11. In Practice

• COOLPIX P1 Digital...
• • ABCDEALS
  • $269.99

The P1 handles nicely, thanks to very good layout and the simplicity of the controls, but it's not an extremely fast camera. It's a little above average, except for startup, which is a bit long at 3.5 seconds. The quality of the images it produced was respectable; at wide apertures, loss was perceptible in the corners, but overall the image was very good. Image noise, naturally, was very low at ISO 50, still invisible at ISO 100, but became perceptible at ISO 200. However, the noise management works well, and images shot at ISO 400 were still quite usable.

ISO sensitivity adjustments are very traditional.

In shooting mode - aperture priority mode here - essential information is shown on the screen.

Access to aperture and exposure correction adjustments is very practical, and there's a histogram display.

A sharp image over the entire area of the shot in the wide angle position.

In telephoto position, the zoom is still good, even at a wide aperture.

At ISO 400, noise was perceptible, but the images were still quite usable - especially if you don't make large prints.

In the Plus Column

A small, light camera Many adjustment possibilities A broad range of functions WiFi connection

In the Minus Column

Not very fast No real wide angle

Even if WiFi doesn't appeal, to you, the P1 is a very good camera. It's a good compromise for amateurs who want a balance between simplicity, extended capabilities, and small size and weight.