Nikon Coolpix P500 review

The 1080p video mode is one of the star attractions. Picture quality was superb, with significantly sharper details than other cameras' 720p modes and impressively low noise. Audio quality was just as good, and the zoom and autofocus motors were reasonably quiet in operation. Our only complaint is that electronic rather than optical stabilisation is used during video capture, and it struggled to remove shakes from handheld shots at telephoto zoom settings. The problem didn't seem as bad as it was on the P100, though.

Slow-motion video capture comes at various resolutions and frame rates – 1280x720 at 60fps, 640x480 at 120fps and 320x240 at 240fps – which deliver 1/2-, 1/4- and 1/8-speed slow-motion when played back at 30fps. Some people will dismiss this as a gimmick but we love it. Half-speed 720p capture is perfect for adding a sense of majesty and gravitas to a scene. The other modes are great for experimenting with; whether they're employed for educational purposes or just for fun, children will love exploring the world in slow motion, see our video below.

There are further options to capture a burst of 25 2-megapixel photos at 60fps, or 50 1-megapixel frames at 120fps. These modes also have the advantage of manual exposure control – something that's sadly missing from the video modes. Meanwhile, a 12-megapixel burst mode captures five shots at 8fps, while another shoots 16 frames at 1.2fps. It all adds up to superb flexibility for capturing fleeting subjects.

The P500 is extremely nippy in normal use, too, powering up and capturing a photo in just 1.6 seconds. Subsequent frames are just 1.7 seconds apart, although flash-lit shots took up to eight seconds to arrive. Autofocus was generally quick and accurate, too. It struggled in low light at telephoto settings, but that's not a situation that leads to great photos anyway.