Click to Enlarge Gallery Preview
If Charles Dickens were alive today and writing for PopPhoto.com, he might preface his review of the Nikon Coolpix P5100 ($310, street) thusly: "It was the best of cameras, it was the worst of cameras." To its credit, Nikon has added to this flagship of the Coolpix line, a 12.1-megapixel, 3.5x zoom compact camera, some of the slick features developed for its more sophisticated DSLRs. Unfortunately, there are other areas within the P5100's operations that can best be described as a "work in progress."
The P5100 features a 1/1.72" RGB CCD that incorporates Nikon's EXPEED processing system and improved hardware-based facial detection that Nikon claims can identify up to 12 faces in one frame. The EXPEED processing doesn't refer to specific technologies within the P5100, but a digital image processing "concept" that is designed to improve image quality by reducing noise and improving signal-to-noise ratios, even at higher ISO settings.
Another facet of the Nikon image processing is "D-Lighting," which takes backlit and underexposed images and makes them more usable. By selecting the D-lighting option while viewing an image, the camera reprocesses the image and saves a copy of the processed file while leaving the original untouched. This manipulation does have its limitations however, and the quality will never be as good as a well-exposed image, but it can make the difference between trashing the image or hanging it on a wall. The quality of the images made by the P5100 was very favorable when viewed on our computer screen. It's class-competitive, and can hold its own against similar models from other manufacturers.
With a magnesium body, full-featured hotshoe, manual exposure controls, an optical viewfinder, and optical Vibration Reduction (VR), the Coolpix P5100 shares some DNA with Nikon's higher-end DSLR bodies and lenses and adds an incredible amount of flexibility into what a small point and shoot camera is capable of producing, image-wise. The high ISO levels are also equally impressive and record a respectable image at ISO 1600 -- particularly in comparison to many other compacts with high ISO features. The P5100 can also shoot at an even higher 3200 ISO, but at a reduced 5MP resolution. Clearly, this camera is priced for consumers and competes with such models as the Fujifilm FinePix F50fd and other feature-rich cameras.
The lens is an optically stabilized f/2.7-5.3, 35mm-123mm (35mm camera equivalent), 3.5x zoom. Like many of the other features within the 5100, the camera's lens shares a heritage with Nikon's legendary pro-grade equipment by being all optical glass and very sharp. The lens telescopes outward when the power is turned on and retracts back into the camera body when powered down. A lens cover also protects the front element by automatically covering it when the camera is powered off.
The VR lens technology allows slower working shutter speeds while keeping a high level of sharpness in the final image. Nikon does this by attaching individual lens elements to motors that are equipped with sensors that measure movement at a specific point every 1/1000th of a second. If the camera detects motion, elements within the lens move to compensate. This technology generally works best with focal lengths from slightly wide angle to slightly telephoto, which matches the range of the P5100's optical zooming abilities exactly. The advantage of this technology in point and shoot cameras is that it allows lower ISO settings, which allows higher quality images that show less noise.
Unfortunately, VR technology doesn't work well with macro lenses and if you're thinking about buying the P5100 to take advantage of the VR technology while photographing your backyard bugs, you'll be disappointed. The amount of shake introduced in hand-held macro photography is too severe to compensate for, and while you'll have some VR working, it will not be dramatic. The best strategy in macro photography is to still use a tripod. The macro abilities on the P5100 were disappointing and aren't nearly as robust as cameras such as the Canon PowerShot G9 and others in the same category. The camera focuses surprisingly far from the subject and the more telephoto settings had less macro abilities.
Nikon has also designed a series of auxiliary lenses specifically for the P5100. The 0.67x wide-angle converter (WC-E67) and 3.0x tele-converter (TC-E3ED) expand total available focal length for the P5100 to an amazing range of 23.5-369mm. Users also need to be aware that there are specific settings in the menu that must be set in order to use these lens converters properly.
Another lens-centric feature that is thoughtful and useful is the lens (barrel) distortion correction feature. This will correct wide angle lens distortion in camera and save the user the trouble of having to correct these optical flaws in post processing. Similarly to the teleconverter functions, this processing must be turned on in the menu.
HANDS ON
Another inherited trait that the P5100 shares with its more sophisticated brethren in the Nikon line is great ergonomics and wonderful rubber grip areas that suck your hand onto the camera and keep them there, slip free. The P5100 is comfortable to hold and if there is a complaint, it would be that the zoom toggle is a bit smallish and the shutter release button is a little close to the palm of your hand. In holding the camera, your index finger will actually span across the shutter release. In order to make an image, you to have to reach back to depress the shutter. The movement was great enough that it was noticeably uncomfortable.
When viewing the back of the camera while holding it, you'll see that the left hand thumb lays precisely over a row of buttons that also resemble those featured on Nikon's higher-end DSLR models. These buttons handle function, viewing, menus, and image deletions and are located next to the 2.5-inch (230,000 pixel) LCD screen, but not so much so that the screen is encroached by your thumb. The fixed-position screen is somewhat shiny, yet doesn't show a significant amount of glare when viewing images, which are bright, sharp, have accurate color, and are viewable from almost any angle.
Looking down onto the top of the camera shows the DSLR-like program selection dial, hotshoe, and a function wheel that allows a viewer to scroll through images and menu items viewed on the LCD screen. Each is easy to reach and large enough to make using them ultra-simple to operate. Upon closer examination of the dial, you'll notice that the P5100 has four shooting modes -- Manual, Automatic, Program, and Shutter Priority mode. The dial also has a camera setup mode, video mode, high ISO mode and scene mode, which contains 15 different scene options and voice recording. The scene modes range from face-priority auto focus to night portraits, sunsets and snow. Generally, these scenes are useful and there's not a tremendous amount of overlapping scene functionality.
Print
Stumble It 
Comments
Be the first to comment!