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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Color
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03.Noise
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04.Resolution
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05.Video
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06.Sample Photos
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07.Playback
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08.Hardware
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09.Controls
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10.Design & Handling
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11.Nikon P90 Comparison
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12.Canon SX1 Comparison
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13.Sony HX1 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Comments
Nikon Coolpix P100
Previous: Page 1
Product TourNext: Page 3
NoiseColor
Custom color modes are available, but color reproduction is less accurate than in competing models.
Color (9.50)
Color accuracy was a problem for the Nikon P100. With five available color modes, none came close to accurately reproducing the color hues from the X-Rite ColorChecker chart we use for testing, and all but one is oversaturated. The best of the bunch is the Softer mode, which is also the only undersaturated mode, at about 95%. What’s interesting is that the overall color error score doesn’t differ much from mode to mode – it’s just a question of having different color values misrepresented in each. Yellows and blues are consistently off, while green and bluish-green are much closer to the mark. Light skin is reproduced with reasonable accuracy, dark skin less so. More on how we test color.
As shown in the graph below, the P100 scored lower in color accuracy than any of our comparison cameras, including the Nikon P90 released last year.
| Camera Color Comparisons | |||||
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| Ideal | Nikon Coolpix P100 | Nikon Coolpix P90 | Canon PowerShot SX1 IS | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 | |
| Dark Skin |
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| Light Skin |
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| Blue Sky |
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| Foliage |
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| Blue Flower |
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| Bluish Green |
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| Ideal | Nikon Coolpix P100 | Nikon Coolpix P90 | Canon PowerShot SX1 IS | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 | |
| Orange |
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| Purplish Blue |
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| Moderate Red |
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| Purple |
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| Yellow Green |
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| Orange Yellow |
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| Ideal | Nikon Coolpix P100 | Nikon Coolpix P90 | Canon PowerShot SX1 IS | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 | |
| Blue |
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| Green |
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| Red |
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| Yellow |
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| Magenta |
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| Cyan |
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Color Modes (4.00)
The P100 comes with six preset color modes (normal, softer, vivid, more vivid, portrait and black and white), plus a slot for saving a custom setting. These modes affect more than color reproduction: they also include settings for contrast, saturation, and sharpening. The Custom option lets you adjust these three settings and save the results for future use.
Shop for the Nikon P100
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Nikon P100 Manual
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