens can also give you a few creative options when shooting.
With the flash unit popping up away from the lens the chances of red eye appearing in your portrait shots taken using flash is reduced. The light produced is very even and colours remain true.
Noise does start to show in this photo even though the natural lighting available was quite bright. This takes the edge off the definition of the shot.
Macro, Colours and Noise
As I have mentioned with other super zoom cameras the physical size of the lens unit makes it easier to produce lenses capable of taking good quality close up shots. The macro shot I took with the Coolpix P90 is some way above average.
The colours and lighting produced by this camera give photographs a very natural look. This is one area where I feel Nikon digital cameras are very strong.
I found that pictures could show noise quite quickly as higher ISO setting were used. I think it is a case of taking photos in bright conditions where possible and using flash as soon as lighting begins to dip.
Summary
I have few complaints about the picture quality offered by the camera. Watch out for purple fringing from time to time. It may need to be cleaned up with a tool such as Photoshop.
Style
The Coolpix P90 looks like a typical super zoom camera. It is based on the design of a Digital SLR and is available in matt black.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.38 seconds
22.23 seconds
0.45 seconds
23.23 seconds
2.76 seconds
Ease of Use
This camera picks up a difficult rating owing to the wide range of features it offers. Nikon make it as easy as they can with the menu system being well laid out and easy to read. It will take time to master all the controls the Coolpix P90 has.
Points I Like
Colours - picture quality - features
Where it Could Improve
Purple fringing can be an issue - taking more than one photo at a time can be slow
Verdict
The Nikon Coolpix P90 offers a cheaper option to the top of the range Canon and Sony models. It does most things well, takes a good quality photo and has an impressive set of features.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
Panasonic DMC FZ100 Rating 87/100
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ100 is an outstanding digital camera. It offers plenty of shooting options for both stills and videos and is one of the most powerful digital cameras you will find. The combination of picture quality and features is very hard to beat. The specification includes 14 megapixels and a 24x zoom lens. Recommended.
Read Review: Panasonic DMC FZ100 Review
Panasonic DMC FZ45 Rating 87/100
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ45 has a lot going for it. I thought picture quality compared very well against digital cameras with a similar specification. There is a wide range of features to get to grips with too. In my view this is one of the best super zoom digital cameras and offers good value for money.
Read Review: Panasonic DMC FZ45 Review
Fuji Finepix HS10 Rating 87/100
This is a high class digital camera. If you are looking for ultimate zoom power it is very hard to beat. Picture quality is up there with the best and there is a great range of features on offer. I enjoyed using the twisting lens barrel to zoom in and out.
Read Review: Fuji Finepix HS10 Review
Related Pages
Nikon Coolpix P90 Review Nikon Coolpix P90 Specification Nikon Coolpix P90 Sample Images Nikon Coolpix P90 Features Nikon Coolpix P90 vs Olympus SP-570UZ Nikon Coolpix P90 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ38
Review Date
July 2009
