Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP Digital Camera

Smartphones with ever better on-board cameras are relentlessly invading the P&S digicam’s domain, which goes a long way toward explaining why lots of new digital cameras now come equipped with capacitive touch screen LCD’s, Wi-Fi, and built-in GPS receivers. The most obvious question is - can camera phones actually replace more traditional cameras?  The answer to that question depends on just how you use your camera and how demanding you are as a photographer.  If you use your camera ONLY for uploading “I was there” and “selfies” shots to Facebook then you’ll probably be fine with nothing more than a phone cam.  However, if you use your camera to express your artistic view of the world, to document the growth of your children, or to record memories from those once in a lifetime trips - then your phone cam is going to come up way short when compared to even a basic P&S digicam.  Phone cams lack the flexibility, camera ergonomics, advanced photography features, ease of use, creative control, and the better quality optics of even the simplest P&S digital camera.  They fail to even make a blip on the radar screen when compared to digicams in the travel zoom class (like the new Canon SX280 HS) or Ultra-zoom digicams like the Nikon Coolpix P510.  The P510 is an entry-level DSLR-sized ultra-zoom that provides an amazing 24mm to 1000mm (equivalent) 42x zoom. A digital camera with a zoom lens that can go from true wide-angle to super telephoto allows photographers to cover virtually the entire spectrum of outdoor photographic genres - from classic landscape shots to tightly framed portraits and from macro shots to group shots of performers on distant stages at outdoor concerts.

NUTS & BOLTS
I've reviewed "ultra-zoom" digicams from Nikon, Olympus, and Canon and all of them share similar shortcomings - slow maximum apertures, complex zoom formulas (which reduce contrast), noticeable barrel distortion (straight lines bow out from the center), and fuzzy/soft telephoto images. In many cases the optical performance of these cameras was actually better than expected, but the AF systems and IS systems simply weren’t up to the task of rapidly locking (and holding) focus on distant subjects and keeping camera shake at telephoto settings from negatively affecting subject sharpness.

I'm not sure what Nikon did differently with the P510, but many of those typical faults have been minimized.  I was surprised at just how sharp my telephoto images were, especially when I compared them to images from the remarkably similar (50x zoom) Canon Powershot SX50 HS that I tested earlier this year.  My P510 shots, at full telephoto, were noticeably sharper than similar shots I had made with the SX50 HS.  Even factoring in the differences in seasons and lighting and other environmental factors images shot with the P510 were consistently sharper than images shot with SX50 HS. The differences are subtle, but unarguable. 

Viewfinder/LCD/Display
Like most currently available ultra-zooms the P510 provides an EVF (electronic viewfinder) so shooters can use either the LCD screen or the EVF for framing/composition, image review, GPS receiver, and menu access chores. The P510 features a large 3.0-inch LCD monitor with 921K resolution. The wide-viewing angle TFT monitor is sharp, bright, hue accurate, and fluid.  The default info display provides all the information this camera's target audience is likely to need. The LCD gains up (automatically increases brightness) in dim lighting and brightness can also be adjusted to the individual shooter's preferences. The anti-glare/anti-reflection coating (applied to both sides of the LCD's protective cover) is substantially better than average for digicams in this class. Finally, the P510's LCD flips/folds out, which is useful when shooting macro or high-angle (above the heads of the crowd) shots, but the LCD doesn't swivel.
The P510's EVF is a 0.2-inch unit with 200K resolution, but there is no diopter adjustment for those who wear glasses. The EVF is a nice retro composition tool, and provides some much-needed stability when shooting at the long end of the zoom. The viewfinder button (located directly to the left of the EVF) allows users to switch back and forth between LCD and EVF.

Zoom Lens
In the final analysis everything comes down to the P510's astonishing 42x zoom, since that monster optic is this camera's main claim to fame. When the P510 is powered up, the lens automatically telescopes out of the lens housing. When the camera is powered down, the lens is fully retracted back into the lens housing and a built-in iris style lens cover closes to protect the front element. Not so long ago 10x was considered a long zoom so the P510's f3.3-f5.9 24mm -1000mm (equivalent) 42x zoom is the star of the show here - allowing P510 users to stand in one spot and cover everything from grand vista wide-angle landscapes to shots of distant wildlife to macro close-ups.

The f/3.3 maximum aperture is a bit slow for shooting indoors, but should be more than fast enough for most outdoor shooting – at least in decent light. Center sharpness is pretty good overall, but at the wide-angle end of the zoom corners are slightly soft. I didn't notice any vignetting (dark corners) and both barrel and pincushion distortion are visible, but seem well corrected. Contrast is balanced (but a little flat) and colors are hue accurate, though visibly oversaturated. Chromatic aberration is remarkably well-controlled, but some very minor color fringing is present in the color transition areas between dark foreground objects and bright backgrounds. Zooming is smooth, but fairly slow when compared to cameras with shorter zooms. Interestingly, there is much less motor noise than I expected.

With most ultrazooms the maximum telephoto setting can often be more of a curse than a blessing since long zoom digicams produce images that are notoriously soft at the maximum telephoto setting. Nikon's optical and mechanical engineers did a remarkably good job on the P510's zoom. The lens is reasonably compact and much sharper (at the long end of the zoom) than expected. P510 users can consistently handhold the camera for shots at maximum telephoto and many of their pictures will be sharp enough for 4 x 6 prints or VGA web shots, however (and this is surprising) some of their handheld telephoto shots will be sharp enough for 9 x 12 enlargements.
 
Image Stabilization (IS) 
Consistently capturing sharply focused pictures with a P&S digicam that sports a remarkably long zoom offers some unique optical engineering challenges. Nikon claims the P510 can counter involuntary camera shake in seven ways. Using Hybrid VR, optical lens-shift Vibration Reduction and electronic IS combine to reduce the effects of camera shake), High Sensitivity (up to ISO 3200) reduces the risk of blurred images with faster shutter speeds, Motion detection compensates for subject movement, Night Landscape mode, and backlight mode also decrease image blur by improving low light performance.
 
Auto Focus (AF)
The P510 consistently produces properly exposed images even in lighting that would challenge many digicams. Outdoors, the P510 does a great job - generating images that feature reliably accurate (though visibly oversaturated) colors and acceptable contrast, and impressive sharpness.  Image sharpness is dependably very good to excellent, noticeably better than average for cameras in this class, except at the long end of that incredible zoom - and even at the "fuzzy" end of thar massive zoom images were sharper than expected. The P510 consistently produces the sharpest images I've ever seen from an ultra-zoom digicam.  The P510's 9 AF point Auto Focus system is identical to that of its predecessor including AF, Manual focus, and Macro focus modes with face detection AF, automatic (multi-point) AF, Single point AF, Center AF, Tracking AF, and Targeting AF.

GPS
The P510 features Nikon's new GPS system with built-in electronic compass to record position information when shooting still photos or recording video. The P510 also features a log function for geo-tracking position (even when the camera is off) and provides access to point-of-interest data for (according to Nikon) about 1,700,000 locations worldwide.

Flash  
The P510's multi-mode (Auto, off, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill flash, Slow synch, and Rear curtain synch) pop-up flash sits directly above the zoom - in the classic maximum red-eye configuration. The flash is very small and a bit on the weak side, but it provides an adequate selection of artificial lighting options.
 
Memory Media
The P510 saves images and video to SD, SDHC or SDXC memory media.
 
Power  
The P510 draws its juice from a proprietary 3.7V, 1100mAh Nikon EN-EL5 lithium-ion battery. Nikon claims the P510 (with a fully charged battery) is good for about 200 exposures – lower than the average for cameras of this type. I do a lot of shoot, review, delete, and re-shoot so I don't usually keep track of exposures, but I only charged the battery twice while I had the camera and I shot a lot of stills and about a half a dozen video clips - plus the P510 suffers a slight, but continuous power drain from the GPS receiver - so I'd speculate that Nikon's power duration claims are fairly accurate. The EN-EL5 lithium-ion battery is charged in-camera and requires about two hours for a full charge from standard house current. The P510 can also be charged via USB, but I didn't try this option so I can't comment on its efficacy.

EXPOSURE
The Nikon Coolpix P510 features Nikon's standard point-and-shoot auto exposure system, one of the best I have ever used; in fact Nikon’s auto exposure system is so good that I suspect most P510 users will put the camera in Program mode and leave it there. Auto ISO (ISO 100-3200 range), auto WB mode, and the default 256-segment matrix metering system combine nicely with the full selection of shooting modes to virtually guarantee very good to excellent images in a broad range of outdoor shooting scenarios.
 
White Balance (WB) & Sensitivity (ISO)
The P510's Auto White Balance mode is dependably accurate over a wide range of lighting conditions. In fact, Nikon's latest P&S white balance system is the best I've seen to date. The P510 provides several WB options including Auto 1 (normal lighting), Auto 2 (warm lighting), Preset Manual WB, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, and Flash settings.

The P510 provides an adequate range of sensitivity options, including auto (ISO 100-800) and user-set options for ISO 100 - ISO 3200. ISO 100 images are very sharp with intense colors, very low noise levels, and balanced but slightly flat contrast. ISO 200 images are essentially identical. At the ISO 400 setting, noise levels are beginning to rise and there's a very minor, but perceptible loss of fine detail.  Indoor image quality is acceptable at lower ISO settings, but as sensitivity rises to overcome lower levels of ambient lighting, noise levels rise noticeably and color intensity suffers a bit. Noise levels are quite reasonable up to ISO 400, but they increase noticeably and rapidly after that.
 
DESIGN, BUILD QUALITY, CONTROLS & ERGONOMICS
The P510 bears a striking resemblance to its predecessor. So what's different? The P510 stretches the P500's zoom by almost 200 millimeters, boosts resolution from 12 megapixels to 16 megapixels (via a new back-illuminated CMOS image sensor), features a new GPS receiver, and provides 1080p video with stereo audio.   The P510 is a utilitarian DSLR-sized camera that looks very similar to most of its competition. 

The P510 will appeal to serious photographers who want to be able to cover a very broad zoom range of photographic genres without having to carry a heavy DSLR, a sturdy tripod, and a bag full of lenses. The P510's user interface is uncomplicated and its robustly constructed metal-alloy/polycarbonate body provides good dust/weather/moisture seals.

The control layout is efficiently designed and buttons are logically placed and come easily to hand for right-handed shooters, but they are all rather small (with the exception of the shutter button), in fact the on/off button is so small that it usually requires a couple of attempts to turn the camera on or off.  The top deck features a standard mode dial, a large raised shutter button (with zoom toggle surround) and the aforementioned tiny on/off button. Nikon's function button is not like Canon's "func" button (which calls up a shortcut menu to directly access often changed settings), rather the Nikon Fn button provides direct access to one (image size, picture control, WB, metering, continuous shooting mode, ISO, or AF area) user selected function.  The P510's control pad functions in the familiar compass switch configuration - up/down (flash/macro), left/right (self timer/exposure compensation), and center "OK" button. Additionally, the control rotates, which makes for super fast menu scrolling and function selection. Where Nikon's nifty rotary multi-controller really shines is for easy back and forth review and comparison of saved images.  The P510's one-touch video Record/Stop button is a bit smaller than it should be and it is somewhat awkwardly positioned, but it can still be used without requiring the shooter to look away from the LCD/EVF when starting or stopping video.

Menus and Modes
The P510's four tab menu (Shooting menu, Movie menu, GPS menu, and Set-up menu) system is reliably logical, user-friendly, and easily navigated. The large high resolution LCD and reasonable font size make reading menus simple – even for older shooters.

Here's a breakdown of the P510's shooting modes:

Auto: Point-and-shoot mode with limited user input - In Auto mode (which is actually closer to Program mode) the camera selects the aperture and shutter speed, but allows users to control sensitivity (ISO), white balance, color/saturation, and exposure compensation. Scene Auto Selector: Automatically selects the most appropriate Scene mode for the shooting situation from Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close-Up, Food, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Backlight, and Panorama Assist. Night Landscape Scene Mode: Automatically selects a smaller aperture to increase the area in focus and a longer shutter speed (to help capture detail) in dim/low lighting conditions. Landscape Scene Mode: All exposure parameters are maximized for classic landscape pictures. Backlighting: Automatically adjusts exposure parameters (HDR) to balance backlighting and ambient lighting for more accurate exposures. Effects: Soft-focus mode, Sepia, High contrast monochrome, High key, Low key, Selective color, and Painting. User Settings: Custom Program: Auto exposure with limited user input. Aperture priority: Users select the aperture and the camera selects an appropriate shutter speed. Shutter priority: Users select shutter speed and the camera selects an appropriate aperture. Manual: Users select all exposure parameters. Movie:Full HD (1080p @) 30fps) video with stereo audio
There is no dedicated movie/video setting on the mode dial - simply press the P510's one touch movie start/stop button at any time (in any exposure mode) to switch to video capture mode.

In the Field/Handling & Operation
I got a call recently from a young acquaintance asking for camera advice.  He has been wanting a new camera for at least a year and he recently received a small inheritance from the death of a relative he barely knew.  He had decided to use the money to buy several things he had been wanting.  The bottom line was that he still hadn’t gotten his new camera and he had already spent most of the money on a new bicycle and a better guitar.  He told me that he really wanted a new Canon SX50 HS, but didn’t have enough left to buy one.  I asked him how much money he did have left and he replied that he had about $300 bucks.  While I was talking to him o the phone I checked prices on my PC and told him that I’d found a very similar Nikon P510 for $269.00 plus shipping.  I emailed him the link and reminded him that my fee for equipment consultations was a brief “test” period with the new camera so that I could write a review of the device.  He told me that was fine as long as he could go along a pick my brain while I was testing the camera.  Long story short – less than a week later he turned up with the P510 in hand, ready for a Wednesday afternoon of photographic adventures.

Our first outing with the P510 was to Cave Hill Cemetery. Cave Hill is one of the best remaining examples of 19th century U. S. landscape architecture and a popular destination for local photographers.  Even in the middle of the winter, there is always something to photograph at this old burying ground. In the summer Cave Hill’s 300 acres are filled with an almost dizzying collection of (native and exotic) trees, shrubs, bushes, and plants - most of which seem to be in bloom, plus there are thousands of old native limestone headstones, dozens of ornate mausoleums, a rustic old groundskeeper’s cottage, and a small lake (with hundreds of resident ducks, geese, and swans).   The last month or so we've had some really nasty weather in the Ohio River Valley – incredibly hot humid days and lots of rain, too.  I spent the afternoon shooting a wide variety of subjects – weatherworn old tombstones in the oldest section of cemetery and blooming flowers and shrubs around the native limestone Victorian administration building.  I also shot images of folks feeding the resident (and always hungry) waterfowl around the lake.

Our next outing with the P510 took us to Louisville’s Extreme Park. The Extreme Park is the go to place for local photographers looking to capture action. Skateboarders and BMX bikers are drawn to the park (at least when it isn’t raining) to perfect their moves in the industrial sized full pipe, 5 interconnected bowls, and twelve-foot half pipe. Many of the kids at the Extreme Park are talented athletes and most of them love showing off for the camera. BMX bikers move faster than skateboarders and they need a bit more frame space to accommodate their bikes, so shooting bikers is a bit tougher than shooting skateboarders. With most cameras (especially consumer P&S digicams) I have to anticipate the peak action moment by ¼ to ½ of a second (so the camera has time to lock focus and trip the shutter) and that was the case with the P510. 

I also used the P510 in my young acquaintance’s dimly lit apartment (where I shot a couple of pictures of him playing his new guitar) and at a neighborhood coffee shop.  Indoor pictures were somewhat flat with elevated noise levels and slightly fuzzy details – but my young friend didn’t seem to mind and he immediately posted the pictures of him playing his new guitar to his facebook account.  Our final outing with the P510 was to nearby Iroquois Park to shoot the Frederick Law Olmsted designed mini-prairie preserve at the top of Iroquois Hill.  My young friend loves the camera (and the fact that he found a bargain) and is not bothered by P510’s irritating video start delay saying he can easily start the video before the action commenced and then edit the dead time out on his PC.
   
Image Quality
The Nikon Coolpix P510 utilizes a new 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor to capture images. Like most compact P&S digicams, image files produced by the P510 are optimized for the bold, bright colors and slightly flat contrast that many veteran shooters refer to as "consumer" color. Recorded hues are accurate but noticeably more intense than in real life - reds are warm, blues are bright, and greens/yellows/oranges are very vibrant. The bottom line is that the P510's color interpolation, while a bit more intense than neutral, is consistently and dependably hue accurate. The colors I saw on my monitor when I reviewed the images I shot with this camera were the colors I saw when I shot the pictures.

Outdoors, in good light, the P510 dependably captures very good to excellent images in all shooting modes. Indoors, the camera performs with a little less aplomb due to the slow maximum aperture and the complexity of the optical design - the farther you zoom indoors, the worse the image will become.
 
Video Quality
The P510 captures HD video at 1920x1080p at 30 fps with stereo audio and the 42x zoom can be used during filming. This camera also provides an HDMI out so that users can watch their HD video clips on their wide screen HD TVs.

The P510's video mode is this camera’s only major shortcoming. When users press the start/stop control to start recording - the P510's LCD/EVF goes dark for a full second before video capture begins, which rather defeats the benefit of having a “instant” start/stop button. Since video capture doesn't start until a full second after you push the button, it will be necessary to anticipate the beginning of your video and press the start/stop button at least a full second before the action commences. The P510 is an impressive camera, but if video capture is an important consideration - I'd take a closer look at the Canon SX50 HS.
 
CONCLUSION
The P510, with its monster zoom, can easily handle landscape/scenic photography, wildlife photography, event photography (festivals, concerts, parties, family gatherings), sports/action photography, and travel photography. I really liked the P510 - a DSLR shooter would need a camera bag full of very expensive lenses to cover the same range as that 42x zoom. In fact, there is only one thing preventing the P510 from emerging as the top dog in the ultra-zoom class - the frustrating one second recording start delay in video mode. The Nikon Coolpix P510 would be an almost ideal choice for an aspiring photographer on a budget, an excellent choice as a family camera, and a very good choice for travelers who want a tough easy to use digicam with lots of reach.

Recommend this product? Yes