Nikon Coolpix P6000

Menu
The Nikon Coolpix P6000 has several menus that you can navigate to change various settings, so many in fact that even some advanced users that aren't familiar with Nikon cameras may find them a bit confusing. You access most of the menus using the buttons to the left of the LCD, and the options available can change depending on your particular mode and settings. For example in any manual mode the Fn button will allow you to set ISO by default in all manual modes, but this can be reassigned to another feature if you wish. In Auto it does nothing. The My Menu button gives you access to six customizable features, by default these were Image Quality, Image Size, Picture Control, White Balance, Active D-Lighting and Distortion Control.
The bottom button on the left is the main Menu button. Like the Fn button this is also dynamic depending on your mode. Pressing the button will take you to a tabbed interface with the first tab a list of options for the mode you are in, so this will change if you are in Manual mode versus Automatic or Movie. Then there are additional tabs for other camera settings. Overall the effect is a can be a bit bewildering, but there is an opportunity for a lot of customization via the Fn button and My Menu feature.

Ease of Use
Despite the various menus on the Nikon Coolpix P6000, we did find it relatively easy to use. It's obviously a camera targeted at more advanced users, but the Auto mode will take care of most things for less advanced users. If you delve into the manual controls, as we're sure most P6000 users will, the learning curve is a bit steep if you're not used to Nikon, but once you get a hang of it most items are just a couple of button clicks away.

We particularly liked the rotating dial that is used for various adjustment that sits at the back of the hand grip opposite the shutter button. We found it easier to use than the G10's rotating dial around the 4-way control. We also liked the menu buttons to the left of the LCD, as using both hands we were able to navigate menus faster than on the G10, which is important on the P6000 as fewer adjustments can be made without the menu. Advanced users may prefer the dedicated exposure compensation and ISO dials on the G10, however.