For much of the past fifteen years serious photographers have puzzled over exactly what digital photography was going to be when it grew up. The answer to that question is very complicated, but the past can provide some clues. Every so often a camera comes along that offers an iconic convergence of design, performance, and usability – like the Exacta VX, the Nikon F, the Pentax K1000, the Kodak DCS-100, the Nikon D1, the Olympus C3030, Sony F717, or the Canon EOS 300D. The new Nikon Coolpix P5100 isn’t worthy of place on that list, but it offers an important clue as to where this new technology is going.
The P5100 is an update of the popular Coolpix P5000 and the new flagship of Nikon’s compact camera line. The P5100 features 12 megapixel resolution, a 2.5 inch LCD, an optical viewfinder, a full range of automatic and manual exposure options, face detection AF, distortion correction, the ability to crop and edit images in-camera, and a hot shoe for i-TTL Nikon Speedlights. Nikon has been famous for optics since 1917 and the P5100 doesn’t disappoint in the optical arena – it features an excellent 3.5X (35mm-123mm equivalent) VR (Vibration Reduction) Nikkor zoom.
Images (up to ISO 400) show impressive sharpness and nicely rendered shadow/highlight detail with bright, hue accurate, and slightly over-saturated colors. The super compact P5100 is just right for informal and environmental portraits, macro/close-up and intimate landscape shots, travel photography, and candid/street shots.
The P5100’s snappy performance, tough as nails magnesium alloy body, nifty rubber clad hand-grip, logical control array, and superb ergonomics make this camera an outstanding choice for photography enthusiasts. The P5100 responds directly to photographers - the sort of camera that a passionate photographer might design for his own use. If all that isn’t enough, the P5100 is one of those rare cameras that really offers a lot of bang for the bucks.
Showing posts with label Nikon Coolpix P5100. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nikon Coolpix P5100. Show all posts
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Nikon Coolpix P5100 Digital camera for general use
ichard Butler & Simon Joinson
Based on a production Nikon Coolpix P5000 Firmware version 1.0
Announced just six months after the launch of the P5000, the Nikon P5100 is a gentle re-working of the existing model with a slightly larger, more pixel-dense sensor and hardware-based face-detection. Beyond that, the changes are predominantly cosmetic alterations to the existing model. The camera is Nikon's flagship compact camera, with the 'P' denoting 'performance.' Although it may not visually leap out from a line-up of contemporary compacts, its magnesium alloy body and manual exposure controls belie the unassuming appearance. It aims to offer a greater degree of manual control than the majority of compact cameras and has a strong feature set to help it stand apart. We were actually very impressed with the P5000's image quality and feature set, and only really complained about the sluggish performance. So has Nikon fixed the P5000's Achilles' heel in this update? Lets find out!
Differences compared with P5000
Faster, hardware-based face-detection, allowing more faces to be identified
Expeed processing 'concept'
Continuous flash shooting mode (3 consecutive frames at ~1fps)
Distortion control to counteract lens distortion
Improved user interface
Marginally larger sensor making the lens slightly wider-angle (35mm vs 36mm)
Fractionally shorter battery life (240, rather than 250 shots, CIPA standard)
1:1 aspect ratio shooting mode
Can add black borders to images
Unlike the names applied to image processors by many of Nikon's rivals, Expeed doesn't specifically refer to any particular technology or set of features. Rather, it is a "digital image-processing concept," so shouldn't be taken to imply any kinship to the D3 and D300 DSLR models that share the name, beyond the the use of similar Nikon algorithms and know how.
Key features
12 megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD
3.5x Zoom-Nikkor lens
Lens shift VR (Vibration Reduction)
ISO 64-1600 (3200 in 5MP mode)
BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the sharpest image automatically from ten sequential shots
P/A/S/M modes plus 16 scene modes
Compatibility with system-expanding accessories
Macro shooting enables shooting from as close as 4cm (1.6 in.)
SDHC card compatibility
Approx. 52 MB of internal memory
Face-priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, D-Lighting
2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating
Nikon Coolpix P5100 specifications
Street price • US: $370
• UK: £260
Body Material Metal and plastic
Sensor • 1/1.72 " Type CCD
• 12.43 million pixels total
• 12.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes • 4000 x 3000
• 3264 x 2448
• 2592 x 1944
• 2048 x1536
• 1600 x 1200
• 1280 x 960
• 1024 x 768
• 640 x 480
• 3984 x 2656 (3:2)
• 3984 x 2232 (16:9)
• 2992 x 2992 (1:1)
Movie clips • Motion JPEG (AVI) with sound
• TV movie (640) at 30fps/15fps,
• Small size (320) at 15fps
• Smaller size (160) at 15fps
• Sepia (320) at 15fps
• Monochromatic (320) at 15fps
• Without sound: Time-lapse movie at 30fps
File formats • JPEG Exif V2.2
• DCF
• DPOF
• Motion JPEG AVI
Lens • 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor (35-123mm equiv.)
• f/2.7-5.3
• 7 elements in 6 groups
Image stabilization Lens-shift VR
Conversion lenses Yes (optional)
Digital zoom up to 4x
Focus • Contrast Detection AF
• Macro
• Infinity lock
AF area modes • Auto (9-area automatic selection)
• Manual (99-area manual selection)
• Center
• Face-priority AF mode
AF assist lamp Yes
Focus distance • 30cm (1 ft.) to infinity (∞) [W], 70cm (2 ft. 4 in.) to infinity (∞) [T]
• Macro close-up mode: 4cm (1.6 in.) to infinity (∞) [W], 40cm (1 ft. 4 in.) to infinity (∞) [T]
Metering • Through-the-lens (TTL) metering
• 256-segment matrix
• Spot
• Center-weighted
• Spot AF area
ISO sensitivity • Auto (64 - 800)
• ISO 64
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 2000
• ISO 3200 (5MP or lower only)
Exposure compensation • -/+ 2EV
• in 1/3 EV steps
Exposure bracketing • 3 shots
• +/- 0.3, 0.7, 1.0EV
Shutter speed 1/2000 to 8 s
Aperture • Six blade iris diaphragm
• 10 (in steps of 1/3 EV)
Modes • Auto shooting mode
• Program (auto)
• Shutter Priority Auto
• Aperture Priority Auto
• Manual
• Movie mode
• Scene mode
• High-sensitivity shooting mode
• Anti-shake mode
Scene modes Face-priority AF, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist, Voice recording
White balance • Auto
• Daylight
• Cloudy
• Fluorescent
• Incandescent
• Preset
Self timer • 10 or 3 secs
Continuous shooting • Single
• Continuous (approx.1.0fps ,image quality Normal, image size 12M)
• Continuous flash
• Interval timer shooting
Image parameters Normal, Softer, Vivid, More vivid, Portrait, Custom, Black-and-white
Flash • Built-in
• Range: (W) 0.3 to 8.0m (1 ft. to 26 ft. 3 in.), (T) 0.3 to 4.0m (1 ft. to 13 ft. 1 in.)
• Flash Hot Shoe
• Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Anytime flash, Flash cancel, Slow sync., Rear-curtain sync.
Viewfinder • Real-image zoom viewfinder
• Approx 80% vertical x 80% horizontal
LCD monitor • 2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating
• 230,000-dot
• Approx 97% vertical x 97% horizontal (record mode)
Connectivity • USB
• AV out (NTSC / PAL)
Print compliance PictBridge, DCF, DPOF, EXIF print
Storage • SD / SDHC / MMC card (optional)
• Approx 52MB internal memory
Power • Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (supplied)
• AC Adapter EH-62A (optional)
Weight (No batt) Approx. 200 g (7.1 oz.) without battery and SD memory card
Dimensions Approx. 98 x 64.5 x 41 mm (3.9 x 2.5 x 1.6 in.) excluding projections
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).
Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.
Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window.
To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top.
DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.
Based on a production Nikon Coolpix P5000 Firmware version 1.0
Announced just six months after the launch of the P5000, the Nikon P5100 is a gentle re-working of the existing model with a slightly larger, more pixel-dense sensor and hardware-based face-detection. Beyond that, the changes are predominantly cosmetic alterations to the existing model. The camera is Nikon's flagship compact camera, with the 'P' denoting 'performance.' Although it may not visually leap out from a line-up of contemporary compacts, its magnesium alloy body and manual exposure controls belie the unassuming appearance. It aims to offer a greater degree of manual control than the majority of compact cameras and has a strong feature set to help it stand apart. We were actually very impressed with the P5000's image quality and feature set, and only really complained about the sluggish performance. So has Nikon fixed the P5000's Achilles' heel in this update? Lets find out!
Differences compared with P5000
Faster, hardware-based face-detection, allowing more faces to be identified
Expeed processing 'concept'
Continuous flash shooting mode (3 consecutive frames at ~1fps)
Distortion control to counteract lens distortion
Improved user interface
Marginally larger sensor making the lens slightly wider-angle (35mm vs 36mm)
Fractionally shorter battery life (240, rather than 250 shots, CIPA standard)
1:1 aspect ratio shooting mode
Can add black borders to images
Unlike the names applied to image processors by many of Nikon's rivals, Expeed doesn't specifically refer to any particular technology or set of features. Rather, it is a "digital image-processing concept," so shouldn't be taken to imply any kinship to the D3 and D300 DSLR models that share the name, beyond the the use of similar Nikon algorithms and know how.
Key features
12 megapixel 1/1.8-inch CCD
3.5x Zoom-Nikkor lens
Lens shift VR (Vibration Reduction)
ISO 64-1600 (3200 in 5MP mode)
BSS (Best Shot Selector) identifies and saves the sharpest image automatically from ten sequential shots
P/A/S/M modes plus 16 scene modes
Compatibility with system-expanding accessories
Macro shooting enables shooting from as close as 4cm (1.6 in.)
SDHC card compatibility
Approx. 52 MB of internal memory
Face-priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix, D-Lighting
2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating
Nikon Coolpix P5100 specifications
Street price • US: $370
• UK: £260
Body Material Metal and plastic
Sensor • 1/1.72 " Type CCD
• 12.43 million pixels total
• 12.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes • 4000 x 3000
• 3264 x 2448
• 2592 x 1944
• 2048 x1536
• 1600 x 1200
• 1280 x 960
• 1024 x 768
• 640 x 480
• 3984 x 2656 (3:2)
• 3984 x 2232 (16:9)
• 2992 x 2992 (1:1)
Movie clips • Motion JPEG (AVI) with sound
• TV movie (640) at 30fps/15fps,
• Small size (320) at 15fps
• Smaller size (160) at 15fps
• Sepia (320) at 15fps
• Monochromatic (320) at 15fps
• Without sound: Time-lapse movie at 30fps
File formats • JPEG Exif V2.2
• DCF
• DPOF
• Motion JPEG AVI
Lens • 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor (35-123mm equiv.)
• f/2.7-5.3
• 7 elements in 6 groups
Image stabilization Lens-shift VR
Conversion lenses Yes (optional)
Digital zoom up to 4x
Focus • Contrast Detection AF
• Macro
• Infinity lock
AF area modes • Auto (9-area automatic selection)
• Manual (99-area manual selection)
• Center
• Face-priority AF mode
AF assist lamp Yes
Focus distance • 30cm (1 ft.) to infinity (∞) [W], 70cm (2 ft. 4 in.) to infinity (∞) [T]
• Macro close-up mode: 4cm (1.6 in.) to infinity (∞) [W], 40cm (1 ft. 4 in.) to infinity (∞) [T]
Metering • Through-the-lens (TTL) metering
• 256-segment matrix
• Spot
• Center-weighted
• Spot AF area
ISO sensitivity • Auto (64 - 800)
• ISO 64
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 2000
• ISO 3200 (5MP or lower only)
Exposure compensation • -/+ 2EV
• in 1/3 EV steps
Exposure bracketing • 3 shots
• +/- 0.3, 0.7, 1.0EV
Shutter speed 1/2000 to 8 s
Aperture • Six blade iris diaphragm
• 10 (in steps of 1/3 EV)
Modes • Auto shooting mode
• Program (auto)
• Shutter Priority Auto
• Aperture Priority Auto
• Manual
• Movie mode
• Scene mode
• High-sensitivity shooting mode
• Anti-shake mode
Scene modes Face-priority AF, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close up, Museum, Fireworks show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist, Voice recording
White balance • Auto
• Daylight
• Cloudy
• Fluorescent
• Incandescent
• Preset
Self timer • 10 or 3 secs
Continuous shooting • Single
• Continuous (approx.1.0fps ,image quality Normal, image size 12M)
• Continuous flash
• Interval timer shooting
Image parameters Normal, Softer, Vivid, More vivid, Portrait, Custom, Black-and-white
Flash • Built-in
• Range: (W) 0.3 to 8.0m (1 ft. to 26 ft. 3 in.), (T) 0.3 to 4.0m (1 ft. to 13 ft. 1 in.)
• Flash Hot Shoe
• Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Anytime flash, Flash cancel, Slow sync., Rear-curtain sync.
Viewfinder • Real-image zoom viewfinder
• Approx 80% vertical x 80% horizontal
LCD monitor • 2.5-in wide viewing angle TFT LCD with anti-reflection coating
• 230,000-dot
• Approx 97% vertical x 97% horizontal (record mode)
Connectivity • USB
• AV out (NTSC / PAL)
Print compliance PictBridge, DCF, DPOF, EXIF print
Storage • SD / SDHC / MMC card (optional)
• Approx 52MB internal memory
Power • Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (supplied)
• AC Adapter EH-62A (optional)
Weight (No batt) Approx. 200 g (7.1 oz.) without battery and SD memory card
Dimensions Approx. 98 x 64.5 x 41 mm (3.9 x 2.5 x 1.6 in.) excluding projections
If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).
Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions.
Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window.
To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top.
DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.
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