Nikon Coolpix P1000 Review

Nikon Coolpix P1000 Introduction Video

Video Credit: Nikon Canada

Nikon Coolpix P1000 Overview

Wouldn’t it be nice to get a great shot of the moon during an eclipse or any other lunar event? How about not bringing a lot of gadgets just to take nice photos of animals during a safari trip? The Nikon Coolpix P1000 aims to be an answer to all that. With its 24-3000mm equivalent zoom, it’s the biggest range you’ll find on a consumer camera.

Nikon Coolpix P1000 Design & Features

The Nikon Coolpix P900 boasted of a 24-2000mm equivalent zoom. That has now been topped by its successor, the P1000 which stretches the telephoto range to 3000mm. It has improvements over its predecessor, including a maximum aperture of F2.8-8 compared to the previous F2.8-6.5. However, this means that you will have to use a tripod or shoot in extremely good light for the best results.

If you found the telephoto zoom range impressive, you can extend the maximum even further when you use the Dynamic Fine Zoom feature. Doing so stretches the focal length to 6000mm but it comes with consequences: a loss of image quality. As they say, you can’t always have the best of everything.

The focal length extension doesn’t just stop at 6000mm either. If, for some reason, you want to extend that to 12000mm, you can do so through the 4x digital zoom feature of the camera. Then again, you will have to deal with a significant loss of image quality.

Nikon Coolpix P1000 Special Processing System

The P1000 is able to handle the long distances thanks to the latest Nikon EXPEED image processing system and Dual Detect Optical VR technology, which offers 5-stop compensation for camera shake to ensure that images turn out shark and with minimal blur.

Given the camera’s zoom capabilities, it is not surprising for it to weigh 3.1 pounds. Yes that is rather heavy and quite the burden, but at least you’re just taking one lens along with you.

The Coolpix P1000 shares features with the P900. Like its predecessor, it still continues with the 16MP, 1/2.3” sensor capable of offering a 100-6400 ISO range. Of course, there are certain differences like the support for RAW. While the camera supports continuous shooting at 7fps, it can only do so for seven shots.

Since this camera is targeted for use in moon and wildlife photography, it has dedicated modes for those on the dial. The viewing and reviewing of images can be done through the fully articulating but non-touch LCD while composition is done through a 2.36 million dot OLED viewfinder.

As impressive as the P1000’s imaging capabilities are, its video capabilities are also equally impressive. The camera can take 4K/UHD video at either 30p or 25p. It can also capture 1080p at 60fps to 25fps.

With an external mic input, the P1000 is a possible camera option for those who like shooting video shorts, documentaries, and interviews. Even vloggers can consider this model as an option.

Users are also given the opportunity to tinker with their own settings thanks to manual exposure controls. The camera also offers WiFi and Bluetooth for instant sharing purposes. In addition, the camera can be controlled through smartphone, the ML-L7 Bluetooth remote, or the MC-DC2 wired shutter release.

With regards to battery life, the P1000’s battery can last about 250 shots on a single charge.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• It has a 24-3000mm equivalent zoom, making it a great companion for shooting sports events, wildlife, and the moon.
• It has dedicated positions for moon and bird photography on its mode dial.
• It offers support for RAW, which its predecessor didn’t have.

Cons

• It is a rather heavy affair, weighing in at 3.1 pounds.
• It doesn’t feature a touchscreen LCD.
• It doesn’t produce high-quality images if the maximum telephoto range is used.
• It only supports F2.8 to F8, meaning you will have to bring along a tripod or shoot in good light to get desirable results.

Video credit: B and H

Final Thoughts

There is definitely much to celebrate with the P1000 if you like shooting subjects from a distance. If you want to buy a camera that already has the capability to capture the moon and wildlife without the need to purchase additional gadgets, why wouldn’t you go for it, right?

However, with impressive telephoto range comes certain issues: the longer you stretch it, the more significant the loss of image quality. That aside, the P1000 is an impressive camera that can deliver high-quality photos and videos for those who are enthusiastic about taking photos of the moon, sports, and wildlife.

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 will sell for $999 and will be available this coming September 2018.

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