Nikon Coolpix P950 Review

Nikon is among those famous companies that have decided to make few announcements in 2020.

This year company has decided to release the new version of the Coolpix P900 superzoom cameras.

Nikon has disclosed the Coolpix P950 (a novel version of predecessor P900).

People are so excited about the 950 because of the reputation of Nikon Coolpix 900s.

This camera provides the facility to capture the world in a high quality, sensible and detailed manner.

Nikon Coolpix P950 Review 2020

Although this novel version does not have spectacular 3,000mm that is comparable to the P1000. However, it provides a crazy 83x zoom power that is the same as 2000 mm with 35mm cameras.

This version has RAW support, that enables its 4K video and also enhanced electronic viewfinder having 2.3 million dot resolution.

Nikon Coolpix P950 Facts

Just like the previous version this camera also provides the facility of 16-megapixels ½.3 inch. Along with this it also contains improved 2.4 million dot EVF.

This means it provides almost double resolution as compared to the previous version. With its 4K capturing ability, anyone can easily capture the videos from long distances. This feature makes Coolpix P950 suitable for wildlife, sports, and such other videography.

Now, you can capture photos in JPEG/RAW in low light up to ISO 6400 just like before. Although some people consider its design unusual but once start using it, you will find it most comfortable. It can be turned to slim, easy to carry when you are not using it.

Release Date of Nikon P950

It will become available to the customers in February 2020.

Nikon Coolpix P950 Price

The price is expected to be $500 – $1000

Features 

Given below are the features:

• Aperture priority
• Shutter priority
• Manual focus
• Manual white balance
• Built-in flash
• Digital zoom
• Best shot selector
• Black and white mode
• Macro mode
• Metering
• Continuous mode
• The compressed JPEG/ Uncompressed mode
• Variable ISO
• Exposure compensation
• Image adjust

Let’s have a look at some pros and cons of the P950

Pros

• Perfect image quality
• External flash connector
• Great optics
• High resolution
• Spectacular feature set
• Smooth, clear, sharp and quick LCD updating
• User-friendly menu
• Matrix metering
• Custom settings
• Durable as compare to other similar cameras in the market
• Best according to its price
• Very less or no need of image pre-processing like sharpening
• The continual focus for the fast shots and fast focus
• Variable sensitivity having very less noise
• Fewer delays, fewer time lags, etc.

Cons

• At the high contrast areas, color trim occurs
• Not able to use the shutter priority in anything except the ISO 80.
• It does not support the CF type II cards.
• The location of the tripod mount is not correct
• The short bundled CF card
• Serial port
• Not a good option for uncompressed TIFF
• May cause poor less light focusing

Also read: 

Nikon D7600 Review

Nikon D7500 Review

Specifications

Digital Zoom

Nikon Coolpix provides 2.5x, 1.25x, 2x and 1.6x.

Optical lens

It provides 38-115mm zoom lens.

CCD

2.11 million-pixel ½ inch

AF accuracy

Contrast-detect TTL AF; 4,746 step system

Manual focus

10 steps from 10cm to endlessness

LCD monitor

2 inches 130,000-pixel, low-temperature polysilicon TFT, brightness adjustable, backlight, 97% frame coverage.

Shooting disc

2cm macro and 30cm normal

Viewfinder

85% frame coverage, LED indicator and Real-image zoom.

Focus modes

Single AF, continuous AF mode and manual mode.

Auto OFF

30 sec can be modified to the 1 minute, 5 minute and 30 minutes.

Storage

It contains compact flash CF card

File formats

This version supports compressed JPEG format as well as uncompressed TIFF format.

Capture mode

It supports continuous 1/16 size, single and continuous full frame.

Shooting mode

Custom (M-REC), fully automatic (A-REC). It can retain three different combinations of mode settings.

Exposure control

Aperture priority auto, programmed auto, exposure compensation (that can do positive/negative 2EV within 1/3EV steps), programmed auto and shutter-priority auto.

Shutter

Charge-coupled and mechanical shutters vary from 8s-1/750s.

Aperture

Managed electromagnetically

Sensitivity

ISO 80 that is equivalent to dEf,100, +2 and +1.

White Balance

It provides auto TTL control in which you can adjust cloudy, incandescent, sunny, flash and fluorescent. It also provides manual pre-setting.

Built-in flash

It provides the following flash modes: anytime flash, flash cancel, red-eye reduction, auto, and slow sync. It also contains flash control: sensor flash system.

Self-timer

Nikon has also added a self-timer facility in this version that is either for 3 or 10 seconds.

Platforms

It supports Mac OS 7.5.1 and later, Windows 95 and later.

Battery life

When you are using LCD, it supports battery for almost 60 minutes having 4 LR6 batteries at the normal temp.

At playback, the battery stays for almost 90 minutes and you can perform also 500 shots if not using the LCD monitor.

External Speedlight

Multi-flash synchronized terminals that are connected to the outer Nikon Speedlight SB-26, SB-24, SV-25, SB-22and SS-28 with the multi-flash bracket unit SK-E900. The great thing is you can cancel the built-in Speedlight if you are using the external light.

Interface

PC Card (optional adapter) and serial (Macintosh:230kbps and Windows: 115kbps)

Power

1.2V NiCd, 1.2V Ni-MH and also 4 x 1.5V LR6.

Delete

It provides the facility to delete all frames or just delete the selected frames.

Video output

PAL version or NTSC.

Dimensions

(Width x Height x Depth) (5.6 x 3.0 x 1.4 inches) (143 x 76.5 36.5 mm)

Input/ Output terminal

Input: power

Output: video

Synchronized terminal for external speedlight, highspeed serial terminal.

Exposure metering

3 different modes TTL metering: center-weighted, 256-segment matrix and spot.

Weight

The weight of P950 is almost 350g or 12.3 oz.

GPS

It enables GPS input to get the location of the image.

Accessories

Serial cable, soft case, neck strap, four 1.5V LR6 batteries, 8MB compact Flashcard and NikonViewer 2 CD-ROM

Nikon Coolpix P950 Design

As compared to the previous version, the design of the P950 is significantly improved. Nikon has focused on the complaints that it has received about the P900 and managed to make modifications accordingly.

To make the camera strong and make it look professionally its casing is created using the magnesium.

The whole camera looks better because of the joints that are made tighter between the body sections. The zoom button is replaced by the two solid buttons.

The joints are made tighter that do not just make its diameter larger but also makes it harder. However, it still contains natural flexibility.

Another novelty that is introduced in P950 is a rubber finger grip designed at the front of the handgrip. This feature makes P950 really attractive. It enables the user to carry a camera with one hand easily. This feature also includes the novel command wheel.

This wheel plays a major rule in conjunction while managing the other buttons that help in setting modifications. Such as flash modes, image quality, menu options, ISO, etc. This button also provides the functionality of manual focus.

If you look at this camera from top to button you will see it is shaped in such a way to make it more comfortable to hold. You can keep the camera in your right hand while performing most of the work and left-hand fixing during shooting.

Optical Viewfinder

The viewfinder of this novel version is the same as its previous version P900 and like all other digital cameras. Below the viewfinder, you will find the dioptric adjuster. This adjuster is free, and it has no indicator and notch.

Rear LCD display

The LCD of this product is 2 inches 130,000-pixel unit that is very clear and provides a very smooth picture. However, users must know it is not easy to use in bright light situations.

The refresh rate of P950 is superb. It is almost 15-20fps. This is great for those photographers who focus on aperture and shutter speed.

Battery Area

If you look at the position of the handgrip, you will find the battery location here. Like all other, it provides solid slide locking that needs to push upward before opening the door open. This is the only plastic present that makes the outer of the camera.

Connectors

• It contains an external Nikon Speedlight flash connector.
• The video connector for the purpose of connecting VCR, TV and DC power.
• It also contains an RS432/RS232 serial cable connector that supports 230 kbps on MAC and 115kbps on PC.

Flash Area

The flash area is closed with the rubber door. It contains the new push/flip button that works properly releasing the CF card without the need of pushing very hard on the card.

However, users must know it supports the CF Type I and will never accept the CF type II cards.

Controls of the Nikon Coolpix P950

Given below section provides the detail of the various controls of the product

TOP/FRONT controls

At the top of the camera, you will find the main controlling mode. Through this mode, you can switch between the Auto REC, Manual REC, Play modes and OFF.

You can take it as an F5 that is hard, huge notch, and firmly feel for every mode. The most attractive thing is how fast it switches between the OFF to REC within seconds. It takes only three seconds to start the LCD mode. After this, the camera is ready to capture.

The two buttons that are present below the controlling mode performs different purpose. It depends whether you press it hard, long, conjunction with the command wheel.

The functions of the top/control buttons are Picture modes, change CCD (ISO) sensitivity. Picture modes and Manual focus.

BACK Controls

At the back of the camera, zoom controls and the menu buttons are present. The failure zoom buttons are replaced by the two separate buttons that are solid and stiff. The functions of the back controls are Shooting mode, exposure compensation, discard image and image quality.

Play mode controls

When you switch to the play mode it will display the last image taken. It first shows the light resolution thumbnail very fastly.

If the user does not zoom button the full high-resolution image will be displayed. This feature is introduced for the ease of the user so that they can easily switch between the images without wasting time on the full image to be loaded.

During the play, black mode, the buttons at the back of the camera serve a different purpose like entering the record menu, delete a current image, switch LCD between full information, switch between single image display and nine image thumbnail view and others.

When you move the command wheel, it will view the nine different positions through which you can examine the image in detail. If you see at the top left it will display where you are present on the image.

Recording options

Auto-record menu

If we say that the auto-record is the subset of the manual record option, then it is not wrong. However, the options in this menu are very limited.

Manual- record menu

You can use the wheel command to switch between the various options available in this menu. It saves from the hassle of going into the sub-menus to choose the options. You can use the zoom buttons to move between the menus and options can be selected by using the shutter release.

File sizes

If we talk about the JPEG then it is very difficult to describe the size of the image because it depends on which type of content image contains. Roughly the JPEG compression ratios are Normal (1:8), FINE (1:4) and BASIC (1:16).

Image Quality

Given below are some details and benefits of the image quality

• This camera provides a very detailed image. The detail provided by P950 is spectacular.
• It provides energetic, bright and accurate colors of the image. It is not compulsory to get the bright colors always instead it provides the facility to manage the right color balance.
• It provides a sharp image that does not require any image pre-processing.
• As this camera contains a matrix metering system it will always provide the perfect exposure.

Final words

We have tried to provide all the required information about the Nikon Coolpix P950. After reading this article you will clearly understand the few advancements that Nikon has made in the novel version. We hope you find this article informative and constructive.