An incredible lens hampered by dated autofocus
The Coolpix P1100 ($1,099.95) is the follow-up to the P1000, Nikon’s brazen attempt to put as much zoom power into a bridge camera as is technically feasible. The P1100 moves to an EU-regulated USB-C charging port and adds a couple of scene modes, but that’s pretty much it as far as changes. That’s a shame, because its marvelous 24-3,000mm zoom lens is held back by the same slow performance as before, and the autofocus is still frustrating to use for wildlife and bird photography. If you’re a wildlife photographer who wants to carry a bridge camera instead of a huge full-frame mirrorless kit, you will be better served by our Editors’ Choice winner, the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS. Its 1,365mm zoom lens isn’t as ambitious, but it’s more reasonably sized, has a more useful burst capture mode, and costs less at $749.99.Design: Unmatched Zoom Power
The P1100’s defining feature is its zoom lens, a huge 125x optic that covers the same angle of view as a theoretical 24-3,000mm lens on a full-frame camera. That much zoom power is unheard of in interchangeable lens cameras, but made possible since the P1100 uses a far smaller image sensor. Even so, the lens is huge. It makes the P1100 look as much like a handheld telescope as it does a camera.
The body is equally big. It has to be from a practical standpoint—the lens would be way too front-heavy if attached to a tiny camera. Regardless, the P1100 is a large camera by any measure. Discounting the lens, its body is about the same size as the full-frame Z5II. By the numbers, the P1100 measures 4.7 by 5.8 by 7.1 inches (HWD) when powered down, and is 11.5 inches deep with its lens at the 3,000mm setting. It’s a hefty camera to carry at 3.1 pounds. It’s easily the largest camera in its class, which is a direct consequence of the 125x zoom lens.
Do you need the 3,000mm zoom power? It’s enough to put the moon prominently in frame without having to crop, and can bring a bluebird into close view from around 100 feet away. Still, it’s overkill for many situations, and using full zoom often takes context out of a scene. If your goal is to fill a frame with a small bird, it’s a useful tool, but if you want to make a good, aesthetically pleasing photo of a critter, you’ll find a less extreme focal length is usually the better choice. For those reasons, I rate Nikon’s 83x (24-2,000mm) zooming Coolpix P950 a little higher. The P950 is smaller (4.3 by 5.5 by 5.9 inches), lighter (2.2 pounds), and zooms in to 2,000mm, still plenty long for wildlife, and costs less than the P1100 at $799.95. The Canon SX70 HS starts at a wider angle than either (21mm), zooms to a more than respectable 1,365mm, and is the smallest of the trio (3.6 by 5.0 by 4.6 inches, 1.3 pounds).
The lens is a power zoom, which means that it makes some sound and takes time to move between focal lengths. This may turn you off if you’re used to mechanical zoom lenses that can whip between focal lengths in a split second, but is par for the course with a bridge camera. It takes roughly 3.8 seconds for the lens to zoom from 24 to 3,000mm.
Nikon uses quality materials for the body. The P1100’s exterior is sturdy plastic, with a leatherette wrap to provide a healthy, comfortable grip. However, it omits full dust and splash protection, which is a downer for a camera that’ll get most of its use in the great outdoors. I wouldn’t fret if you get caught in a drizzle or light shower, but it’s wise to stow the camera in a bag if you get caught in umbrella weather.Controls and Interface: Good Ergonomics, Apart From Clumsy Autofocus
I reviewed the P1100 at the same time as another Nikon, the full-frame Z5II. The two are drastically different in concept and execution, but one thing that struck me is just how similar the P1100’s body style is to its full-frame cousin, contrasted with a vastly different user interface. The Z5II not only has a ton of on-body controls, it also lets you remap many of them to suit your requirements, while the P1100 isn’t as configurable.
On the positive side, Nikon puts a healthy number of controls on the camera body. It includes two zoom rockers, one near the shutter and a second on the left side of the lens, which is right next to a useful framing assist button. If you’re zoomed in and can’t find the bird you’re trying to photograph in the leaves, framing assist zooms back out to a wider angle and shows a frame marker for the previous zoomed-in view so you can center your camera. When you release the button, the camera zooms back in. It also has a menu setting that lets you choose whether or not the camera remembers the last zoom setting on power up, or lets you select a default focal length for startup. By default, the lens defaults to its widest 24mm angle on boot.
The lens includes a control ring, another positive. It is set to control exposure value compensation (EV) by default, which is handy for the mixed lighting you encounter in nature. A perfect example is a sunbeam brightly shining on a branch, with the rest of the scene in relative shadow—any camera will overexpose the branch. EV compensation lets you override this on the fly. Twist the control ring counterclockwise and the overall exposure dims, and if an animal decides to pose in the sunlight, you’re ready to get the picture. The control ring can also be set for white balance or ISO adjustment, but those are less useful options for this camera, so you’re better off leaving both set to auto.
