Nikon Coolpix P100

Category:	Type:	Image Sensor	:
Point-and-Shoot	Compact	Optical Zoom	:
Beginner	Ultra Compact	Image Stabilization	:
Serious	Ultra Zoom	Display	:
Advanced	DSLR	Shooting Mode	:
Pro	DIL	Movie	:
		Price check…	:

Superzoom with backside illumination CMOS sensor. The Nikon Coolpix P100 features 10.3MP resolution (1/2.3-in. CCD), 26x wide-angle optical zoom (26-678mm equiv.), built-in Sensor-shift image stabilization, and a 7.5-cm (3.0-in.) Vari-angle LCD display screen (460-k dot).

The CMOS image sensor with a backside illumination structure increases the amount of light that each pixel receives. The resulting improvement in sensitivity and noise reduction increases the COOLPIX P100’s performance in the following areas:

• High-speed 10 fps continuous shooting at full 10MP;
• Sports Continuous shooting with pre-shooting cache option enables high-speed shooting at approximately 120 fps (at 1.1MP) to help ensure you never miss a shot;
• Backlit Scene HDR (High Dynamic Range) merges different exposures of the same scene to create an image with a broader range of tonal detail;
• Advanced Night Landscape mode combines a series of consecutive shots taken at a fast shutter speed into a single image with reduced noise when taking handheld shots at night;

The 26x wide-angle optical zoom is ideal for capturing sweeping landscapes, wide interior shots, large family gathering shots as well as telephoto shots such as distant sports, wildlife action, and school events. Built-in Image Stabilization combines a mechanically stabilized CCD sensor with high ISO sensitivities (to ISO 3200) to reduce the blurring effect of both handshake and subject movement at the long zoom settings or in challenging low lighting conditions.

For general purpose photography, Scene Auto Selector analyzes your scene and automatically selects the appropriate setting. For more challenging shooting situations, match the scene yourself to the appropriate Scene Mode. For example, Night Portrait scene mode sets the camera so you can take a night picture where the main subject (lit by flash) and the background (long exposure) are both recorded. Active D-Lighting adds light and detail where necessary while leaving correctly exposed areas untouched.

For those who desire a bit more control, switch to Program AE (P) mode or use Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority and Manual modes for full exposure control. Dial in an exposure compensation to compensate for scenes that are too bright or too dark. Custom (Preset manual) White Balance allows you to obtain the correct colors under artificial lighting situations.

You can shoot Full HD movie 1920×1080 pixels at 30fps with stereo sound thanks to the built-in stereo microphone mounted on top of the camera. A dedicated movie button allows immediate shooting and you can zoom (with autofocus) while filming. An HDMI mini connector enables connection to high-definition TV displays.

The Nikon P100 sports a large Vari-angle 3.0-inch LCD with anti-reflection coating that can be tilted up 90 degrees or down 82 degrees. An electronic viewfinder (EVF) has 230,000 dot resolution.

Smart portrait system provides advanced automatic features for perfect portraits. Smile Timer automatically releases the shutter when the subject smiles. Blink Warning alerts you when a subject has blinked in the picture. Blink Proof shoots five sequential frames then saves the one in which the subject’s eyes are wide open. Advanced Face Priority AF with in-camera Red-eye Fix lets you quickly detect and focus accurately on up to 12 faces in the frame and corrects red-eye. Skin Softening function ensures smooth skin tone on the face of subjects.

The Nikon Coolpix P100 superzoom is ideal for a beginner photographer, providing all the functionality you’ll need to explore and learn about photography. It’s easy enough for soccer moms to use as an automatic point-and-shoot camera as well as for the budding photographer who needs the manual exposure flexibility. It comes in Black, priced at about US $400 (CAD $450).

Read our Nikon P100 Review.