The Coolpix P5100 is the latest in Nikon’s "Performance Series" with 12.1 megapixels, full manual controls, and perks like a hot shoe and conversion lens compatibility. The P5100 follows the P5000 with the same 2.5-inch LCD screen and 3.5x optical zoom lens, but more resolution. The $399 Nikon Coolpix P5100 is designed to be the compact camera for DSLR owners who don’t want to haul their chunky cameras to casual occasions.
Physical Tour
Front (7.25)
The front of the P5100 is mostly flat, hinting towards its compact nature. There is a protruding handgrip though. It is covered with a silky rubber-like substance that makes for a nice grip. The inner portion of the hand grip is flat to give fingers a place to rest. At the top of the hand grip, the chrome shutter release button peers from inside the also-visible zoom ring. The zoom lens sits on the right side and protrudes about a quarter-inch from the otherwise flat body. The lens specs arch around the glass: "Nikkor 3.5x Optical Zoom VR, 7.5-26.3mm 1:2.7-5.3." The outer rim of the protruding lens barrel is serrated and has a retro look to it. Between the hand grip and the lens are a few small features: a hole makes the microphone to the lower left of the lens. There is also a Coolpix logo there. To the upper left of the lens is the autofocus assist/self-timer lamp, with the optical viewfinder window just above it. There is a Nikon logo there as well. In the upper right corner of the front is the built-in flash.
Back (8.0)
The back of the Nikon Coolpix P5100 has traces of style from Nikon’s DSLRs. The 2.5-inch LCD screen isn’t crammed to the left edge like on most compact cameras. Instead, it leaves about a third of an inch on the left side where a column of buttons resides. The buttons are circular and mounted so they stick out from the camera body. The top button is labeled "Fn" for "function." The buttons below it are for display options, playback mode, menu, and delete. Below the LCD is a printed Nikon logo. Directly above the LCD screen is the optical viewfinder with two LEDs to its right. The LEDs are labeled: the top shows if the flash is busy and the bottom shows the autofocus.
In the upper right corner of the P5100’s back is a rubber pad just large enough for a thumb. It is curved slightly so that the top protrudes farther than the bottom. Below this handling feature is the multi-selector, which doesn’t resemble a DSLR’s selector. This is straight off a compact model: it has a central OK button and a single ring without grooves around it. The smooth ring makes it hard for fingers to tell exactly which way is up and down, left and right. Each direction has a double function and the icons are printed on the selector. The top changes the flash mode, the right side adjusts the exposure compensation, the bottom turns on the Macro mode, and the left side activates the self-timer.
Left Side (7.0)
The left side isn’t anything exciting: there is a chrome eyelet near the top of the camera and a circular grill that is the speaker near the bottom.
Right Side (8.0)
The right side is thicker than the left because it’s where the right hand grips. The front half of the right side is coated with a rubber-like material that isn’t overly textured and almost feels silky, but does an excellent job as a grip at the same time. The top of the right side has a chrome eyelet to match the one on the left side: this is where the neck strap is attached. There are two rubber covers near the bottom. The one nearest to the back of the camera opens to the AV/USB port and the smaller cover near the middle allows the AC adapter to be threaded through the battery compartment.
Top (8.0)
The view from the top shows the thickness of the P5100; it isn’t an ultra-slim pocket digital camera, but will be much easier to cram into a backpack or diaper bag than a DSLR. On the left side of the top is the hot shoe; a piece of plastic smaller than a postage stamp slides into the hot shoe to protect the contacts from dust. There is a Coolpix P5100 label to its right, followed by a mode dial. The dial is decently sized and offers 10 access points to exposure modes and the setup menu. The right side of the top is thicker because of the handgrip. There is a jog dial located near the back of the camera. A tiny power button and even tinier LED sit just above it. On the front edge of the handgrip is the chrome shutter release button with a zoom ring surrounding it.
Bottom (7.75)
The bottom of the P5100 has its mandatory label below the lens and a metal tripod socket centered below the LCD screen. It isn’t lined up with the zoom lens, but is lined up with the Nikon logo on the back, making it a little easier to mount to the tripod. Below the handgrip is a flimsy plastic door. The friction grip door folds backward and reveals the thin slots for the lithium-ion battery and the SD memory card.
