The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has the longest zoom of any fixed lens camera yet, but it takes a good deal of skill to master.
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This article originally appeared on PCMag.com .
The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has more zoom power than any other camera.
The P1000’s body is as big as an SLR, but you can’t change the lens.
The rear vari-angle LCD is sharp and bright, but doesn’t support touch input.
The LCD hinge is a vari-angle design, so it can swing out to the side and face all the way forward, up, or down.
The LCD swivels to face inward, protecting it from damage and eliminating distractions when using the EVF.
Rear controls include a number of buttons, a focus mode toggle switch, and a flat command dial.
The flash rises high above the body, but still casts a shadow if you use it at the 24mm setting with the lens hood attached.
The flash pops up via a mechanical switch.
The tripod socket is on the bottom, along with a door that covers the battery and memory card compartment.
In addition to the zoom control that surrounds the shutter release, there is a second zoom rocker on the side of the lens, along with a framing assistance button.
The P1000 is shown here with its lens collapsed completely into the barrel.
At the 3,000mm position the lens extends significantly from the barrel.
The P1000 features a hot shoe for accessories, like a flash, microphone, or the Dot Sight shown here.
It’s not included, but Nikon sells a Dot Sight for use with the P1000. It projects a centered dot on a transparent screen, useful for tracking action when the lens is zoomed all the way in.
The P1000 delivers its best image quality at its lowest sensitivity, ISO 100.
Image quality is quite good at ISO 400.
At ISO 800 we see fine lines smudged away, but it’s still a very viable option for photography.
ISO 1600 further cuts into resolution, but blur doesn’t truly overtake detail until you push to ISO 3200 and 6400.
The P1000 supports Raw image capture, a feature missing from the P900.
Raw detail is strong, without too much noise, through ISO 400.
At ISO 800 detail holds up, but grain is heavy.
The grain effect is stronger at ISO 1600, but is still small and fine.
At ISO 3200 grain is bigger and rougher, to the point where it certainly detracts from image quality.
Image quality at ISO 6400 is a little too rough, so I recommend avoiding using it when possible.
