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Nikon Coolpix P7000 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £320
inc VAT

High image quality and lots of impressive features, but painfully slow menus are enough to put us off

Specifications

1/1.7in 10.0-megapixel sensor, 7.1x zoom (28-200mm equivalent), 360g

http://www.ukdigitalcameras.co.uk

As mainstream compact digital cameras continue on their ludicrous megapixel arms race, it’s reassuring to see sense prevail among the small clutch of compact cameras aimed at enthusiasts. Whereas the Nikon P6000 used a 13.5-megapixel sensor, the P7000 has dropped down to 10 megapixels to strike a better balance between detail and noise levels. The sensor diameter remains at 1/1.7in, giving 50 per cent more surface area than most compact cameras’ 1/2.3in sensors.

Rival cameras, such as the Canon S95 and Panasonic LX5, have similarly specified sensors, and most pair them with wide-aperture lenses to further boost low-light performance. The P7000 takes a different tack, with an unremarkable f/2.8-5.6 aperture but a more generous 7.1x zoom range.

Nikon Coolpix P7000 front

The revamped design looks uncannily like a Canon G-series camera, with a dial for exposure compensation and three others for fast access to other settings. That’s the idea anyway – sadly the reality wasn’t quite so impressive. The top-mounted dial lets the user choose between six functions before pressing the central button to bring up the selection on the screen, but there was a one-second lag between pressing and the function appearing. That may not sound like much but is infuriatingly sluggish for a camera this expensive. Exiting the main menu was even worse, taking over two seconds to return to the live preview. Otherwise, performance was unexceptional, with 1.9 seconds between shots and a 1.4fps continuous mode.

Nikon Coolpix P7000 top

There are many features and options, including an exposure/focus lock button, an integrated neutral-density filter, digital spirit level and microphone socket for the video mode. There’s a proper neck strap rather than the usual wrist strap, but the clips to attach it make the handgrip a little uncomfortable. There’s an optical viewfinder too but it’s small, heavily cropped compared to the captured image and suffers badly from distortion and chromatic aberrations. We stuck with the excellent 3in, 921,000-pixel screen.

Nikon Coolpix P7000 back

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Basic Specifications

Rating ***
CCD effective megapixels 10.0 megapixels
CCD size 1/1.7in
Viewfinder optical
Viewfinder magnification, coverage N/A
LCD screen size 3.0in
LCD screen resolution 921,000 pixels
Articulated screen No
Live view Yes
Optical zoom 7.1x
Zoom 35mm equivalent 28-200mm
Image stabilisation optical, lens based
Maximum image resolution 3,648×2,736
Maximum movie resolution 1280×720
Movie frame rate at max quality 24fps
File formats JPEG, RAW; QuickTime (AVC)

Physical

Memory slot SDXC
Mermory supplied 79MB internal
Battery type Li-ion
Battery Life (tested) 350 shots
Connectivity USB, AV, mini HDMI, microphone
HDMI output resolution 1080i
Body material plastic
Lens mount N/A
Focal length multiplier N/A
Kit lens model name N/A
Accessories USB and AV cables, neck strap
Weight 360g
Size 77x114x45mm

Buying Information

Warranty two-year RTB
Price £320
Supplier http://www.ukdigitalcameras.co.uk
Details www.nikon.co.uk

Camera Controls

Exposure modes program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed 60 to 1/2,000 seconds
Aperture range f/2.8-8 (wide), f/4-8 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution) 100 to 6400
Exposure compensation +/-3 EV
White balance auto, 7 presets with fine tuning, 3 manual, custom
Additional image controls contrast, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction, Active-D lighting, distortion control, flash exposure compensation
Manual focus Yes
Closest macro focus 2cm
Auto-focus modes multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect, tracking
Metering modes multi, centre-weighted, centre, spot AF area, face detect
Flash auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, manual, red-eye reduction
Drive modes single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, smile detect