Nikon P300 Review

Review based on a production Nikon P300, firmware v1.0

After years of comparative stagnation, Nikon's P-series is back. The Coolpix P7000, launched delayed last season, now has a little sibling - the P300. Both with regards to requirements and design, the P7000 was developed to competing The canon eos Powershot G-series, but the P300 is delivered a little reduced.

Although at first glimpse it looks a lot like the Cannon Powershot S95 and Olympus XZ-1, the P300 is a considerably different photographic camera in a number of essential methods. It gives you greater excellent, at 12MP rather than the 10MP typical in that category. It also provides Complete HD movie (1080p in contrast to 720p), but its real shades are tricked by a reduced price-point, less sized indicator (1/2.3" in contrast to 1/1.6" or 1/1.7"), and the lack of ability to history RAW information.

And so, despite obviously being developed to entice the same viewers as the Panasonic LX5 and Cannon S95, the Coolpix P300 is actually a lot nearer in requirements conditions to a photographic camera like the Cannon SD 4000 IS/IXUS 300 HS. Like the SD 4000 IS, the P300 provides excellent and guide management in a truly lightweight system, for less money than the bigger indicator, RAW-enabled Powershot S95, or its 'big brother' the Coolpix P7000. The P300's contacts is optically stable, protects a useful 24-100mm (equivalent) variety, and is remarkably quick at wideangle, if unspectacular at the lengthy end (f/1.8-4.9). The back 3in LCD display is shiny and contrasty with 921k facts - the same requirements as the displays in Nikon's mid-range and top-end DSLRs.

Key features

• 12 megapixel BSI (back side illuminated) CMOS sensor (1/2.3in)
• ISO 160-3200 at full 12MP resolution
• 1080p High Definition video mode
• 24-100mm (equivalent) f/1.8-4.9 lens with optical stabilization
• PASM modes
• Twin control dials - one top, one rear
• Built-in stereo microphone

The 'big' new function presented in the Coolpix P300 is 1080p, 'Full HD' movie. Complete HD is still relatively unusual in lightweight camcorders, and it is something that none of the P300's 'high-end' colleagues currently provide. In most other aspects, the P300's requirements piece is much like our objectives of the newest lightweight camcorders. At the comparative of 24mm, its contacts is broader than either the Cannon S95's or Olympus XZ-1's 28mm comparative, but is a little bit reduced than both at the tele end. It is important to note that although it features a very quick highest possible aperture of f/1.8, this gets a lot small as the contacts is zoomed in. Actually, f/1.8 is only available with the contacts set to its very greatest central duration.

Beside two of its most obvious competitors (in control terms) the similarities between the P300 and Canon S95 are obvious. The two cameras are almost exactly the same size, and offer similar control layouts. The Olympus XZ-1 is slightly larger in all dimensions, mainly as a result of the larger lens required to offer its wider-aperture and larger imaging circle to light its larger sensor.
From behind, the main difference between the P300 and S95 is the direct movie shooting button of the former. As you can see from looking at all three cameras in this view, the rear control layout has become almost 'standard'.

A fast lens usually means greater control over depth of field, but here too, all is not what it seems. Because, all other things being equal, a smaller sensor means less control over depth of field, the P300 doesn't match up to its high-end competitors despite seeming to offer a similar maximum aperture range. Also, for good depth of field control the lens really needs to be fast at the telephoto end, and the P300's isn't. So don't expect to be able to get the same sort of blurred backgrounds with the P300 as you can with the Olympus XZ-1, for example.

Original Article:www.dpreview.com

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