Nikon Announces 12.1 Megapixels Coolpix P500 and P300 Priced at $400 and $330
2011-02-09 02:24Average Camera Review Rating [12 reviews]
Nikon today announces the new COOLPIX P500 and P300 high-end compact digital cameras. The P300 is a brand new model for the P-series, aimed at those who are passionate about photography and want to use the full capacity of a superior compact camera. It features a 12.2 Megapixels backside illumination CMOS sensor, a super-fast Wide-Angle 4.2x Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens (24mm-100mm, 35mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 for capturing stunning, tack-sharp images and Full HD (1080p) video.
Nikon today announces the new COOLPIX P500 and P300 high-end compact digital cameras. The P300 is a brand new model for the P-series, aimed at those who are passionate about photography and want to use the full capacity of a superior compact camera. It features a 12.2 Megapixels backside illumination CMOS sensor, a super-fast Wide-Angle 4.2x Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens (24mm-100mm, 35mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 for capturing stunning, tack-sharp images and Full HD (1080p) video.The P500 replaces the highly-acclaimed P100 advanced bridge camera, and packs in an even more impressive 36x zoom range, 12.1 Megapixels sensor, tiltable high resolution 921K dot LCD monitor and Full 1080p HD movie recording.
The COOLPIX P300 will be available beginning March 2011 and will retail for $329.95 MSRP and will be offered in black. The COOLPIX P500 will be available beginning March 2011 and will retail for $399.95 MSRP and will be offered in black and red. Check out the following press announcement for more details:
Photo Album: Nikon Announces 12.2 Megapixels Coolpix P500 and P300 Priced at $400 and $330
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Nikon's New High Performance COOLPIX P300 Overcomes Creative Constraints In Even The Most Challenging Lighting Conditions
The COOLPIX P300 Combines Nikon's Cutting-Edge Imaging Technology with the Fastest NIKKOR Lens Ever Paired with a COOLPIX to Create an Exceptionally Enviable Pocket Camera
MELVILLE, NY (Feb. 8, 2011) - Today, Nikon Inc. announced the new COOLPIX P300, Nikon's first compact digital camera to feature a super-fast Wide-Angle 4.2x Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens (24mm-100mm, 35mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 for capturing stunning, tack-sharp images and Full HD (1080p) video in a variety of lighting conditions. In addition to the widest aperture NIKKOR lens ever seen in a Nikon COOLPIX camera, the P300 also comes equipped with a 12.2-megapixel backside illumination CMOS sensor as well as a complement of other Nikon core technologies designed to prevail in even the most challenging light.
Created for the photo enthusiast who seeks creative control but will not compromise image quality for portability, the versatile P300 features manual controls, Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) technology, and ISO sensitivity up to 3200. These features help create low noise images and faster shutter speeds, which minimize motion blur in low-light conditions like night portraits, even when handheld.
"The COOLPIX P300 reflects decades of optical experience and NIKKOR heritage that culminate to create this exciting compact camera offering for users yearning for more creative freedom," said Bo Kajiwara, director of marketing, Nikon Inc. "The P300 is an excellent choice for the photographer who is looking for a compact camera with all the manual controls and advanced features that challenges them to take their creativity to new heights."
Stunning Image Quality in Low-Light Conditions
Demanding low-light conditions and creative barriers are no match for the new COOLPIX P300. Superior image quality in low-light settings is achieved because of the P300's powerful combination of a 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, high ISO sensitivity, and the fast wide-angle f/1.8 lens. The CMOS sensor in the P300 is designed so that each pixel receives light more efficiently for superior performance. ISO performance of up to 3200 helps to ensure that images have low noise and amazing clarity while the wide aperture increases the amount of available light to the sensor. Nikon's EXPEED C2 image processing engine also participates in this phenomenal feat, enhancing overall speed and performance to deliver images that burst with vivid clarity and color.
Taking Creativity to New Heights
Designed to give users even more creative freedom in a compact body, the P300 comes equipped with several features commonly found in D-SLR cameras such Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Priority (S) and Full Manual (M) Control. Easily accessed through a top mounted control wheel, users are able to capture images missed by other cameras, while obtaining a desired look and feel to images by creatively adjusting shutter speed, depth of field, white balance and other settings. Users can also apply special effects to colors, and filter effects such as a cross screen or fisheye lens. The P300 also includes Nikon's new Easy Panorama mode, to simply create vertical or horizontal panoramic shots automatically in-camera. Users can quickly and easily apply these settings, as well as review and share photos on the P300's high resolution 921,000-dot, 3-inch LCD screen.
The new COOLPIX P300 also features several improved scene modes including Advanced Night Portrait mode, Night Landscape mode, and Backlight high dynamic range (HDR) mode. When Advanced Night Portrait mode is engaged, the camera captures the essence of night scenes by combining multiple background shots along with a subject flash shot. In Backlight HDR mode, the P300 combines multiple shots at different exposures while Night Landscape mode combines multiple shots taken with a faster shutter speed for reduced noise and improved tonal range throughout the photo.
While image quality and low-light shooting are main facets of the COOLPIX P300, the camera also has incredible video capabilities. The P300 records high quality Full HD 1080p movies at 30 frames-per-second (fps) with autofocus, stereo sound and the ability to use the optical zoom. With the P300, users will be able to easily access the camera's video controls through its one-touch operation. Additionally, the Special Effects mode and a Creative Slider mode will allow ever more creative freedom when recording both movies and still images. Users can also adjust the recording speed of their movies to apply slow motion or high-speed special effects.
Additional COOLPIX Cameras Join the Low-Light Fight
In addition to the launch of the COOLPIX P300, Nikon also launched several other COOLPIX low-light all stars today, including the COOLPIX P500 and the S9100. Like the P300, the P500 and S9100 capture sharp, crisp images in demanding low-light conditions with accurate detail with the assistance of their backside illumination CMOS sensor and VR technology. The P500 also features Nikon's first 36x wide-angle optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens with side zoom control and is versatile enough to capture photos that other cameras would miss. The S9100 is a full featured camera with a high-power 18x wide-angle optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens packed with high performance in a compact, sophisticated design for superior portability, which is equally stylish and useful.
Pricing and Availability
The COOLPIX P300 will be available beginning March 2011 and will retail for $329.95* MSRP and will be offered in black. The COOLPIX P500 will be available beginning March 2011 and will retail for $399.95* MSRP and will be offered in black and red. The COOLPIX S9100 will be available March 2011 and will retail for $329.95* MSRP and will be offered in black, red, and silver. For more information about these and other COOLPIX cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.
*Estimated selling price listed is only an estimate. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
Nikon Coolpix P500 Sample Photos on Flickr
Nikon Coolpix P500 Camera Reviews Roundup
| TechRadar: "With the price hovering around the £300 mark, this camera carries a premium price - but for that you get an incredibly large zoom range packaged in a lightweight camera body with a high level of control and decent build quality. The zoom range provides amazing flexibility, and the extra-wide angle view at the shortest zoom setting can be very useful indeed.We liked: The flexibility afforded by the huge zo..." - Aug 31 2011 More » | |
| Digital Camera Info: "Well here's a result nobody saw coming. Nikon is one of the top manufacturers in the business and typically aces our color test. So we were shocked to find the Coolpix P500 is not accurate at all. Blues, greens, and yellows are all much darker than they should be, and unfortunately those latter two are thought to be the colors us humans are most sensitive to. Scenes were also undersaturated by about 5-10% depending..." - Aug 25 2011 More » | |
| Steve's Digicam: "Looking at our outdoor image samples, all of the images are very bright, with several instances of overexposure within them. Some of these come while the camera was exposing for a face, which is expected in some cases, but the P500 does it a bit too much. Since these images are so bright, they also seem a bit washed out, dulling the color and preventing the images from really blowing you away. On top of the overexpo..." - Aug 11 2011 More » | |
| digitalcameraHQ: "As we've come to expect from cameras with these BSI CMOS sensors, the P500 performs well in a variety of settings. Image quality is generally solid for the price, with a few caveats. As we mentioned above, BSI CMOS sensors tend to perform better at high ISO settings than their CCD predecessors do. That translates, loosely, to better low-light shooting. The P500 can't work miracles, but it makes it easy for anyo..." - Aug 02 2011 More » |
Nikon Coolpix P500 Reviews Roundup [Total 18 Reviews] »
Nikon Coolpix P500 Camera Recent User Reviews
Good Camera, good pics, but..., M. Kennedy - Jun 13 2013
I know this is a good camera, so I'm sure the problems i experience with it are user error or user misunderstanding... I needed to take quick pictures of whales in Hawaii, and there was too much lag time in between pressing the button. The girl sitting next to me was able to take multiple shots with one press of her button. I pressed my button and took one pic, and I mi...
Great Camera, Padilla Rojas Nilber Enrique "Luckyman" - May 15 2013
I purchased this camera for a friend of mine and I'd love to have a Coolpix for myself so I believe it's a great camera....
camera, T. Dziedzic - May 14 2013
I bought for the 36 X zoom. You need a very steady hand otherwise the pictures come out blurry. Other than that, it's the same as every other point and shoot camera.....
All around great camera, birder919 - May 01 2013
This is one great camera. I use it to snap photos of migrating birds passing through the area. The great zoom capabilities help me capture great pictures of distant subjects and the picture quality is great when doing so. This camera needs a tripod for distance shots any small movement will blur the image (that is to be expected from all cameras). This camera has all the functions a p...
More Nikon Coolpix P500 User Reviews »
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