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| Corella. Equivalent Focal Length 240mm, 1/125 sec ISO 100. With cooperative birds like these good photos are readily made. This and the photos below all hand held. |
The P900 brings to the consumer camera genre specifications and capabilities never seen before in the history of photography.
This is Part 5 of a user review
Part 2, Picture Quality here
Part 3 Performance here
Part 4 Ergonomics here
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| FLE650mm, ISO 560, 1/400sec. |
The unique selling point is that 83x zoom lens spanning Focal Length Equivalent (FLE) 24-2000mm.
This has been enabled by:
* Modern lens making technologies including aspheric elements which allow the construction of compact super zooms of very good quality at an amazingly low price.
* Nikon has somehow extracted from the humble 7.66mm sensor better imaging performance than I have previously seen from this size sensor.
* Effective vibration reduction allows ordinary mortals to use the lens handheld with some expectation of usable results, although the long end is difficult to use effectively.
Unfortunately there are numerous small problems, adversely affecting picture quality, performance and ergonomics.
I would not think any one of these to be a deal breaker but in sum they do diminish the experience of using the camera and the results of which it is capable.
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| FLE1500mm, ISO 220, 1/400sec. |
At the beginning of this 5 part user review of the P900 I asked two questions; ‘What’s it for’ ? and ‘Who’s it for’ ?
To these questions I now add ‘What can it do’ ?
Let’s run through the list of common camera uses and see how well the P900 is suited to purpose:
Landscape: The problems here are
1. Mushy rendition of fine details caused, presumably, by noise reduction in creating the JPGs which are the camera’s only output and
2. A tendency to highlight clipping. This can be reduced by setting Active D Lighting but that is not entirely a solution to the problem.
So: The P900 is not really at its best with landscapes.
By way of comparison the little Panasonic TZ70 which I tested along with the P900 delivers clearer, more detailed (RAW) landscapes in the wide and middle range of the zoom.
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| FLE1100mm, ISO140, 1/400 sec. Some reviewers have expressed dislike for the rear out of focus rendition (bokeh) here showing nisen double line phenomenon. |
Indoor groups and portraits: I rate the P900 one of the few cameras with the small 7.66mm sensor which can usefully be used indoors without flash. I have used it up to ISO 1600 with quite respectable results.
Birds and other creatures These subjects make best use of the super zoom capability and I think are the subjects which the P900 manages most successfully.
But there are reservations.
* The camera is difficult to hand hold effectively at the long end of the zoom.
* AF speed, EVF refresh rate and overall operational speed are quite slow compared to other cameras which are available, including other FZLC (Fixed Zoom Lens) camera models.
* Low light soon sees the camera run out of aperture/shutter speed/ISO options when zoomed out.
Sport/action The P900 struggles with follow focus and continuous shooting. It is not ideal for sport/action.
* Macro/closeups Yes the P900 can do closeups. There is a macro setting in the Autofocus Mode which utilises just a short section of the wide end of the zoom. Unfortunately you have to get very close. So close the camera itself blocks light from the subject and might spook any tiny little creatures.
VideoYes the P900 can do video. This review is about still photo capability. Please refer to other sources for information about video.
General travel/holiday photography Yes the P900 can do this quite well but so can lots of smaller, lighter, less obtrusive cameras.
It seems to me that for the ordinary photographer whose main interest is not birds and small animals it is actually quite difficult to find subjects which might require or could benefit from the full zoom capability provided by the P900.
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| FLE320mm, ISO100, 1/800 sec. Close inspection reveals loss of detail in foliage. I doubt the JPG rendition is doing justice to the excellent lens. |
Can the P900 be improved ?
Yes, of course it can. I have two lists of suggestions for Nikon:
1. Suggestions for a firmware update:
* Allow RAW capture, even if it means tediously slow shot to shot times like the P7800.
* Provide an extra, lower, user selectable level of noise reduction for the JPGs.
* Provide an option to have the self timer remain active with repeated shots until the camera is powered down or a different mode is selected.
* Reconfigure the minimum shutter speed to allow it to change with zoom focal length.
* Allow user assignment of function to all buttons.
* Improve the Fn button user interface and operation.
* Allow direct access to Active D Lighting via a button.
2. Suggestions for a follow up camera:
* The P900 is basically a P610 with a longer lens.
My experience with the P900 suggests that it is difficult to achieve consistently good results hand held in the focal length range E1200-2000, particularly in less than bright sunlight.
* Maybe Nikon could rethink the P900 as a more premium product with a zoom of FLE 24-1200mm but with a wider aperture than either the P610 or P900 now has.
The Panasonic FZ200 has FLE 600mm at f2.8. Maybe FLE 1200mm at f4 might be possible.
I think that would be more useful than 2000mm f6.5.
* This thing really needs a fast processor. If that means completely redesigning the inner workings of the Coolpix line, so be it. Nikon should have dealt with this issue years ago.
Here is the thing: Nikon has let the ultra zoom genie out of the bottle and it won’t go back in.
The P900 will unleash consumer’s expectations about performance which only a fast new processor can meet.
* As detailed in parts 1-4 of this user review, the camera needs a range of upgrades to holding, viewing and operating.
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| They look cute but do massive damage to Australia's agricultural land. FLE950mm, ISO 1000, 1/320 sec. |
A final thought: they have a problem
If Nikon does not move to produce a camera like the one I have suggested above, they will have raised unmet expectations leading to a tribe of customers wanting better performance.
However, if Nikon can bring its corporate self to make the camera which I have suggested above they might have an even bigger problem, that being: who needs a DSLR and four lenses?
Hmmmm……………….
We live in interesting times.
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