Nikon CoolPix P5000 First Impressions Review

by Emily Raymond
Published on March 10, 2007

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Components	Design/Layout
Modes	Control Options
Image Parameters	Connectivity/Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion
Specs	Photo Gallery

The Nikon Coolpix P5000 is meant to bridge the gap between point-and-shoots and DSLRs. The “performance series” digital camera has some features that will attract Nikon DSLR owners. The P5000 has a hot shoe so users can attach their Speedlight accessory flashes. There is a variety of recording modes from manual to automatic and even a control dial and function button that will be familiar to the DSLR crowd. The camera is compact but still has great handling features. With this in mind, the Nikon Coolpix P5000 is perfect for DSLR owners who don’t want to lug their D200s to dinner or a party and would rather have something compact but still full of features. It does have its caveats like relatively short battery life, and its possible that more caveats will appear on the final model. The preproduction P5000 that I viewed on the PMA show floor had a lot of strange quirks that hopefully won’t appear on the real deal. In the end, the $399 Nikon Coolpix P5000 is a good camera for current Nikon owners, but there are better options for consumers who don’t own Speedlight flashes and don’t care for Nikon’s subpar face priority system.