83x anyone? The new Nikon P900 (1 Viewer)

Not nice! Might sound silly but was there a protective film on the filter? I bought a fairly cheap one and I could detect no difference with it on or off the lens. I bought it to protect the lens and on at least two occasions it has done the job, the last time was when I was frantically trying to get out of the car to get a shot of an Owl, and scraped the lens on the side of the door. No damage to either the filter or the camera lens thank goodness.

Den

I actually checked for a protective film but there was nothing. I will try a better brand when I get to a shop with one in stock. I first want to test then buy.

Spiekeries said:

I could not get a high level filter locally so bought wat was available. As is the job of a salesman he assured me is was a good brand. He said nothing when I took it back and just returned the funds.

Only problem is I did not test it immediately when returning home. The next morning there right in front of the house in perfect sight was this beautiful Lizard Buzzard with his morning catch busy eating. It was some time I was trying to get him and there he was, 60m from me in the open. I took a lot of shots and he showed all his angles while eating. They all came out dull. I wanted to cry and don't even want to show it.

Here is some test pictures I took afterwards sitting on the same group of branches, only the buzzard was on a thicker branch with no twigs around him. The one with filter on the right.

Click to expand...

Something major wrong there,this is with a Hoya on and lens hood.

Should be like this one without filter.

Hoya is one of the top quality filters and recommended around the world. I can onder one but I will wait untill I get to the shop and test and buy then.

The filter I got here was a "Sunpak" and I recommend to stay away from that.

peteh said:

Video of a scarce Long tailed Duck in the Isle of man. Taken yesterday.
It was at the max optical zoom and it seems at that distance moving water looks pretty bad on youtube. (I also tried vimeo and same thing)
On my PC it looks good so not sure what that is about.
https://youtu.be/DRPz2OOPZlI

Click to expand...

I find this happens a lot on Youtube etc with my videos from the SX50 too, look fine on computer then awful on web, even at highest resolution. Anyone got any tips to help?

Cheers

Youtube has a way to compress files in order too reduce server file size. Then it is resized again when downloading onto your computer. During both processes video quality is lost. Nothing you can do about it as far as I know.

Having only recently acquired a P900 camera, still have a lot to learn and need plenty of practice. It is a rather big point & shoot camera, the body is almost the same size as my D810 camera. I have placed a Hoya (X)HD3 67mm UV lens filter on the lens, and seems to work good to reduce atmospheric haze effects. Below is a picture I took recently of a Red-Vented Bulbul at fov (field of view) 2,000mm..

http://www.pbase.com/image/162552024/original

Cheers, John

So as a D810 owner how do you find the P900 image quality.

jshen808 said:

Having only recently acquired a P900 camera, still have a lot to learn and need plenty of practice. It is a rather big point & shoot camera, the body is almost the same size as my D810 camera. I have placed a Hoya (X)HD3 67mm UV lens filter on the lens, and seems to work good to reduce atmospheric haze effects. Below is a picture I took recently of a Red-Vented Bulbul at fov (field of view) 2,000mm..

http://www.pbase.com/image/162552024/original

Cheers, John

Click to expand...

Nice shot that,i have a filter on mine but i also added a rubber fold back lens hood,it works ok but not at wide angle.

Spiekeries said:

So as a D810 owner how do you find the P900 image quality.

Click to expand...

The P900 jpeg's are quite good. What would make the next generation of Pxxx cameras really outstanding is if they would include the electronics from the Nikon 1 system in them. :t:

Cheers, John

nikonmike said:

Nice shot that,i have a filter on mine but i also added a rubber fold back lens hood,it works ok but not at wide angle.

Click to expand...

Thanks very much! Yes, I've been looking at the various options for lens hoods, cause it could help shield from the sunlight. :t:

Cheers, John

jshen808 said:

The P900 jpeg's are quite good. What would make the next generation of Pxxx cameras really outstanding is if they would include the electronics from the Nikon 1 system in them. :t:

Cheers, John

Click to expand...

Just possible we may soon get a nikon bridge type camera with 1inch sensor and a 24-500 (35mm equivalent) lens

nikonmike said:

Just possible we may soon get a nikon bridge type camera with 1inch sensor and a 24-500 (35mm equivalent) lens

Click to expand...

That would be very good, especially if the lens is a fast one. :t: ..But I really like the reach of the P900, having fov 2000mm optical zoom is like a dream when compared to my Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary lens. :smoke:

Cheers, John

But having 600mm on a full frame 36mp just give you much better image. I can just dream to have such a combination.

Spiekeries said:

But having 600mm on a full frame 36mp just give you much better image. I can just dream to have such a combination.

Click to expand...

From my hobbiest experiences, cropping is not always the best ways to go.. for me, I prefer to "zoom" in as close as possible and to crop minimal.. but you're right about full frame and a good lens, I know a person in the groups that gotten a 500mm fast prime lens, something for me can never justify in getting, but he is a working photographer, and his bif pictures are just glorious. o

Cheers, John

Does anyone have some good setting to capture BIF photos? Is it even possible in digital zoom?

With the P900 and bif pics you need good light first of all. Then like with any detailed bird picture with any camera, be as close to the subject as posible. A spec in the sky is not really a bif pic.
Camera setting as follow:
I save all in User settings so that if I see a bif opportunity I quickly dial to "U" and all settings are in place, including the predetermined focal length. When dialing back to your previous program, may it be "S" or "P" or whatever, it will go back to the settings you were using before dialing to "U".

ISO - 100-400 Auto range (To increase shutter speed.)
Shutter speed and aperture will be set in camera if you do your initial settings in "P" and then "Save user settings".
Metering - Center-weighted
AF area mode - Target finding AF.
Autofocus mode - Full-time AF
Focal length - 600mm eq.
Other settings like Whitebalance according to light conditions.

At first don't try too long focal length, it is not easy to keep a flying bird in the viewfinder. Start with say 400mm and move up as you get more experience. Pan with your body and not with your hands. First try bigger slow flying birds and then smaller one. Keep on trying and practice, practice, practice.

Even professional photographers don't get it right every time and delete a lot of flops. Keep on taking pictures and keep the better one's.

Got mine yesterday - all seems good.
Have been using a Fuji HS50EXR with manual zoom so I was a bit concerned about going back to motor zoom - it's certainly slow but using 'zoom memory' set to only a few steps helps - after a few shots I'm not really concerned about speed.
Set up with low NR and HL continuous shooting - I will try the others and try to find the best inter shot time - which is sloooow - then again you could shoot video.

I find auto focus really good - the EVF quite acceptable and the camera itself nice to use.

I've got the Nikon wireless Android App which downloads OK but won't control the camera - probably me.

I'm shooting handheld and am having no trouble getting the pics I want - I'm currently looking for Gulls with leg rings and was frustrated with the Fuji's image quality - I think the Nikon is a lot better (Bokeh is better too).

I got this Herring Gull today and the rings are easily readable - there are four of them which were ringed for a BBC Doc on food stealing.

I also found a Great Black Back Gull ring in Stockholm.

I've just got rid of my D70 which hasn't been used in years as these hyperzooms are just so convenient - I've had most of them over the years and only keep them a short time until the next 'must have' is released - the P900 despite it's flaws is my 'must have' at the moment - I seawatch at at long distance and camera can get a better ID than my Bins.

Got some settings that I like.
NR -1 Sharpness +1 Exposure compensation - 0.7 - I find everything is over exposed.
Set Zoom memory to 28, 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 1800, 2000 and got used to finding the side zoom button for fine adjustment - doing this saves having to use the zoom back button as the zoom lever by the shoot button will now do the same thing.
AF-F as most stuff I shoot is moving.
I haven't remapped the FN button but will do as I always have a continuous shooting mode selected.
Image preview off - stupid feature - I see so many folk take a single shot and stare at the image - you don't know exactly what you are going to capture so shoot continuously - you might capture something you didn't know was there.
I was photographing Dolphins today and by shooting continuously I got a single frame of two cows with calves that I didn't know were there.
Not having any problems at all with image shake - I use the bent arm method of support or bean bag or wall - whatever - I see so many folk holding superzooms by the body with the tips of their fingers - not going to work.
Slowness and lag - it is what it is - so far I can't say I've missed anything much because of it - just use continuous shooting and anticipate movement - I used to use a manual zoom Fuji with no lag but missed shots as the EVF was so poor and there was the temptation to over zoom as it was so fast - I finding the P900's slowness keeps me in check and I'm getting better shots which can be cropped - the Fuji image quality was rarely good enough to crop.
Another big improvement is autofocus - I was shooting the BT sport round Britain yacht off Cornwall - it was 10 miles off on a murky rainy day but the focus kicked in - I was very surprised.

Using the Fuji I used to set it manual focus for birds as auto was pointless - I find the Nikon pretty good at finding a small bird against a flat sky.

I have no clue why but when I got it in P mode the upper command wheel would not cycle through exposure/aperure values - it does now.

I hate the WiFi button - too easy to prod it and hang the camera looking for a network.

Not a bad little camera is it Chris? Had to chuckle re the wifi button, done it myself quite a few times

Den