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Nikon Coolpix P5100 reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Nikon Coolpix P5100 Camera. Here are the reviewers:
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- 10 September 2008 - |
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- 4 |
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- 19 February 2008 - |
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- 0 |
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- 12 February 2008 - |
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- 3.5 |
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- 03 January 2008 - |
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- 0 |
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- 04 December 2007 - |
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- 4 |
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- 13 November 2007 - |
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- 4 |
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- 30 October 2007 - |
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- 4 |
TrustedReviews 's conclusion / rating - 10 September 2008 |
The Nikon CoolPix P5100 is a small but worthwhile update of the P5000, and while it may not tempt owners of the previous model it is a good alternative to a point-and-shoot compact for anyone who wants a bit more creative photographic control. It is solidly made, handles well and looks suitably impressive despite its relatively small size. Its main strength is its excellent image quality, but it is let down by slow performance, especially its disappointing AF system. ...
TrustedReviews's rating: |
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- 4 |
Complete review here
Imaging Resource 's conclusion / rating - 19 February 2008 |
My P5000 review concludes, "If its autofocus were just a bit faster, it'd be a hands-down winner." By that standard, the Nikon P5100 is a hands-down winner.
But then, I cheated. I preferred using Spot autofocus and half-pressing the Shutter button. That made it simple for the Nikon P5100 to find focus (or for me to realize it couldn't and therefore move my focus point to something clear, fix the focus, recompose, and shoot).
The Nikon P5100 also seems to take its time processing images, which can be disturbing in a setting where there's a lot going on. I almost wished there were a six-megapixel version of this camera to get enough detail and more speed.
But take the Nikon P5100 on a walk and it really shines. Size is one of the Nikon Coolpix P5100's strongest arguments. Packing this much photographic control and quality into such a light and compact form is an unusual achievement, and enough to call the Nikon P5100 a Dave's Pick....
Imaging Resource's rating: |
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- 0 |
Complete review here
ePhotozine 's conclusion / rating - 12 February 2008 |
The Nikon Coolpix P5100 is the next step up for those of you who are considering moving into DSLR territory or for those of you who have a DSLR and still want the features, but don't want the size or gear to carry around.
Some of the quirks of Nikon that hardcore users find characteristic simply annoy me. I don't like having to back out of every single menu I go into to take a shot. I don't like having to hold down the Fn button whilst I adjust the ISO rating or the fact that in Manual mode, the right button will only work to flick between Shutter and Aperture.
The image quality is what you would expect from Nikon although the images could be a little sharper....
ePhotozine's rating: |
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- 3.5 |
Complete review here
PopPhoto 's conclusion / rating - 03 January 2008 |
If Nikon really wants to make radical improvements to the P5100, they'll make it larger as well. The features within the camera are wonderful, and Nikon deserves a pat on the back for being so thoughtful in many aspects of the design. The simple truth though is that the camera is too small for the available feature set and if it had more "room" for these features, it would give the engineers some wiggle room to improve toggle switch size and viewfinder issues. It really is a cool little camera, and it's exciting to see cameras in this class get beefed up to a point that allows the user to decide if they want total control over the image creation process or the fully automatic options.
If you're shooting landscapes and still studio type images and you want a lot of control over all areas, by all means, buy a P5100. But, if shooting landscapes and stationary objects aren't your gig, and you get aggravated because you've missed a shot of your child running to first base because the camera won't focus, the P5100 will be a lesson in patience....
Complete review here
PhotoReview 's conclusion / rating - 04 December 2007 |
This would be a great little camera if it had an 8-megapixel image sensor and raw file capture and if Nikon fixed some of the menus anomalies and boosted response speeds a bit. Small enough to be pocketable and ruggedly built, the P5100 is, in the main, pleasant to use and contains most of the controls and functions keen photographers require...
PhotoReview's rating: |
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- 4 |
Complete review here
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 13 November 2007 |
Like the P5000 before it, with the P5100 Nikon has taken a different approach to creating 'photographers' compact' camera to that taken by Canon with its G9. The Nikon more closely resembles the form and cost of other compacts, so won't be too daunting to users wanting to get more involved in the photographic process without taking on the weight, size, cost or initial complexity of the G9 - or an SLR.
The noisy images (and unimpressive noise reduction) at anything significantly above base ISO are to be expected from a camera built around such a small sensor, but there's no good reason why the P5100's control system needs to be so awkward. Inconsistent use of the control wheel and a lack of clear reporting of relevant information back to the user make the P5100 more frustrating than it needs to be. It's hard to escape the feeling that Nikon has borrowed the interface from its other compacts and tried to find uses for the control wheel and function button, rather than designing a new control system around them.
For example, in manual mode, wed expect to select an aperture or shutter speed then fine-tune the other value. Instead, because the P5100 only changes shutter speed in whole stops, fine tuning can only be done with the aperture, turning manual mode into a slightly more time-consuming shutter priority mode. Frustratingly, in all other shooting modes, the camera will change shutter speed in fractions of stops (although it still reports only whole stops, making it impossible to get a clear understanding of what settings its using). These foibles, which limit the degree of control a user can usefully have, are unacceptable in a camera purporting to offer full manual control....
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 30 October 2007 |
So, as we asked at the beginning, is the Nikon Coolpix P5100 the ultimate enthusiast's compact, or an over engineered point and shoot hiding under a cloak of apparent sophistication? The answer to the first question would have to be 'no', so in truth it falls between the two stools, and is perhaps more kindly viewed as a 'beefed up' snapshot camera. Smaller than you'd guess from the product images, my initial impressions of the P5100 were of excitement and fun, and using it is a real joy for anyone wanting at least some although inevitably not all of the control offered by a consumer DSLR in a more manageable, portable form. While it is small, the controls feel evenly spaced and of sufficient size for accessibility and ease of operation. In all, the Nikon P5100's ergonomics feel 'just right'. It's therefore a real shame that, when the resultant maximum quality JPEG images are examined on your desktop, its low light and performance is considered to be below par. Using any setting above ISO 400 seems somewhat pointless, and if in doubt the P5100's auto settings will veer on the side of overexposure, also blowing out highlights. If you are aware of its shortcomings at least the camera can however be brought under your control, and there's enough here than can be tweaked manually to allow you to get great shots at least 80% of the time. And, while the Nikon P5100 isn't perfect, that quibble is to an extent at least negated by the fact that it doesn't demand a premium price either. For that price you get a better-constructed, more fully featured camera than most 8 MP rivals. Meaning that, although the Nikon Coolpix P5100 doesn't quite hit the full five stars, it's still well worthy of your consideration....
PhotographyBLOG's rating: |
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- 4 |
Complete review here
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