Nikon VQA100EA COOLPIX P950, Black

Product Information

Need and want are often confused. Pros may need a 600 f/4 to compete against other pros(pro equivalence). Amateurs want first, than justify need before they buy. I honestly haven't shot with it for quite awhile. And truly, almost exclusively moon shots. It's tough to shoot anything during the day when there's enough light because at 3,000mm your subject is probably far away, and therefore suffering too much atmospheric shimmer. But on a monopod you could shoot still animals 50m away. But any movement at all with that kind of length is very tough to deal with. And honestly, the AF ain't great. Even Sonys can focus better. With its extensive reach, the COOLPIX P950 is the ideal companion camera for photographers who want to photograph birds or wildlife, or for keen aircraft spotters. The 83x optical zoom offers a focal length range of 24–2000 mm1, while the 166x Dynamic Fine Zoom digitally extends the upper limit to an incredible 4000 mm2. Adding to the already impressive line-up of bridge cameras, Nikon has launched their 16-megapixel Coolpix P950 which boasts an incredible 83x optical zoom alongside a 166x Dynamic Fine Zoom which extends the reach to a staggering 4000mm. Taking many features from the premium P1000, the updated P950 is set to be a game-changer for adventure and outdoor photographers.

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

In fact, from some angles, the P950 doesn’t look great deal smaller than the full-frame Nikon D780. 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. jerste - Yes it does, but unfortunately the camera industry isn't likely to change the habits of a lifetime. 😔 Birds come in all sizes. Most of the birds are not that far away, they are just small. The birdfeeder isn't that far away, but the usual little Finches and Robins won't fill the frame by far at the distance with a RX10III or IV and every now and then, there will be some uncommon visitors.Other top-plate controls include the Fn button—it's programmable, and adjusts the continuous drive mode by default. The On/Off button, Mode dial, and the main command dial round out the top controls. 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. The number of occasions when it's possible to take a decent image with a 2000mm equiv lens are extremely limited, due to heat shimmer, atmospheric haze, camera shake, limitations of sensor in low light etc etc.

COOLPIX 950 - Nikon

The problem with the P1000 is that the VR is simply inadequate beyond about 1,500mm-ish. It is a very difficult camera to shoot at 3,000mm. It requires a tripod with gear head, VR turned off and a shutter speed of around 1/500 and really wants to be shot at base ISO. So basically either you shoot the moon or static objects in bright daylight. For low light...fast action and if I want shallow DOF...I pull.out the D7500....and if I want close up of far away subjects...or just better image than cropping with my 70 to 300mm lens...the P950 takes.over. 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 It gives a very nice, clear view of the scene and it’s especially useful in bright sunshine or when you’re trying to follow a moving subject. It’s worth noting that the digital zoom doesn’t work if you’re shooting raw files, the camera needs to be set to record Jpegs only. VideoAnd what about using the P1000 at 3000mm and cropping a 2000mm image from the P950 to equivalent field of view? Also, the stabilisation can’t smooth out the bumps, shake and wobble that’s inevitable if you walk with the camera. If you want to shoot run and gun style, you’ll need some other form of stabilisation. 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. With up to 83x optical zoom available, it’s important to discuss how well the zoom performs. The biggest problem is that aperture narrows to f/6.3 at the furthest reach, so if light is anything but optimal, you might see some obvious loss in image quality, even at reasonably small sizes. The Coolpix P950 camera also supports RAW (NRW) image capture, a capability usually reserved for full-frame mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. This function allows users to take full advantage of the many advanced processing and editing programs on the market.