Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 42x Zoom NIKKOR ED Glass Lens and GPS Recording Position (Black) (Old Model)

LOVE THIS CAMERA...love everything about it, the classy red colour, awesome zoom, lots of options etc... more than I will even use.

I purchased this as a surprise gift for my fiancee, after reviewing the specs on it, to take on our trip to the midwest for her stepson's wedding. I was particularly intrigued with the 24 to 1000mm lens on a COOLPIX, and what the response time would be when one pressed the shutter release to when the photo would actually be taken, especially after my previous experience with a Nikon COOLPIX S4, though that is a different camera altogether. When it arrived, I read the manual, charged the battery, and formatted the memory card. After setting it up for her, I tested the zoom lens and was blown away by its clarity, even at 1000mm. The resolution of some test photos was incredible! Also, the response time (from the time I pressed the shutter release button to when it actually took the photo) was like an SLR. I have a Nikon D80 with AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm, 55-200mm, and 70-300mm lenses that takes excellent photos, but for everyday outdoor photography, it's very difficult to beat the little COOLPIX P510 because you don't have to change lenses to get that great telephoto shot. The only downsides to the P510 package that I've encountered were the lack of a memory card (you have to supply your own), the Nikon battery doesn't last very long, it doesn't come with a case, and there's no hot shoe or cable input for a small-but-more-powerful external, bounceable flash. Thankfully, I had the foresight to purchase extra batteries (non-Nikon) with a charger. I also purchased a case and a cleaning kit with cut-to-fit stick on/peel off monitor screen protectors. That said, overall this is an incredible compact, lightweight camera, and I highly recommend it. Some of the other features that I really like are the movable monitor screen that is positionable for one to take photos with the camera held at or below one's waist or high above one's head and still view what one wants to photograph, and there is also a 'monitor' button next to the electonic viewfinder that switches the view from the monitor screen to the viewfinder for through-the-lens viewing like an SLR camera for those sunny-day occasions when you can't see what's on the monitor. It also comes with a reference manual CD, the Nikon ViewNX 2 software CD to download your photos, a lens cap and tether, and an adjustable strap. As a side note, I took photos of the "blue" moon zooming the lens to 1000mm, and the resolution was amazing! I managed to hand hold it though it took me three shots to center the moon on the monitor, and it does take several tries to get the camera to focus correctly, but it was worth the small hassle. Trying to take a photo with a 1000mm lens without a tripod is difficult at best, day or night. I would recommend some sort of support, like a tripod, for those really long range photos, but I've had good enough luck to be able to rest my elbows on the roof or hood of my car and click away. Thankfully, with digital photography, one can take all those shots until "the one" is achieved, and then go back and delete the others. This camera may appear to be a bit expensive for a COOLPIX model, but with the 24-1000mm zoom and the multitude of other features (including shutter and aperature priority settings and several different "scene" settings), I believe this camera is a decent value. I liked her camera so much, that I bought a black one for myself so I could travel a lot lighter and not have to haul around my 13 lb camera bag with my D80, three lenses, charger, spare batteries and flash. I'll say it: I love this COOLPIX P510, and so does my fiancee!

I have been a Nikon fan in the past, previously buying 2 Coolpix Cameras (3100 and 4100). The quality and durability of Nikons are great, so when I decided to get a more powerful camera, Nikon was the way to go! I've had the camera for a few weeks now, and I love it! There are so many great aspects of this camera that I haven't had in the past with other brands! Pros: -The camera charges and turns on extremely quickly. I was amazed by how quickly it charged the first day! Since purchasing the camera, I've only had to charge it once! The battery life is great- I don't use my camera on a daily basis, so perhaps it would take more charges if you did, but for recreational use, it has a great battery life! -This camera is much lighter than I expected! It looks large, but it doesn't feel heavy when you've got it around your neck! -The GPS feature is really cool! It's nice to be able to remember where exactly I took a picture if it's of a landscape/flower, etc. -The grip on the camera is great! You don't feel your fingers slide, and you can really hold on to the camera well! -The pop out screen is awesome! You can move the screen to see the photo you're taking better, especially if you're holding the camera at odd angles! -Great quality pictures that are easy to take- I'm no camera genius, but even my mother who can barely use a camera can take great pictures with this camera! It's got so many settings- you can take a standard picture without adjusting ISO and it still looks just as great! -So many settings- There are so many great settings on this camera! The selective color feature is great, and I love the panorama shots! There are also great lighting features so no matter the light in the background, the photo looks great! -The zoom is incredible! From 50 feet away I can take a perfect photo of a flower that looks like I was standing next to it! On most cameras I've owned the farther zoom means poorer quality photos, but this camera is perfect for taking long range pictures and having them look flawless! -The video quality is great! I went to a Flamenco show and took video, and the picture quality and sound quality was amazing! Cons: The only major con I've noticed so far is that it can take a second to refocus after zooming out a large distance. It's not bad, but if you wanted to take a picture of something that would be gone after a few seconds, you have to be really prepared to take your photo! This camera is definitely worth the price tag! It's been a great investment so far!

Image is sharp even at maximum zoom of 1000mm equivalent. It's also a 24 mm wide angle lens as well. That's two lenses you don't have to buy right there. Look up what a lens of this size would cost by itself, more than twice the price of this camera alone! Took a shot of the full moon on a clear night and the individual craters could be easily viewed in great detail. Not great in dim light for long magnification. But for nature photography, you can't beat it. Lots of complaints about focusing in the reviews. Here is my solution - there are at least 4 focus modes you can set. The single AF mode, where you push the shutter down halfway to get it to focus, works best. It allows you to refocus, rezoom and refocus quickly until you get it right. Does not take that long to do, 10 seconds tops. The full-time FT auto focus overworks itself, takes too long, and is not as precise. The single AF mode gives you the most control. Also,for exposure, I generally just set it on auto and forget it. The camera is smarter than I am, and selects everything you need. And quickly enough for you to still get the shot before the critter moves. This camera is a point and shoot if you want it to be. All the way to fully manual if you prefer, even the focus can be manually set. Don't look to this camera to do it all, you will be disappointed. It is not a DSLR. I shot a pix of a deer at 50 yds., and I could still see every hair on the hide as clearly as if it had been right in front of me. Just really sharp. Software is very easy to use and download to your computer. Don't buy that long lens you have been looking at, buy this camera instead. I am glad I did!

I looked around for a lot of different camera's in this price range... This has the biggest zoom I could find without having to step up to a camera with interchangeable lenses. There are lots of pros and cons to anything you buy like this (better megapixels but smaller zoom, better for action shots, or in lower light, etc...) but all around this is a nice camera for the money and I would recommend it to anyone. Some people really pick all of these different model cameras apart on a pro level. And I understand that for the professional. It's a good thing to have in depth reviews for folks that understand what all those fine details mean. I'm not a professional photographer... But I'm not a beginner by any means. I have taken some photography courses and have a decent understanding of the craft. But I simply wanted something with some pro level features, a nice zoom and great quality (clear) pics for both my wife and I to use. (she has no knowledge of photography). Honestly, this camera works great for both of us... Stand out features to me are some of the continuous shooting modes and wonderful battery life... Comes with a rechargeable battery pack that lasts a long time!! If I had to pick something I don't like about it, I'd honestly have to say that the screen doesn't swivel. Not that I really care about that... (which is why i still gave a 5 star rating)... It shows that the screen has a bracket that allows it to slide off the back... However, In my opinion this feature is almost useless because once you slide it off, it doesn't rotate. I don't see the point... Might be good to tilt the screen down if it was on a high tripod I guess, but that would be it's only function... A simple swivel bracket would have allowed you to see the framing when using the timer feature... Like I said, no biggie! Really REALLY nice Camera for the mulah! And my wife LOVED the red color!