Nikon 16.1MP P310 f/1.8 Camera Review by dpreview With Rating 69/100

On January 31 2012, Nikon announced two new P-series Coolpix cameras, including the world's longest SuperZoom. The P510 has the biggest zoom range of any fixed-lens camera with its massive 42x, f/3.0-5.9 Zoom-NIKKOR ED lens from 24mm to 1000mm equivalent. It features a 16.1 Megapixels Backside Illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor with high-speed continuous shooting performance (at 5fps full resolution), fast autofocus (AF), 1080p HD video mode, 3-inch 921,000-dots LCD, an electronic viewfinder, full manual control and built-in GPS capabilities. Optical Vibration Reduction stabilization is included as well, though it'll need to be pretty strong to steady such a long zoom lens. 

The Coolpix P310 comes with a 16.1 Megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture, NIKKOR glass lens at 24-100mm zoom range. Other features include a 3-inch 921,000-pixel LCD, zoom memory, manual control, and creative filters and effects. The P310 achieves superior image quality in low-light settings with a wide ISO range up to 3200 (Hi1 6400 equivalent) and a fast f/1.8 lens. The COOLPIX P310 incorporates optical VR image stabilization with several scene modes including Advanced Night Portrait mode, Night Landscape mode and Backlight/High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode. The Advanced Night Portrait mode combines consecutive images of the background while the subject is captured using the flash, while the Night Landscape mode combines a series of consecutive shots taken at a fast shutter speed into a single image with reduced noise. The Backlight HDR mode merges images of the same scene at different exposures to achieve a single image with a broad range of tonal detail. The COOLPIX P310 is listed for $329.95 in black only and is currently selling at around $265. Here's the summary of review by dpreview, giving the camera a rating of 69 out of 100:

"The Nikon Coolpix P310 is a hard camera to categorise. In terms of its size and operational ergonomics it's up against the Canon PowerShot S100, the Fujifilm X10, Olympus XZ-1 and Sony Cyber-shot RX100. But while it looks the same, and in many ways works the same as these cameras and costs less, it has the smallest sensor of the bunch and can't shoot in Raw mode. From one perspective - that of a serious enthusiast - this is somewhat limiting. Viewed from the perspective of the average point-and-shoot upgrader though, the P310 is a small, pocketable camera with improved ergonomics, that offers full manual control over exposure and gives decent if not exceptional image quality in a wide variety of shooting conditions. Customizable controls and adjustable shooting parameters are good to see in a camera of this price, too. Importantly, the P310 offers a relatively fast lens, with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 at the wide end. This won't get you any meaningful control over depth of field, but it does mean that you might not have to reach for the higher ISO settings (or flash) as often as you might with a compact with a slower lens. Other than some missteps in tracking AF mode and occasional AF delays under low light, the P310 is generally very responsive and has multiple AF options to compensate for variety of conditions. We can't believe that the P310's 7fps burst mode will get that much use in everyday shooting but still - nice to have.

As far as image quality is concerned, the P310 is perfectly capable but not outstanding. Clipping can be an issue in scenes with a wide tonal range, and while in good light at its lowest ISO settings we've been very happy with detail reproduction above ISO 400 noise and the effects of noise-reduction start to become noticeable. Sharpness is best in the center of the image, as we'd expect, and there is some fall-off towards the outer edges at the telephoto end of the zoom. Wide angle shots fare better, with most images showing good edge-to-edge sharpness. Ultimately, the P310 offers an improved feature set compared to a regular point-and-shoot - offering something for snapshooters who want to learn more about photography through the camera's manual modes. However, the image quality limitations mean DSLR users might want to look at its more expensive peers if they want a pocket camera."