83x anyone? The new Nikon P900 (13 Viewers)

[pppppvvvv]

Took plenty of photos in Lapland despite some mixed weather.

Album of all the pics is at the link here.

My favourites are attached below. P900 performed well throughout. Also managed a couple of very long distant Whales which I will post separately.

Peter

 

[pppppvvvv]

Orca and Sperm Whale from Nordkapp (cliffs 300m above sea level). Animals were a long way out. 600metres+ I would estimate, and very difficult to get in the viewfinder.

 

[Lumalee]

Managed to get one here in UK, out this weekend for a play. will post results.

 

[mzettie]

I called Precision camera today to find out why my P900 repair is still "on hold, waiting on parts." Was told they are waiting on a new lens, which won't be available until 6-24! I shipped the camera via Fed-ex on 5-13, so that means by the time they receive the part, repair the camera and return it to me, I'll have been without it for at least two months! In the meantime, people are buying new P900s online and receiving them in a couple of days. What that says (loudly and clearly) is that lenses are available, but Nikon is more interested in selling more cameras than they are in making things right for early purchasers.

After calling Precision, I called Nikon "customer service." HA, what a misnomer that is! Their response was ...."Oh well, if Precision says it's back-ordered there's nothing WE can do." My response was...."YOU COULD SEND THEM A LENS!"....but it fell on deaf ears, didn't even get a measly "sorry."
Others have mentioned Nikon's poor treatment of their customers and now that I've experienced it myself, they could come out with a 5000mm eq lens and I wouldn't buy it. I'm sure there'll be a worthy competitor on the market soon....probably before I get the P900 back.

So all I can say is, BUYER BEWARE. You might get lucky and get a good copy, but if your camera fails after the return period provided by your retailer, don't expect Nikon to give a $%*!

 

[crazyfingers]

That sucks!

Though Amazon is still saying "out of stock" I'm sure that they will continue to say that until they have filled their back orders.

 

[Neil]

Took plenty of photos in Lapland despite some mixed weather.

Album of all the pics is at the link here.

My favourites are attached below. P900 performed well throughout. Also managed a couple of very long distant Whales which I will post separately.

Peter

Must have been a great trip Peter. I must go.
Neil.

 

[crazyfingers]

mz, your avatar is a gas! Though it still sucks.

 

[Chris B.]

I called Precision camera today to find out why my P900 repair is still "on hold, waiting on parts." Was told they are waiting on a new lens, which won't be available until 6-24! I shipped the camera via Fed-ex on 5-13, so that means by the time they receive the part, repair the camera and return it to me, I'll have been without it for at least two months! In the meantime, people are buying new P900s online and receiving them in a couple of days. What that says (loudly and clearly) is that lenses are available, but Nikon is more interested in selling more cameras than they are in making things right for early purchasers.

After calling Precision, I called Nikon "customer service." HA, what a misnomer that is! Their response was ...."Oh well, if Precision says it's back-ordered there's nothing WE can do." My response was...."YOU COULD SEND THEM A LENS!"....but it fell on deaf ears, didn't even get a measly "sorry."
Others have mentioned Nikon's poor treatment of their customers and now that I've experienced it myself, they could come out with a 5000mm eq lens and I wouldn't buy it. I'm sure there'll be a worthy competitor on the market soon....probably before I get the P900 back.

So all I can say is, BUYER BEWARE. You might get lucky and get a good copy, but if your camera fails after the return period provided by your retailer, don't expect Nikon to give a $%*!

That's very disappointing to hear, although unfortunately Nikon's Customer Ignorance, er, Service department's reputation has been in the toilet for many years!

Since I haven't been using my P900 of late, maybe I'll send it to the Canon Powershot design team and say, "Please make something better than this!" Chances are though, their techs already have a few which they are examining closely. Perhaps Canon will skip the SX-70, 80 and 90 and go straight to the "100". We can only hope...

Chris

 

[mzettie]

mz, your avatar is a gas! Though it still sucks.

Thanks, Crazy, empathy's much appreciated. Wish I'd taken a couple hundred "icky green" pics....I'd add one a day to my flickr photostream, til I get my camera back.

 

[mzettie]

That's very disappointing to hear, although unfortunately Nikon's Customer Ignorance, er, Service department's reputation has been in the toilet for many years!

Since I haven't been using my P900 of late, maybe I'll send it to the Canon Powershot design team and say, "Please make something better than this!" Chances are though, their techs already have a few which they are examining closely. Perhaps Canon will skip the SX-70, 80 and 90 and go straight to the "100". We can only hope...

Chris

Hi Chris, your observations re Nikon's "customer indifference" were certainly accurate. I really hope Canon's got something up their sleeve, but also don't want to see them rush something into production like Nikon did, don't need to be returning any more cameras.
My workhorse SX50 is getting old and is behaving a little erratically, so I'll probably buy a refurbished one, just in case the repaired P900 continues to give me problems. We're going to the Galapagos and Ecuador in July, and I really want a reliable camera to take with me. Practically the only complaint I had with the Canon is the EVF, but I've been using a Neewer viewfinder with it and that's made a big difference in my ability to get on birds quickly. Course I got spoiled by 2000mm, so I'll probably end up taking both cameras.....assuming I've gotten my P900 back by then!

 

[pppppvvvv]

Continue to be impressed by the video at longer range..
https://youtu.be/9-_EQDjs_Oo

 

[crazyfingers]

Mz, getting a refurb SX50 is probably a very wise move. You will definitely want to be sure to have a good dependable camera for those two important trips coming up and I can't think of anything more dependable and good for the size than the SX50.

Besides, it's hard to know really how much further they can push the lens and sensor technology for such a portable unit. Even if Canon or Nikon can really push beyond the SX50 some day, you'll probably want a good SX50 for trips where the risk of damage to the best camera is too much.

For me, my older SX50 that I got mid-2012 squeaks some when the lens goes in and out but otherwise performs without a hickup. It's my new one that sometimes does the bumping bean thing that you experienced with the SX60. Typically a second press of the focus button makes it stop. But that behavior does concern me. If it doesn't get worse I will likely live with it.

Right now I am waiting to see what Canon comes up with and it could be years. Or maybe Nikon will fix the P900 with a P910.

 

[mzettie]

Mz, getting a refurb SX50 is probably a very wise move. You will definitely want to be sure to have a good dependable camera for those two important trips coming up and I can't think of anything more dependable and good for the size than the SX50.

Besides, it's hard to know really how much further they can push the lens and sensor technology for such a portable unit. Even if Canon or Nikon can really push beyond the SX50 some day, you'll probably want a good SX50 for trips where the risk of damage to the best camera is too much.

For me, my older SX50 that I got mid-2012 squeaks some when the lens goes in and out but otherwise performs without a hickup. It's my new one that sometimes does the bumping bean thing that you experienced with the SX60. Typically a second press of the focus button makes it stop. But that behavior does concern me. If it doesn't get worse I will likely live with it.

Right now I am waiting to see what Canon comes up with and it could be years. Or maybe Nikon will fix the P900 with a P910.

Well, CF, I pulled the trigger on a refurb SX50 (from Canon store, $179.00) Just couldn't take the chance none would be available later, with numero uno acting up and the P900 out for an indeterminate amount of time. I've always taken my SX50 on trips, never really worry about damage cause it travels in my carry-on. But the P900 going out on me in the blink of an eye was a wake-up call....may always travel with two cameras now, cause I'd sure be miserable if there were birds around and I had to rely on my memory to id them!

This experience with the P900 was a wake-up call in another way too. Even a great camera can break, so you're really at the mercy of the customer (dis?)service dept. I'll certainly use the P900 if it's ever repaired, but I won't buy another Nikon.
My husband looked up Nikon's annual corporate report last night, and it's pretty obvious the imaging division is just funding development in the 3 areas they see as the future of the company. So even though the glass in the P900 is terrific, I can't see them catching up enough on the software side of the equation to stay competitive.

BTW, followed your suggestion, hubby and I went to the spillway last weekend to shoot birds. I took the SX50 and even though it's misbehaving a little I got some decent shots. I'll put a few on the SX50 thread.

 

[Chris B.]

Since it seems that the "cachet" for this camera has fallen off a bit, I thought I'd bring it back with a (very lucky) shot I got with it a few days ago... I continue to be amazed with the optical quality of this lens, at least at reasonable focusing distances.

Chris

 

[Moocher]

Since it seems that the "cachet" for this camera has fallen off a bit, I thought I'd bring it back with a (very lucky) shot I got with it a few days ago... I continue to be amazed with the optical quality of this lens, at least at reasonable focusing distances.

Chris

Excellent picture very sharp and clear. I was really considering a purchase of a P900, but the reviews are so mixed. I have seen outstanding results like your picture, and then there are those that cannot get a decent shot regardless what they try?

I'm still confused what to do?

Mind you, they have been out of stock everywhere in the UK for a while now. Im still plugging away with my old Canon SX40, but I would like an upgrade that is a definite improvement.

 

[mbobo]

The P900 makes a good job - even when you look to the range and the possibilities you have with it. For sure - when you will shoot with continuously AF it is not comparable with DSLR's - I mostly use the one shot AF with for me good results.


regards,
Mario

 

[pppppvvvv]

Great shots Chris and Mario. Some very impressive action shots Mario

 

[Chris B.]

Prothonotary Warbler

I was at a local park several days ago where several Prothonothary Warblers had been sighted. There were several photographers with their DSLRs and long lenses on tripods at "the spot" where they were sighted. Truth be told, I could have been one of them as well but I chose to only bring the P900 that day. But while they were fidgeting with settings and getting the right angles with their heavy rigs, I was able to follow and find the little birds and shoot them with the P900. The other photographers may have had an advantage with larger sensors and much quicker AF, but I had much more versatility although I wish the AF was a tad faster. Still I got several decent shots, similar to the one below...

Chris

 

[wotcha]

I was at a local park several days ago where several Prothonothary Warblers had been sighted. There were several photographers with their DSLRs and long lenses on tripods at "the spot" where they were sighted. Truth be told, I could have been one of them as well but I chose to only bring the P900 that day. But while they were fidgeting with settings and getting the right angles with their heavy rigs, I was able to follow and find the little birds and shoot them with the P900. The other photographers may have had an advantage with larger sensors and much quicker AF, but I had much more versatility although I wish the AF was a tad faster. Still I got several decent shots, similar to the one below...

Chris

Stunning!

I'm constantly vascillating over investing £££ in all that heavyweight equipment so maybe I'll just continue vascillating a little longer. :-O

 

[Moocher]

I keep checking for recent news on availability of the P900 in the UK and all is very quiet. Anyone heard any relevant news, rumors, or have any information?

Regards

Moocher