Disappointed new P510 user

[Mickpoil]

Hi,

I have just purchased a Nikon P510 as the reviews for it and sample pictures looked really good. This is my first Bridge camera, and (don't laugh) the old camera is a Fuji Finepix that is about 12 years old (2 MP max. and 3 x optical zoom).

I am really disappointed with the quality of the pictures I am taking outside on auto/landscape with sky and land in them. They are frequently overexposed and look pathetic compared to the old Finepix, which produced vivid, well-focused outside landscapes with or without sky, and even brilliant close-ups at only 1 mega pixels.

I am such a novice that I don't know how much of this is my fault, a wrong expectation or whether there is something wrong with the camera. I know that I can adjust the exposure, and there are many other controls that I could use, but should I need to?

I expect that I have a lot to learn, but I also don't want to be stuck with a faulty camera.

Thanks.

 

[480sparky]

Post a couple samples, along with the camera settings. That will go a long way in helping you out.

 

[Parker219]

Agree with Sparky, create a flickr account if you dont already have one and post some examples so we can help. I had that camera before.

 

[goodguy]

You need to learn how to work the camera in Manual mode and then YOU will know what best settings for every picture and not the camera.

 

[KmH]

Photographer knowledge and skill and knowing how to get the most out of any specific camera has a lot to do with 'really good pictures'.

 

[TCampbell]

I'm inclined to agree with Sparky and Keith. It is unlikely that a 12 year old 2 megapixel camera can take better photos (especially of a landscape which would have a fairly substantial range of light in the shot). I suspect it may simply be a matter of your familiarity with the new camera and not having learned how to find the optimal settings.

Post some sample shots as well as the camera settings / exposure info (This is normally recorded and embedded within the image as "EXIF data". As long as you don't allow your photo processing software to strip that data out we will be able to view it.)

 

[Sw1tchFX]

It is well known that Nikon color sucks big time.

It is equally well known that Fuji color is arguably the best in the business.


Return it, buy one of these:
Fujifilm FinePix HS50EXR Digital Camera 16286412 B&H Photo Video

 

[Benco]

Hi,

I have just purchased a Nikon P510 as the reviews for it and sample pictures looked really good. This is my first Bridge camera, and (don't laugh) the old camera is a Fuji Finepix that is about 12 years old (2 MP max. and 3 x optical zoom).

I am really disappointed with the quality of the pictures I am taking outside on auto/landscape with sky and land in them. They are frequently overexposed and look pathetic compared to the old Finepix, which produced vivid, well-focused outside landscapes with or without sky, and even brilliant close-ups at only 1 mega pixels.

I am such a novice that I don't know how much of this is my fault, a wrong expectation or whether there is something wrong with the camera. I know that I can adjust the exposure, and there are many other controls that I could use, but should I need to?

I expect that I have a lot to learn, but I also don't want to be stuck with a faulty camera.

Thanks.

As far as my experience with bridge cameras goes...yes you do need to. As for whether you should need to? well...no you shouldn't but it depends on the model, some bridge models work fine in auto, some dont and need you to tweak the settings to get the best out of them.

 

[black85vette]

I have a P510 and am having no issues with it working properly. There are a couple of things I would change but they are not malfunctions. If you are new to this type of camera I might suggest you experiment with the metering settings. Try spot, center weighted and averaging settings and see if there is one you like better. How your meter samples has an impact on the overall exposure.