In addition to its mode dial, the P500 is dotted with buttons offering access to settings for continuous shooting, the flash, exposure compensation, macro mode, the self-timer, display information, and switching between the LCD and EVF. A rear command wheel controls aperture and shutter settings; you can use it to navigate menus, too. You'll also find a dedicated record button for movie mode, and a small switch to move between high-speed and high-definition recording.

What's missing, however, is a quick menu or dedicated buttons to set parameters such as ISO and white balance. You must make those and most other adjustments via the P500's main menu system. This method of setting changes is not conducive to quick tweaks, and is one of the camera's shortcomings, even though the menus are easy to understand and navigate.

The Coolpix P500 offers enough versatility to engage both experienced photographers and snapshooters who want to step up from a basic point-and-shoot. It's a nice option for learning more about photography while taking advantage of the camera's superzoom capabilities.

In addition to a flexible Program mode (you can adjust the aperture or shutter speed without changing the exposure), it has aperture-priority, shutter-speed priority, and full manual exposure modes. The P500 also offers a boatload of simple-to-use options, including auto mode, auto scene selection, and more than a dozen scene modes (portrait, landscape, sunset, black and white, and more).