Nikon VQA100EA COOLPIX P950, Black

Product Information

I’ve had this camera a couple of weeks now, and it’s great for me. Yes, pictures not that sharp at long focal lengths, but I don’t think that’s the point. I’m enjoying just “getting the shot”, of small animals, birds and scenery you can’t get near. I’ve used 400mm f/5.6 on Canons for many years, and this is completely different! Also use merely as a spotting scope. Actually not for me for moon shots - much better with even a small telescope/mount, but if you don’t have that setup - brilliant and easy. The edges of this image (taken at 24mm equiv) are particularly soft, and definition is fairly low across the frame. Switching to Raw and spending some time in Photoshop will let you get the most out of the camera, but you're not going to get amazing edge-to-edge sharpness for landscapes. It’s a shame not to see some other improvements made elsewhere though. The screen, although ever-so-slightly larger than its predecessor, remains not touch-sensitive. An odd decision in 2015, and a baffling one in 2020. We’d also like to see some better fast shooting options, to help put the Nikon P950 in the same league as other bridge cameras on the market, such as the Sony RX10 series and the Panasonic FZ2000.

P950 | Nikon India COOLPIX P950 | Nikon India

The viewfinder is an OLED, one that's very sharp at 2.36 million dots. Nikon doesn't publish the magnification rating, but does state the display itself is about 0.39 inches in size. It's plenty large to my eye, delivering as much confidence in evaluating framing and exposure as I get with a midrange mirrorless camera. 57.1mm (320mm equivalent), f/6.3, 1/6-second, ISO 100 Connectivity and Power The aperture measures how much light comes in to the camera, so you'll get better results in dimmer light when making wide angle images. At f/6.3 at the 800mm equivalent setting and beyond, the big zoom power is much better used in bright, outdoor light than in dim conditions. The camera has a rather sizable pop-up flash, but it's not powerful enough to illuminate distant subjects. 357mm (2,000mm equivalent), f/6.5, 1/500-second, ISO 125 SLR Style Body and Controls I don't use this camera for wide angle stuff. I have better tools for that. also have better tools for low light, BIF and needing shallower DOF. As is always the case with pretty much every camera, there is a compromise to be made when you choose something like the P950. This is a model which is designed to appeal to those for whom zooming is the most important thing – perhaps for those who like to go on garden safaris or day trips without being bogged down for multiple lenses.

A modest update, but still a contender for wildlife snappers

What that means is that you get nicely vibrant images which show a good degree of realism. As we’d expect from a small sensor, the best results can be seen when shooting in good light. Overall, it’s interesting to see Nikon still investing in this area of the market. It shows that there’s still some interest in bridge cameras, perhaps particularly for travel photographers and wildlife enthusiasts who don’t have the means, or the space, for the equivalent lenses you’d need for either a mirrorless or DSLR system.

Nikon Coolpix P950 Accessories - Photo24 Nikon Coolpix P950 Accessories - Photo24

Diffraction isn't a myth, it is a physical fact. The P950 can certainly take decent shots at shorter focal lengths where the max aperture is larger thus diffraction effects are less. Even if it had a theoretical perfect lens, it could never deliver sharp images at the extreme of its zoom due to diffraction. The Nikon Coolpix P950 is a mega-zoom camera with a lens equivalent to 24-2000mm, with an image stabilizer capable of reducing shake by up to 5.5 stops. The minimum focus distance of the lens is just 1cm (0.4"). The P950 uses a 16MP 1/2.3" sensor and supports Raw capture. Video can be captured at 4K/30p, and a mic input lets users capture higher-quality audio. Have fun getting to 2000mm on other cameras. The P950 may be a novelty to most, however, if you really do enjoy ultra-telephoto images, AND you who want something highly portable that allows you to indulge in this passion more casually than with the "big gun" super-telephoto lens that you likely already also own, you will find the P950 to be worth it. Announced at the very beginning of 2020, the Nikon Coolpix P950 is a new bridge camera. It features an 83x optical zoom, giving you a whopping 24-2000mm (equivalent) focal length - which is the same length as its predecessor, the P900.

Images Stay Crystal Clear

Lens is sharp at 2000mm. Fine feather details my D7500 with 70 to 300mm AF-P lens cant get....simply because subject is too far...too small. Yes, I have a very different opinion on this, but I'm not going to discuss this any further. Too slow shutter speeds might be a partial reason for blur... Given the range of the zoom lens, the Nikon Coolpix P950 shows remarkably little purple fringing, with limited effects in areas of high contrast as shown in the examples below. Cameras that look like the P950 used to be described as 'bridge' models: as in, they formed a 'bridge' between the capabilities and of a conventional compact camera, and a D/SLR. With the birth of the superzoom class a few years ago, with their enormous zoom ratios, this description became meaningless. Despite its unusual ability to connect objects across enormous distances, the P950 isn't so much of a 'bridge' between anything. It's (almost) in a class of its own. Key specifications:

Nikon Coolpix P950 Review - Camera Jabber Nikon Coolpix P950 Review - Camera Jabber

With an unbelievable 83x optical zoom NIKKOR lens, the 16-megapixel Coolpix P950 is a powerful new addition to Nikon’s superzoom bridge camera lineup, which delivers unprecedented image quality from extreme distances. I have shots at 1600mm to 2000mm...shutter speeds as low as 1/80th...and the VR in this camera is A M A Z I N G . The P950's main controls are all clustered on the upper-right of the top-plate. Despite its consumer-level positioning, Nikon provides an impressive amount of control customization. Perfect for the photographer who wants to capture birds and other wildlife, the robust superzoom camera is an update to the Nikon Coolpix P900. The new model allows the photographer to capture distant subjects in extraordinary detail and with exceptional ease, thanks to the bright and fast NIKKOR lens with a wide f2.8 maximum aperture. With functions and capabilities similar to that seen on the P1000, the Nikon Coolpix P950 provides the photographer with a multitude of shooting options. Capture landscapes and scenic images right on through to super zoomed fast-moving birds and wildlife. The Nikon P950 follows the five-year-old P900, sitting just below Nikon’s range-topper, the Nikon P1000. The P950 has a 83x optical zoom, which leaves you with 24-2000mm (equivalent) to play with – the same length as its predecessor, but a touch below the 3000mm equivalent offered by the P1000.

You're clearly not a moon guy, so shooting the moon clearly is not for you. But it doesn't have to be the moon. Anything far away gets A LOT closer when you're shooting it with 2,000mm or 3,000mm equiv! Still images: JPEG, RAW (NRW) (Nikon’s own format); Movies: MP4 (Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Audio: AAC stereo)