Nikon Coolpix P510 Digital Camera Review

Motion

We spotted trailing, stuttering, color bleed, and artifacting in our standard motion test. None of them are so severe as to really hamper the video quality, but they add up to give the P510's video a definite amateurish feel. More on how CamcorderInfo tests motion.

Video Sharpness

The P510 captures 1080p video at 30 frames per second. At rest and in bright light, it resolved about 625 lw/ph vertically and horizontally, which is about right for a compact still camera. In motion, sharpness dropped to 350 horizontal and 400 vertical lw/ph, also pretty typical for this class of camera. More on how CamcorderInfo tests video sharpness.

In poor lighting, sharpness dropped to 500 horizontal and 450 vertical lw/ph at rest and 200 horizontal and 300 vertical lw/ph in motion. These are mediocre results, but we can't say that we're surprised.

Low Light Sensitivity

As usual for a compact still camera, the P510 isn't particularly sensitive to light. It bottomed out on our sensitivity threshold at just 38 lux, barely enough to earn any points in the test. Camcorders can pick up enough light even down around 15 lux, by comparison.