Nikon Coolpix P500

15.06.2011
With its 36X optical zoom, the ($400 as of June 9, 2011) is the current ruler of the megazoom world. At 35X, only the is in close pursuit, but the SX30's 24mm wide-angle specification is no match for the P500's superwide 22.5mm lens--a feat that has yet to be equaled by any other non-interchangeable-lens camera. The P500 is no slouch at full zoom either, reaching a highly impressive, image-stabilized 810mm.

The 12-megapixel P500's attributes go beyond its powerful superzoom lens, as it offers full automatic, semimanual, and manual-exposure modes. In addition, the camera has a nice balance of no-brainer options such as auto scene selection, as well as adjustable parameters that include post-shooting image optimization and Active D-Lighting for increasing dynamic range.

The camera's multiple video options include 1080p high-definition video as well as high-speed movie capture for slow-motion (or fast-motion) playback. Nikon has supported interval shooting for time-lapse effects in many of its cameras for quite a while, and the P500 is no exception.

One thing that is missing is a RAW-shooting mode. Given the Coolpix P500's other strengths, however, that's a relatively minor consideration.

Built around a 12-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, the P500 utilizes dual image processors and Nikon's latest Expeed C2 image-processing engine. What that means, in part, is that the camera does well in low-light conditions and is fairly speedy overall.