Nikon Coolpix P530 Review

The Nikon COOLPIX P530 is a super-zoom camera with a 42x range extending from a 24mm wide-angle to 1000mm super-telephoto. It has a 16 Megapixel CMOS sensor and offers full PASM exposure control in addition to full auto. As well as a high resolution 921k dot LCD screen it has a 0.2in 201k dot electronic viewfinder.

The COOLPIX P530 is an update to the popular P520 launched just over a year earlier. It's now the third generation to use the 4.3-180mm f3-5.9 lens although interestingly Nikon has reduced the sensor resolution by 2 Megapixels, down from the 18.1 Megapixels of the P520. The screen is also no longer articulated and the older model's built-in GPS has been dropped.

IMG Source : Amazon.com

The Nikon Coolpix P530 follows the bridge camera mould, meaning you get the feel and much of the control of a DSLR, combined with plenty of effects modes and compact-camera toys. It’s the best of both worlds for enthusiastic photographers wanting something more serious than a basic point and shoot, plus you get that huge 42x zoom lens to really sweeten the deal.

Like the SX520 HS, the P530 has a second control wheel, but it's more sensibly positioned for thumb operation so you can make exposure adjustments without taking your finger off the shutter button - as you have to do with the SX520 HS's top-mounted dial.

The on/off switch is located on the top panel and has a green LED surround to tell you when the power is on. The only other button on the top is a programmable fn button which is assigned to drive modes by default. By contrast the drive mode button on the Canon SX520 HS can't be re-assigned even though, given the SX520's lamentable 1.7fps continuous shooting performance, there's every reason it should be.

Power up the Coolpix P530 and it’s ready for action in a fraction under one second. Autofocussing is almost instant in most lighting conditions, though when the going gets dim the camera can require a frustrating few seconds to find its mark. The problem is compounded if you shoot in low light at the upper end of the camera’s zoom range, whereby autofocussing occasionally fails altogether. Thankfully such instances are rare.

The P530’s screen isn’t its only downgraded element though. Keen students of Nikon’s Coolpix model line-up may have spotted the new camera’s 16.1 megapixel sensor is down from the 18.1 megapixel device in the P520. That may be a bit of a marketing faux pas, but there are gains to be had from a pixel purge. Both cameras use sensors of the same physical size, hence the P530’s pixels can be slightly larger, making them more light-sensitive and less prone to generating unwanted image noise. Upshot? Theoretically cleaner photos for a marginal drop in image dimensions.

Both cameras will record Full HD 1080p video with stereo sound, and the P530 does this to good effect. The results show plenty of detail and although sound quality is less impressive, it’s perfectly adequate for this level of camera. If you’d rather capture a series of stills rather than video, the P530 will record at 7fps, albeit only for a 7-shot burst. Reduce the shooting rate to 1fps and you can capture up to 200 consecutive shots, or drop the image resolution to Full HD 1920x1080 and the camera will chug away at 60fps. Alternatively if you can live with a titchy 640x480 image size, high-speed 120fps shooting is possible.

Specification Nikon Coolpix P530

Imaging
Pixels	Actual: 16.76 Megapixel Effective: 16.1 Megapixel
Sensor	1/2.3" CMOS
File Formats	Still Images: JPEG Movies: MOV Audio: WAV
Max Resolution	16 MP: 4608 x 3456
Image Stabilization	Optical

Optics
Lens	NIKKOR, 14 elements in 10 groups 0 Aspherical, 4 ED EFL: 4.3-180mm (35 mm equivalent: 24-1000mm) Aperture: f/3 (W) - 5.9 (T)
Zoom	Optical: 42x Digital: 4x Dynamic: 84x
Focus Range	Wide: 20" (50.80 cm) - Infinity Telephoto: 6.56' (2 m) - Infinity Macro: 0.39" (1 cm) - Infinity

Exposure Control
ISO Sensitivity	100-6400 (High Sensitivity Mode: 12800-)
Exposure Metering	Center-weighted, Matrix, Spot
Exposure Modes	Modes: Aperture Priority, Auto, Manual, Program, Shutter Priority Compensation: -2 EV to +2 EV (in 1/3 EV steps)
Shooting Modes	Back Light Beach Black and White Copy Close Up Dusk/Dawn Fireworks Food Landscape Museum Night Landscape Night Portrait Panorama Party/Indoor Pet Portrait Portrait Scene Auto Selector Snow Sports
White Balance Modes	Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, Incandescent, Preset Manual
Self Timer	10 Seconds, 2 Seconds

Flash
Built-in Flash	Yes
Maximum Effective Flash Range	Wide: 1.64 - 26.25' (0.5 - 8.0 m) Telephoto: 4.92 - 14.76' (1.5 - 4.5 m)

Memory
Built-in Memory	56 MB
Memory Card Type	SDXC SDHC SD

Recording
Video Recording	Yes
Resolution	1920 x 1080p: 30 fps, 25 fps, 60 fps, 50 fps 1920 x 1080p: 15 fps, 12.5 fps 1280 x 720p: 30 fps, 25 fps, 60 fps, 50 fps 640 x 480p: 120 fps, 100 fps, 30 fps, 25 fps

Video
Audio Recording	With Video, Stereo

Viewfinder/Display
Viewfinder Type	Electronic
Diopter Adjustment	- 4 to +4 m
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Screen	3" LCD (921,000 pixels)
Screen Coverage	100%

Connectivity/System Requirements
Connectivity	HDMI C (Mini), Micro-USB
Wi-Fi	Yes via optional adapter

Environmental
Operating/Storage Temperature	Operating 32 to 104°F (0 to 40°C)

Power
Battery	1x EN-EL5 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery Pack
AC Power Adapter	EH62A (Optional)

Physical
Dimensions (WxHxD)	4.9 x 3.4 x 3.9" / 12.4 x 8.6 x 9.9 cm
Weight	17.5 oz / 496 g

Packaging Info
Package Weight	2.3 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)	7.3 x 6.7 x 5.4"

Price Nikon Coolpix P530 From Amazon : $224.00
Price Nikon Coolpix P530 From Ebay : $224.00