Nikon P900 - a question & a comment (1 Viewer)

I picked up a Nikon P900 yesterday but have had little time to play with it as yet. One problem seems to be when I first zoom out to the max zoom and then push the 'snap zoom button' nothing happens. If I zoom back manually and try again then it seems to work. At times it also seems slow and reluctant to zoom in or out. Is this a fault? (Talking of faults, I've not yet accessed the birdwatching mode but that's my fault, not the camera's).

Interestingly, the owner of the shop I bought it in said most of his customers who'd come in to get the P1000 actually walked out with the P900 (unless they already had one, of course). He put this down to the much greater size, weight and general unwieldiness. Having handled a P1000 in the shop I wouldn't disagree - found it a bit of a beast. Nikon would have been wiser to upgrade the P900.

John, Nikon did upgrade the P900, they made the P1000. Just got my 900 out and the snap back should indeed work even with the side button set on manual focus. You only have one setting for snap back on the 900 three settings on the 1000
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Have to agree re the size though, I had forgotten how small the 900 was.

Aha! think I have found your problem .. the snap back does not work when using digital zoom

On a purely personal note, I would find myself unable to recommend the 900 over the 1000. Vastly different cameras and for a small increase in weight and size the 1000 has made a huge improvement in the pics I take, and the ease in how I take them.

Den

poledark said:

John, Nikon did upgrade the P900, they made the P1000. Just got my 900 out and the snap back should indeed work even with the side button set on manual focus. You only have one setting for snap back on the 900 three settings on the 1000
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Have to agree re the size though, I had forgotten how small the 900 was.

Aha! think I have found your problem .. the snap back does not work when using digital zoom

On a purely personal note, I would find myself unable to recommend the 900 over the 1000. Vastly different cameras and for a small increase in weight and size the 1000 has made a huge improvement in the pics I take, and the ease in how I take them.

Den

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Thanks, neighbour. I didn't think I had digital zoom on but I'll check. I found the increase in weight and bulk anything but small but I take your point about the P1000. I think that it's so vast and heavy it's an entirely new kind of beast rather than an upgrade.

Both are great, but the P1000 is a different thing...raw, 4k, focus ring, 3000mm, hotshoe...and nearly twice the price. Its bigger size did make me wonder, but I got used to it quickly and for my needs (again, for MY needs) it is the best camera I have ever owned.

Gzoladz74 said:

Both are great, but the P1000 is a different thing...raw, 4k, focus ring, 3000mm, hotshoe...and nearly twice the price. Its bigger size did make me wonder, but I got used to it quickly and for my needs (again, for MY needs) it is the best camera I have ever owned.

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Agreed. I'm not sure I would have paid the asking price anyhow but my sticking point was the bulk since one of the main reasons for going back to a bridge camera. That said if a camera the size of the P1000 could be made with 1" sensor and lens in the 24-1,000+ range then I'd have found it very tempting! To rephrase my point perhaps it's better to say that there's still a niche in the market for a better P900 sized camera with a 24-2000 equivalent lens which Nikon could still profitably exploit.