Nikon Coolpix P330 review

IMAGE QUALITY – CLICK SAMPLE SHOTS TO ENLARGE

Photo quality was impressive, too. Details exhibited the same razor-sharp edges that we saw from the video output. However, close inspection – and direct comparisons with the Panasonic LF1, which we suspect uses the same sensor – revealed that the Nikon uses heavy digital sharpening to boost the contrast of fine details. The Panasonic’s output wasn’t as punchy but to our eyes it looked more natural. We could achieve this more natural look with the P330 by processing raw images in Lightroom, but the performance penalty for raw is a bit of a turn-off.

Details in this photo are bitingly sharp

The camera handles these clean, block colours extremely well too

Comparisons with the Panasonic LF1 reveal that the Nikon’s details are quite heavily processed. The Panasonic picks out these fine details more accurately, to our eyes

There’s nothing to choose between the two cameras’ raw output here – we suspect they use the same sensor

Image quality in low light was a big step up from cameras with smaller sensors and narrower apertures. However, it trailed slightly behind its similarly specified peers. ISO 1600 shots exhibited scruffier shadows and less fine detail than the Panasonic LF1 or Fujifilm XF1. Meanwhile, its automatic settings in low light weren’t as well-informed as the Panasonic’s, with slow shutter speeds turning moving subjects into unrecognisable blurs

Image quality is holding together reasonably well at ISO 400, but some detail has been lost to noise reduction

Quality at ISO 1600 is pretty good, but the Panasonic LF1 does a better job of suppressing noise and maintaining the texture in the hair. There’s not a huge amount in it, though

The P330 originally cost around £350, but the price has already been cut by over £100. That makes it easier to forgive the unremarkable JPEG (and terrible raw) shooting speed. The Fujifilm XF1 only costs around £30 more, though. It’s more responsive and it has the edge for image quality, with smoother output at fast ISO speeds. It can’t match the Nikon for video quality, though. If that’s a priority and you’re not in any rush to take your photos, the P330 is still an excellent choice.