Nikon P500

[bobbyknight]

Anyone used this super zoom bridge camera?
How would you actually differentiate this camera to a DSLR, can it actually compete?

 

[Crollo]

It's a point and shoot so unless you intend to only snapshoot you're going to miss useful photography features such as a [backlit] top mounted LCD screen, dedicated mode dial, dedicated on-off switch, OVF, interchangable lens mount, dual scrollwheels, DOF preview, dedicated function buttons...

Using a PAS for anything other then snapshooting is going to hinder your ability to work quickly and efficiently when you need to, for example if you have to go into several menus to change something you would otherwise use a button+scrollwheel combination to change, it becomes counter-intuitive and really cumbersome.

My E-10 has almost all of the features above, but it's lacking a dedicated ISO button and it becomes really cumbersome to have to open the menu every single time I want to change ISO.

 

[bobbyknight]

It's a point and shoot so unless you intend to only snapshoot you're going to miss useful photography features such as a [backlit] top mounted LCD screen, dedicated mode dial, dedicated on-off switch, OVF, interchangable lens mount, dual scrollwheels, DOF preview, dedicated function buttons...

Using a PAS for anything other then snapshooting is going to hinder your ability to work quickly and efficiently when you need to, for example if you have to go into several menus to change something you would otherwise use a button+scrollwheel combination to change, it becomes counter-intuitive and really cumbersome.

My E-10 has almost all of the features above, but it's lacking a dedicated ISO button and it becomes really cumbersome to have to open the menu every single time I want to change ISO.

When it comes to image quality, what is the verdict?
The feature that stands out with P500 is that it's very good in fast shooting, picture or movie and it's one of my prerequisite.
As the P510 announced recently, I'm confused what to buy, meant instead of a DSLR I'll be buying P510.
Just saw the specs of P510 but the reviews are not yet available as it is not yet available in the market.

 

[tacticdesigns]

I've used one of these.

I don't know about fast shooting.

If you push the shutter button and take a picture, the camera goes away and starts thinking. It's quite some time before its ready to take another picture. I even tried reducing the resolution to its minimum thinking that this would mean less data going through the camera, but it seemed to take just as long.

I just recently starting take pictures at my daughter's cheerleading competitions. (She just started doing this.) I'm using my Nikon D5100, which even though it "only" goes to 4 FPS, I'm still firing off 200-300 shots within their 2.5 minute routine. Having used the Nikon P500, I don't think it would keep up with that. I believe I wouldn't get as many keepers if I was using the Nikon P500 (or any point-and-shoot for that matter) So as far as that comparison to a dSLR, I don't think it compares on that point.

But playing around with it, everything else seems pretty good. The shutter lag isn't as long as all the point-and-shoots I've had. Its actually quite good as far as point-and-shoot. Focus, in low lighting, is a bit slow, but at least its able to do it, which some aren't able to focus at the long end. The focus and colour when using the camera on green automode (and the other automodes for that matter) all turn out really nice.

I've seen these cameras on sale for $300 or so and I've been tempted. But I've already spent way to much on camera gear over the past year or so.

The biggest difference (for me) between the Nikon P510 and the Nikon P500 is that the Nikon P510 is supposed to go to ISO 6400. (I don't know. Maybe the Nikon P500 can be pushed to ISO6400 as well. I didn't have that long to play with it.) For me, personally, ISO6400 seems to be the magic number that makes a camera fun to use for me.

Please don't mind the swirly faces, as my daughter is calling it.
My daughter just woke up and she wants me to put a swirly face into the message.
:lmao:
Ok. Got to go.

 

[Crollo]

DSLRs have much larger sensors, this leads to far superior noise performance and low light performance.
Some PAS have ridiculously large MP amounts for the sensor size, up to about 18 I believe... This may hinder IQ as the sensor is so small, the pixels are so dense, and the lens can only resolve so much detail before the extra MPs are just as useful as upscaling the image in photoshop.
Finally, the lens is the most important factor of IQ. Because the lens is fixed, they generally try to make the glass as good as it can be, as you cannot replace it for a better lens. I doubt you have much to worry about with the lens.

Overall, PAS IQ cannot be compared to DSLRs, but it depends on whether or not you truly need the extra IQ. For most purposes and intents a PAS can work great, really.

 

[tacticdesigns]

I got a few minutes before I make breakfast for the girls so I thought I'd finish off commenting on the Nikon P500.

Yeah. PAS don't get quite the image quality as a dSLR, but I was quite impressed with the shots coming off the Nikon P500. And the electronic zoom control isn't as fast as the manual zoom on a interchangeable zoom lens. . .

First. The shutter lag is really minimal. With most PAS, you push the shutter button, wait, and wait, and wait, and then the camera takes the picture. Often you've missed what you were trying to capture. With this thing, the cheerleader mother that had it, we tested it out trying to capture the girls at the top of their stunts (jumps), and the Nikon P500 pretty consistently allowed us to capture the girls up there at the top of their stunts. Having used tonnes of PAS, I was truly impressed with that. [The only thing is, as I mentioned above, once that picture is taken, its a while before you can take the next shot. Not so bad, but not something you want if you're planning to take lots of shots in a short period of time.]

Second. When I saw some of the shots taken at the cheerleading competition, shot at ISO 3200, they looked pretty darn good. Good exposure. Low noise. (Although we had great light at the competition.)

Although I have a dSLR, I've contemplated getting something like this as my vacation or hack about camera. [Which is the reason that I spent some time playing with one]. I like the minimal shutter lag (big thing) and all the manual control. Its a camera that I can have fun with. And it has a superzoom (good for vacation) but its also really small (also good for vacation), and I suspect that because it "is" a PAS, it would be able to flash sync higher than 1/250sec with its built-in flash, which means I can use flash to light people in the foreground, and the camera can still be able to control the exposure of the sky in the background to get nice rich looking skies. (also good for vacation.)

Personally, I want to test out the ISO6400 on the Nikon P510. If its good to go, then I'm going to be "really" tempted to add this to my arsenal.

 

[bobbyknight]

Thanks guys, I'd like to wait for the P510 to see.
But thinking I'd be able to outgrow it fast.

 

[o hey tyler]

I thought you were going to get a D7k or 7D a year ago? You kept on bumping that thread, but apparently purchased neither?

 

[ph0enix]

Thanks guys, I'd like to wait for the P510 to see.
But thinking I'd be able to outgrow it fast.

If you would like to get into photography you should go with a DSLR. If you're interested in capturing memories and have no interest in photography then either the P510 or the P500 should work just fine.