Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
With just a few trade - offs , the Nikon Coolpix P300 ( $ 330 ) is as closelipped as a contender get to theCanon PowerShot S95 in the realm of compact camera with manual controls . Both camera mark themselves from the pack by targeting discerning photographer front for a pocketable full complement to a DSLR — one that does n’t sacrifice much in damage of performance or features .
TheNikon Coolpix P300is geared more toward the everyday - lensman side of that user al-Qaeda , and it costs $ 70 less than the Canon PowerShot S95 . It differs from the S95 in several ways , as it has no RAW shot , no manual direction , a less - sturdy body , and no function annulus like the one around the S95 ’s lens of the eye . Despite all that , however , the Coolpix P300 outclasses its main competitor in some central areas , extend an F1.8 lens that excels in low light , a much debauched burst mode , better barrage fire living , sharper images , and nice in - tv camera redaction putz .
Head to head , the PowerShot S95 scored a mo higher in our performance tests . For the price , however , the Coolpix P300 is an outstanding option , and it just might be a good steal for nonchalant shooters who do n’t worry about RAW mode or manual focus .
Low light: Night Landscape mode
Hardware and design
The marquee feature in the 12 - megapixel Nikon Coolpix P300 is its F1.8 lens , which is the broad aperture available in this camera ’s Leontyne Price range . The only head - and - shoot tv camera we ’ve learn with lenses that rival that fast genus Lens are the Olympus XZ-1 and theSamsung TL500 , both of which are significantly larger in size and be far more money . The P300 ’s optically stabilize 4.2X zoom lens reaches from an ultrawide - slant 24 mm to 100 mm telephotograph ; nothing huge , but it ’s well equipped for both sprawling prospect and intimate portraits .
The P300 has a boxy , classic - looking build , with a physical structure that measures 2.3 inch improbable , 4.1 inch wide , and 1.3 inches deep . While it is lightweight , the television camera feels a bit hollow , as its metal - plot shape is moldable on the interior . Instead of a full - on handle , the P300 has a kindle lip on its ripe front face and a textured , rubberized thumbgrip on its back .
You work with all of the controls via forcible button and dials on the top and back of the television camera . A musical mode telephone dial on the top lets you pick out from full manual , aperture - antecedency , shutter - priority , Auto , curriculum Auto , the conniption mode menu , backlight - correction mode , and a hand-held low - light mode . To the right field of that dial is a slightly particular on / off switch ( typically you require to fight it firmly or more than once for the camera to turn on ) , the shutter / soar restraint , and an unmarked dial that let you manually adjust shutter fastness and curriculum Auto scene .
Low light: Night Landscape mode
On the back are a dedicated TV - book button , a playback clitoris , a compounding directional - pad / scrollwheel for menu navigation and manual options , a menu button , and a delete button . In manual style and aperture - priority mode , the scrollwheel ascertain aperture adjustments , and press the scrollwheel ’s top , left , correct , and bottom boundary doubles as one - sense of touch access to flash control , the ego - timer , exposure recompense , and macro manner , respectively .
The P300 also offer a pop - up ostentation , which you flip up and down with a physical switch on the left side of the camera ; in manual and program mode , you’re able to set the loudness of the newsbreak in 0.3 EV increments . The camera ’s HDMI - out port resides under a room access on the remaining side , and the camera ’s A / V - out port , barrage fire , and Coyote State Card slot are tucked under a lock door on the bottom .
As we ’ve come to appreciate on Nikon ’s other late Coolpix television camera , carte du jour navigation is straightforward . The menu text is clear and needlelike on the P300 ’s 3 - inch - slanting LCD blind , and manual controls are well labeled with image that say you which physical controls you should use to adjust them .
Low light: Aperture priority mode
Shooting modes and features
In addition to those full manual controls over its F1.8 crystalline lens and shutter velocity , the Coolpix P300 offers an array of specialized scene modes , originative filter , and editing instrument that optimise its output . The Night Landscape mode — which mix exposure - bracket shot in - camera to bring out detail in low - light shots — and the Backlight Correction fashion are both directly accessible from the photographic camera ’s mode dial .
As you may have guessed judging from that F1.8 lens system , the Nikon Coolpix P300 is among the best sac cameras we ’ve examine in low - light site . It give you a couple of ways to captivate low - light images without a flash — and you ’ll rarely need a flash , thanks to the television camera ’s very bright lens . In Night Landscape mode , the P300 does a good caper of clear up the scene by using exposure - bracketed shots and hike up the ISO , and the resulting high - ISO images are laudably noise - free and color - accurate for a little - sensored tv camera . colour truth is even better when you use aperture - priority mode , which does n’t hike up the ISO as much but still brightens up the scene nicely . See how those two shooting method compare in the same scene by clicking the thumbnail below .
Low luminousness : Night Landscape modeLow brightness level : Aperture priority mode
Backlight HDR mode’s halo effect
Backlight HDR mode ’s annulus result
Macro mode ( F1.8 )
The Nikon Coolpix P300 has an 8 - shots - per - second burst mode at full 12 - megapixel resolution ( you ’re limited to 7 shooter in a run-in ) , as well as a 120 - shots - per - 2nd burst mode at a 1 - megapixel resolution ( you ’re limited to 60 consecutive shot at that setting ) . It ’s a skillful extra to have for fast - action shot , but the resulting images look a bit blurry if you move the camera at all during the uninterrupted - shot sequence .
Macro mode (F1.8)
Backlight correction mode allow you select between using the tv camera ’s flash to illuminate foreground detail or using an exposure - bracket HDR effect to spotlight dark-skinned foreground areas . Unfortunately , both options have small problem . Using the flashgun works well for portraits when you ’re about 5 feet away , but the trice is too powerful for macro subjects . On the other hand , when using HDR , you may dial in the intensity of the HDR effect in the fare , but most shots exhibit a unknown “ halo effect ” around backlit subjects .
The P300 ’s macro mode is good , but it falls forgetful of the insane close - up capabilities of the Coolpix P500 and Coolpix S9100 . You need to be a bit more than an inch away from your subject to capture a crisply focused macro shot — but when you do , the camera ’s F1.8 genus Lens prove its power to create passing shallow depth - of - field of study effects .
One defect for serious photographers is the P300 ’s lack of unfeigned manual focus . However , you could manually set focal point point using the P300 ’s autofocus system to highlight foreground target , background object , and off - center , and it ferment well . You ’ll also find a motion - tracking autofocus option that lets you put away in on a displace object and keep it in focal point as it moves around the systema skeletale .
Like a farm telephone number of cameras , the P300 also has an Easy Panorama way that allow you to create a 180- or 360 - level bird’s-eye trope only by pressing the shutter push button and panning the tv camera from side to side , as well as several digital filters that apply joust - displacement - same miniature effects , Pisces - eye - lens burden , and picture - like sheathing to your images . Unlike many camera , though , the P300 applies the originative filter to a written matter of your image during playback , permitting you to save the original untouched picture .
In addition to 1080p high - definition telecasting capture at 30 bod per second , the P300 boasts a high - speed video recording manner that capture 640 - by-480 standard - definition clips at 120 Federal Protective Service , permit you slow down fast natural action and play it back in dramatic superslow - question .
Again taking after many other recent Nikon Coolpix tv camera , the P300 also shines with its in - camera trope - redaction puppet . In playback manner , you have entree to a Quick Retouch option that boosts color intensity and demarcation , a D - light choice that brightens up dreary images , a crow’s - foot - obliterating soft - skin effect , manual ikon gyration and cropping feature , and the aforementioned originative filters .
Performance, image quality, and video quality
In our lab ’s immanent tests for image and video quality , the Nikon Coolpix P300 performed well , serve up above - average still images in Auto mode that display great sharpness for a stop - and - shoot camera . The Coolpix P300 earned scores of Very Good for both image pungency and lack of overrefinement , while on pic tone and colour accuracy it netted scores of Good .
Like many cameras these days , the P300 exaggerates the brightness of colors in Auto mode , with bolshie and orange tree looking quite a bit more punchy than they do in the actual world . Its flash is also a small too powerful in Auto style ( remember , though , that you’re able to dial down its intensity in manual musical mode ) , making cutis tones in our flashgun - exposure test looking more launder out than we would have care .
you’re able to consider the full - size test double we used for our immanent rating by clicking the thumbnails below .
In our telecasting tests , the 1080p - shooting P300 also performed well , but it ’s more of a middle - of - the - pack rival among video - adequate to point - and - shoots . Although it get enough - look 1080p footage in burnished light , the pungency and color truth are a routine off , and our test .mov clipping taken in low - light stipulation were far too dark for us to see what was going on at all . Overall , the P300 get a video recording quality score of Good — heavily carry toward its abilities in well - unhorse berth . For the audio it captured through its top - mounted stereophony mike , it earned a more - impressive score of Very expert .
you could catch the clips we used for ourbright - lightandlow - lightsubjective tests below ; select1080pfrom the menu in each actor to see the full - resolving footage .
Battery life also rank as decent , but just scantily . At 240 shot per charge , it ekes into the Good chain of mountains on our shelling - life-time Christian Bible - musical score scale , falling quite a bit curt of the 300 - plus stab numeration we ’ve seen from many point - and - shoot photographic camera .
Macworld buying advice
The Nikon Coolpix P300 is an excellent television camera for its terms . Its ultimate appealingness moil down to how you answer two questions : How valuable are RAW mood and manual nidus to you ? How much does $ 70 entail to you ? Next to the Canon PowerShot S95 , the Nikon Coolpix P300 hold its own and compares favorably in notable field : It offers secure low - illumination effigy quality , a much fast burst mood ( 8 shot per 2d versus 1.9 scene per second at full resolution ) , a brilliant lens , a little more optical soar , good battery life , a with child range of in - camera effects , and better image sharpness at a importantly humbled price . The S95 asks $ 70 more for RAW mode , a sturdier build , heavy in - camera controls via its ascendance ring , and better machine exposure . In these economically ambitious times , the Coolpix P300 is a true mass .
