Nikon B500 review: Big zoom and decent snaps for £219

Image quality tests revealed all the usual trappings of a camera with a small sensor and a big zoom. Heavy noise reduction squished details in low-light shots, and taking telephoto shots in anything but bright sunlight had a similar effect. That’s because the aperture closes down for telephoto shots, and at the same time faster shutter speeds are necessary to combat the increased risk of camera shake. Both result in faster ISO speeds, pushing up noise. However, while these shots wouldn’t look too hot as A3 prints, they were fine for sharing on social media.

In less demanding conditions the B500 acquitted itself extremely well. Colours struck an excellent balance of accuracy and flattery, and automatic exposures were expertly judged. The lens delivered impressively sharp focus throughout its zoom range — a fine achievement considering the 40x range and low price.

^ The B500 has no problem shooting in bright conditions, and the rich colours are captured well here. A decent smartphone would have given similar results, though. (1/400s, f/6.4, ISO 125, 28mm equivalent)

^ Nikon’s photographic expertise is more obvious here, accurately capturing the subtle gradations of colour and exposing the shot so the clouds are just short of clipping. Noise reduction has masked the finer details in the trees, though. (1/250s, f/5.4, ISO 125, 36mm equivalent)

^ Skin tones at the base ISO speed exhibit some noise but it’s not too invasive. Here I’ve kept my distance and zoomed in for a candid portrait. (1/320s, f/5.8, ISO 125, 369mm equivalent)

^ This shot is at the full zoom extension, and focus is impressively sharp. Again, there’s some noise and noise reduction artefacts but they’re only visible on close inspection (1/160s, f/6.5, ISO 125, 900mm equivalent)

^ Shooting in low light at the wide end of the zoom, the camera has chosen a very slow 1/8s shutter speed to keep noise at bay, and the optical stabilisation has kept things sharp. Focus is impressive here too. (1/8s, f/3, ISO 400, 22.5mm equivalent)

^ Shooting at the long end of the zoom in bright conditions has produced a pleasing photo with sharp focus and a decent amount of detail. (1/160s, f/6.5, ISO 280, 900mm equivalent)

^ More overcast weather reduces the available light. The camera has compensated by slowing the shutter speed (which results in motion blur and camera shake) and boosting the ISO speed (which raises noise levels). It’s not a write off but this shot doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny. (1/60s, f/6.5, ISO 1600, 900mm equivalent)

^ Increasing the ISO speed manually to 3200 reduces camera shake but increases noise further. Noise reduction has obliterated details, particularly in the wood grain, but it’s not a terrible result. (1/125s, f/6.5, ISO 3200, 900mm equivalent)

^ Skin and hair textures are surprisingly presentable at ISO 1600. They don’t stand up to scrutiny but it’s fine for sharing online. (1/50s, f/4.2, ISO 1600, 66mm equivalent) 

Verdict

The Nikon B500 was never going to score highly for innovation, but this is a camera that will suit anyone who wants to wants to take pictures outdoors and doesn’t want to spend a fortune. The big zoom is great for sports and wildlife, and also for taking discrete portraits, for day trips and holidays and generally getting creative with how subjects are framed. Keen photographers are better off with the Panasonic FZ330, but if £450 is too expensive, the Nikon B500 will do the job nicely.