Nikon Coolpix P6000
Digital Camera Review
Sep 25, 2008
- By Alfredo Padilla
The Nikon Coolpix P6000 is a high-end compact point-and-shoot that flirts with the capabilities of an SLR while retaining a relatively small form factor. At 13.5 megapixels and with a 4x optical zoom the P6000 offers a good selection of manual controls and the ability to shoot RAW, features that will likely ingratiate it to its target audience. The big new feature on the P6000 is built-in GPS capability, although we'll have to get it into the labs to see how well this performs. The P6000 will be available in September and is expected to come be priced at $599.95.
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Conclusion
The P6000 is Nikon's latest high-end compact point-and-shoot. It offers a variety of upgrades over its predecessor the P5100, including (of course) an increase to 13.5 megapixels, ISO 6400 and allegedly improved low-light performance (we hope) and built-in GPS. The P6000 did take a step back in a couple of spots, however, in particular the optical zoom went from 6x to 4x, a significant downgrade.
With an array of manual features and support for RAW format, the P6000 will compete with the Canon G10 for the hearts of advanced photographers looking for a compact camera. At this point we can't tell you which is better; we'll have to get them into our labs for that. One big difference we can tell you about now is that the P6000 will be retailing for $100 more than the G10, at $599.95.
Our impression of the P6000 at first blush is that it's a very capable camera. It handles well and manual features are in easy reach. We are a little disappointed to see the optical zoom go from 6x on its predecessor to 4x on the P6000. Our hope for the P6000 is that Nikon is able to shift some of their low-light magic from their DSLR range to this camera. Its predecessor, the P5100, did not perform well in low-light situations. We'll also be very interested to find out how effective the GPS capability is, especially its impact on battery life.
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Likes
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- Small, light and handles well
- Built-in GPS
- Plenty of manual controls
- ISO 6400
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Dislikes
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- Expensive
- Only 4x optical zoom
- Menu system can be confusing
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