Nikon Coolpix P300 review
Performance
Nikon Coolpix P300 review - Performance
In use and the P300 powers up promptly for shooting and is swift to focus. In any of the manual modes (when set to Manual AF area mode), a press of the ‘OK' button will present the autofocus area where any of 99-selectable areas can pin-point the focus more accurately. The only drawback to this is the span of the AF-area - there are borders which limit the ability to focus at the edge of the frame. Autofocus speed is on par with similar models, such as the Canon S95, which puts the P300 in a good position (the S95 doesn't so much as allow for autofocus point adjustment - it's centre-only). However, despite a multitude of focus options - Face Priority, Auto, Manual, Centre, Subject Tracking and Face Priorirty - it's not possible to manual focus.
Shots are captured in JPEG format only as there is no Raw capture capability built into this camera.
The movie mode has a variety of options, including Full HD 1080p at 30fps at its best. Other settings can downgrade capture to 720p, with an additional 60fps capture mode that plays back in half speed. In a similar fashion the 1080p15 option doubles the playback speed. Focusing can be pre-determined as a single-point of focus (AF-S) or to continually adjust during recording (AF-F). In the latter mode it's possible to lock the focus by right-pressing the d-pad to toggle focus lock on or off. There are no additional manual controls available during capture.
Stills capture includes an exposure compensation option that also doubles up as a Hue and Vividness adjustment mode too. These two added extras control the red-blue tint and colour saturation from black and white through to saturated RGB.
For close-up work the P300's Macro mode succeeds in getting right up to the subject when at the wideangle 24mm setting. The Macro option is available on the d-pad for quick on/off adjustment and focusing as close as 3cms from the lens.
One of the P300's key features is its ability to capture seven consecutive frames at a rate of eight frames per second (8fps). This is ideal for fast action shooting, though acquiring the focus before hand will be an essential for speedy subjects.
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Latest comments
September 13 14:30
Barry Foote
If I want to shoot with additional flash and in RAW, I will get out my DSLR. I therefore cannot accept the criticisms that it does not have a hot shoe or RAw capability....
September 21 16:05
PQ
Just look around you barry. Similar sized, larger-sensor compacts with built in flashes are available from many other companies. In short: the P300 isn't as good.
September 28 02:03
Tim Smith
The p300 is quite beautiful I think. It's squared off edges and clean lines are magnificent. It's street price is 25% below the (slightly) larger sensor compacts. I'd have bought it for the looks, the lens and the 900k screen but can't live w/o picture orientation so it's a no-go for me.
December 02 06:10
Jinesh
This is a wonderful camera available in the market for a cheap price. Compared to its rivals, it offers a lot to the customers for its small price. Excellent video quality and good still photos. A good buy for a begginer with lots of manual controls in images as well as video.