New Camera Suggestions (Nikon Coolpix P1000 focus) (1 Viewer)

[Will K]

I've never owned a 'serious' camera before, and I'm looking at the options that are currently available.

My main criteria are:

• Very powerful zoom capability (possibly boosted by big lenses on a tripod).
• Not too complicated to operate.
• Main subject: birds and other wildlife.

From the little I've seen so far, the Nikon Coolpix P1000 looks pretty intriguing.

Anyone have a perspective to share? Is this camera appropriate for my needs? Are there better options out there (Leica, etc.)? My budget is pretty flexible (hypothetically!)

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[kimmik]

Leica is famous for portraits and people photography.

Choose your desired zoom and weight. That will tell you what sensor size to get. Then look at the brands and options.

P1000 is max zoom minimum weight therefore smallest sensor. As long as you can handle limitations of small sensor it is amazing.

 

[BogBean]

Leica is famous for portraits and people photography.

Choose your desired zoom and weight. That will tell you what sensor size to get. Then look at the brands and options.

P1000 is max zoom minimum weight therefore smallest sensor. As long as you can handle limitations of small sensor it is amazing.

I agree, and as a beginner, you could do far worse than putting the camera on a tripod, subject in the screen, and just pressing the video button (set to 4k video)..
The 4k is sharp even into the digital zoom, which s something ridiculous like 3000mm plus 4x on top of that!
then going back and picking stills off the video!

 

[Will K]

P1000 is max zoom minimum weight therefore smallest sensor. As long as you can handle limitations of small sensor it is amazing.

I've not considered sensors or how they might effect my choice, but that sounds good to me!

What kind of limitations does the small sensor bring?

 

[Will K]

It doesn't have to be the smallest or lightest option. I'd value a superlative zoom over a compact and portable body. I'd also appreciate a simple and intuitive design.

 

[Will K]

The 4k is sharp even into the digital zoom, which s something ridiculous like 3000mm plus 4x on top of that!

Does that make the P1000 stand out from its closest competition, do you think?

 

[Mono]

You really have two different ways to go.

If you want stunning quality images to print out and put on the wall then you want a large sensor but will need correspondingly large, and expensive, lenses to get any reach.

If you want pictures to aid in identification or to show to folk on the web then a small sensor camera will allow you to get long reach at less cost but with a reduction in the ultimate possible image quality.

 

[Will K]

Thanks, that's good to know!

I'm not too interested in super-high quality (i.e., professional standard 'print' images), so a smaller sensor with a more compact effective zoom capability is the way to go, I think.

 

[Will K]

In terms of image quality, etc., how does the P1000 hold up against something like a Canon R7?

 

[Will K]

Just reposting this from another thread I found on this topic from a few years ago: Nikon P1000 vs Nikon P950 Specifications

Any user views on the P950? Any other significant differences people should know, aside from the specs?

 

[Richard D]

Just reposting this from another thread I found on this topic from a few years ago: Nikon P1000 vs Nikon P950 Specifications

Any user views on the P950? Any other significant differences people should know, aside from the specs?

Same or near enough identical sensor - nothing between them in image quality. P1000 significantly heavier but more reach...

 

[Lerxst]

I've used a P900 for a long time, and then bought a P1000. The P1000 sits on the shelf, and I continue to use the P900 because it is much lighter and smaller and I don't want to lug a big camera around, especially when I travel. The reason I bought the 1000 was for the manual focus ring, because this is lacking on the 900, and the auto focus on the 900 sometimes drove me insane for birds that are behind branches and whatnot. (It can be configured for manual focus but I found it cumbersome in the field to do so.) However I found the manual focus on the 1000 almost impossible (for me) to use, though - I cannot see the small differences in image quality via the viewfinder, and so it really doesn't help me. But also note that I have serious vision problems and I'm not a photographer whatsoever. I take photos to aid in ID, principally. YMMV.... but wow, the 1000 is a big, heavy beast comapred to the 900.

Never tried a P950.... would like to see if it works better for me.

 

[Will K]

Thanks for the perspective!

I love the impressive zoom range of the P1000, so that might be what swings it for me. I imagine myself sticking it on a travel tripod pretty regularly, so maybe the weight won’t be much of an issue.

I have more experience with spotting scopes, so maybe the manual focus will be a familiar feature for me.

I won’t make any decision until go to a store and try a selection of cameras to see which one is the most attractive to use. But the extra info is very much appreciated 🙂

 

[Stu57]

Hi Check out some reviews on the sony rx10 iv I have just bought one in the last couple of days on the back of these reviews.

I have owned a P950 for a year now and I tried to capture a Short Eared Owl in flight the other day and it just couldn't do it. I realised i needed something a little faster for these types of situations and better low light performance.

The Sony has better Subject tracking a bigger sensor and can shoot 24 frames per second it was a camera i had to have.

Plus the weatherproofing appealed to me the Nikons have none I know the Sony is a tad expensive but it is amazing and is the best bridge camera money can buy.

The build quality is superb and It feels great in the hand I will be out on the levels today using it properly for the first time so will post up my thoughts later.

The P950 is a great camera though I will probably be keeping it because it does fill a gap regards the huge zoom and the fun factor it still brings a smile to my face with the stuff it can do 😀.

Kindest regards Stu

 

[Will K]

the sony rx10 iv

Thanks very much for the recommendation!

Sounds good. I'll check it out.

 

[Will K]

Well, I visited a camera shop today and enjoyed browsing a great selection of demos.

I was able to take a look at the P1000 alongside a few Canon R-series models, the Sony RX10, and even a Leica V-Lux 5. They all had very interesting features, and it was a difficult decision. I saved myself a bit of money this month by not upgrading my spotting scope (that'll be pushed back until I've seen more models), so I treated myself and got my first 'proper' camera.

In the end, I just had to get the P1000. My initial instinct stayed strong. I'm a bit of a zoom fanatic, and that 3000mm equivalent 125x IS zoom with integrated lens really is something else. And such a reasonable price, too! Yes, the body is a little bit plasticky compared to some of the other options, and the sensor might be bigger, but I don't really have the optical know-how to really be bothered by a small sensor at the moment. If the day does come when I need something more powerful, so be it. For now, I'm just going to enjoy saying hello to birds that are several miles away from me!

To test my new photo capabilities, I compared two photos of sparrows taken through an (admittedly closed) window this afternoon. One pic was digiscoped with an iPhone through my spotting scope, and the other was taken with the P1000 on 'auto' (just point-and-click - no setting adjustment). Its obvious which is which.

I'm sure that with a bit of practice things will improve even more, and I'm very happy with my choice!

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions

 

[Stu57]

Well, I visited a camera shop today and enjoyed browsing a great selection of demos.

I was able to take a look at the P1000 alongside a few Canon R-series models, the Sony RX10, and even a Leica V-Lux 5. They all had very interesting features, and it was a difficult decision. I saved myself a bit of money this month by not upgrading my spotting scope (that'll be pushed back until I've seen more models), so I treated myself and got my first 'proper' camera.

In the end, I just had to get the P1000. My initial instinct stayed strong. I'm a bit of a zoom fanatic, and that 3000mm equivalent 125x IS zoom with integrated lens really is something else. And such a reasonable price, too! Yes, the body is a little bit plasticky compared to some of the other options, and the sensor might be bigger, but I don't really have the optical know-how to really be bothered by a small sensor at the moment. If the day does come when I need something more powerful, so be it. For now, I'm just going to enjoy saying hello to birds that are several miles away from me!

To test my new photo capabilities, I compared two photos of sparrows taken through an (admittedly closed) window this afternoon. One pic was digiscoped with an iPhone through my spotting scope, and the other was taken with the P1000 on 'auto' (just point-and-click - no setting adjustment). Its obvious which is which.

I'm sure that with a bit of practice things will improve even more, and I'm very happy with my choice!

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions

View attachment 1492728View attachment 1492729

That's brilliant I'm really happy for your new choice of camera. It's always nice to be able to try before you buy. I will definitely be keeping my P950 as it still has a place in my collection. Nice shots looks like you are getting the hang of the P1000 already.

Kindest regards Stu

 

[Will K]

Thanks, Stu!

I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun playing with my new toy. I can't wait to take it out to my local RSPB / WWT site.

 

[PaulCountyDurham]

I've never owned a 'serious' camera before, and I'm looking at the options that are currently available.

My main criteria are:

• Very powerful zoom capability (possibly boosted by big lenses on a tripod).
• Not too complicated to operate.
• Main subject: birds and other wildlife.

From the little I've seen so far, the Nikon Coolpix P1000 looks pretty intriguing.

Anyone have a perspective to share? Is this camera appropriate for my needs? Are there better options out there (Leica, etc.)? My budget is pretty flexible (hypothetically!)

Thanks for any feedback!

'Could say a lot, but this part of your criteria is worth commenting on initially:

• Not too complicated to operate.

I have the Nikon P950. The menu is as easy to follow as what you could possibly hope for. The only other camera I had before this was a Panasonic, and so I'm hardly well versed, but within an hour of the P950 been delivered to my door I was ready to take it outside and take some pictures. I did some research on camera settings before the camera arrived, mind you.

The point of saying this is: I'm a novice with cameras and found the menu set up on the Nikon surprisingly logical and easy to follow.

 

[Will K]

Nikon P950

That's good to know, thanks.

I'm not sure if there is a big difference between the P950 and the P1000, but I'm finding the latter pretty straightforward to operate as well, so far. I've only scratched the surface of the camera's features, but its still easy to get decent pictures straight out of the box without diving too deep into the buttons and dials. I'm sure I'll get around to figuring out shutter speed, ISO, RAW, etc.