Photos are okay at ISO 400, but they start getting yellow blotches to them. The P100 can be locked to use ISO 160 to 200, or ISO 160 to 400. We strongly recommend using the former setting when you're in bright conditions. The results above ISO 400 just aren't good for much beyond small prints and Web use. Every user is different, though, and, considering what this camera is capable of, some people will just be thrilled with what they are able to capture, and more forgiving of the image quality.
As is typical of wide-angle long-zoom lenses, the P100's lens exhibits some barrel distortion at its widest position, and pincushioning when the lens is fully extended. Also, although most superzoom cameras suffer badly from purple fringing, the P100 suffers terribly, especially when the lens is zoomed out.
Colours weren't accurate in our tests, particularly reds and blues. But everything turned out bright and looked reasonably natural. Exposure was generally good, although highlights were prone to blooming and clipping. On the bright side, there are plenty of options for adjusting and improving the results.
The video quality is okay and on a par with that of a pocket camcorder. Those with hopes of the P100 replacing a fully-fledged HD camcorder will probably be dissatisfied with the results, however.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
 |
Time to first shot | |
Typical shot-to-shot time | |
Shutter lag (dim) | |
Shutter lag (typical) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Conclusion
The Nikon Coolpix P100 is one of those cameras that people will either love for all that it can do, or hate because one of those things isn't taking superb photos. If you're considering it as your primary camera, we'd suggest you look elsewhere. Those who are interested in experimenting and having loads of settings to play with, but aren't as concerned about getting the best-quality photos and videos, will probably be thrilled.
Additional editing by Charles Kloet
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters