Nikon Coolpix P310 First Impressions Review

Focus

Like most cameras of this size, contrast detection is used for autofocus. Five area selection methods are available: 9-area Auto, Center, Face, Manual, and Subject tracking. Full manual focus is not supported.

Autofocus performance seemed fairly quick and responsive, even under the show floor's tricky lighting. Nikon has somehow managed to improve macro focus to function within 2cm, despite using the same lens. In practice, it was difficult to lock focus at 2cm, but it did seem possible.

Exposure & Metering

Aperture range is one of the key selling points of this camera, and it extends from f/1.8 - 4.9. That's impressive for a camera this size, though no better or worse than the P300 before it. In fact all exposure and metering features are precisely identical to the P300.

ISO

Nikon is marketing the P310 as an ideal camera for low light, and thanks to the bright lens, this is probably true. But ISO options have barely changed at all. The maximum value is still 3200, and there's still an extended mode than can achieve an equivalent of ISO 6400. Only the minimum ISO has changed, it's now 100, down from 160.

White Balance

White balance has received a very slight upgrade over the P300. Instead of only automatic and manual modes, a number of presets have been included: Cloudy, Daylight, Flash, Fluorescent, and Incandescent.

Image Stabilization

The P310 will take advantage of the same lens-shift vibration reduction found in the P300.

Picture Effects

A wide selection of scene modes have been pre-programmed into the P310, including Back Light, Beach, Close Up, Copy, Dusk/Dawn, Fireworks Show, Food, Landscape, Museum, Night Portrait, Panorama Assist, Party/Indoor, Pet Portrait, Portrait, Scene Auto Selector, Snow, Sports, Sunset, and 3D Photography.