Nikon Coolpix P5100 Reviews: Digital Compact Camera

+ Compact Size with Picture Quality

- Shutter Release Button could be in a better position. Often catch the button by mistake

+ Well featured with PSAM and exposure compensation etc., excellent build quality, takes useful wide angle and telephoto lense adapters, central metal tripod socket on base plate, has hotshoe for SB400 etc.and optical viewfinder, proper neckstrap, camera a sensible size (i.e. not too small to hold firmly but still compact), with handy thumb rest at rear (top right hand side).

- Noise visible at high ISOs, no RAW or TIFF capture, lacks provision for external remote control.

+ Very easy to use. Takes fantastic pictures which can be edited in the camera before download. Wide variety of settings to get the best shot or just use auto and the camera does it all for you.

- None.

+ can be used in any lighting situation

- autofocus sometimes too slow

+ Excellent build quality. Takes great photos. Fantastic little camera.

- This point is not necessarily the fault of the camera which given its compact digital nature it will always be slower than an SLR. However, that said, if you are used to shooing with an SLR you may find this camera a bit slow. Unless there is plenty of light and/or you shoot in manual mode, the camera takes its time in thinking about the shot before it takes it. This leads to sometimes missing the shot. What I've done is learn to use it given its limitations. Once I got over the fact that it will never be as responsive as my FM2 or other SLRs, I started taking full advantage of what it can do.

+ Well built. Smaller and lighter than it looks. Good image quality - though not as brilliant as some reviews I'd read led me to believe. Lots of ways of tweaking the photos. And Nikon's D-Lighting feature, which lightens dark areas only, is excellent. I usually use the shutter or aperture priority mode.

- Takes ages to focus - as remarked on by other reviewers. Also ccd sensor is very small -which detracts from high no of megapixels.

+ Size and feel

- Low light focusing

+ Panaramic pics are easy to do and give fantastic results. Best compact camera I have used

- none

+ Reviewer left no comment

- An excellent professional camera, surprisingly small. yet with so many advanced features. Heavy enough to give reasonable stability, and easily controlled 'fill-in' flash where the amount of flash can be controlled. Super-sharp images.- cannot speak highly enough about it -- and such an improvement on its predecessor P5000..

+ Lots of great usefull features,good size to handle ,easy to use,great results, long lasting battery.instuctions easy to follow.

- Too much unwanted software on CD

+ Easy to use and switch from one mode to another. Menu screen needs getting used to.

- Could do with a wrist strap being supplied rather than a full length strap

+ Having a viewfinder which is useful on sunny days.
Simple to use in basic mode.

- Haven't found any yet

+ Small enough to put in trouser pocket. Ideal for snapshots, with pixel count sufficient for severe editing. Good colour rendition. Feels toughly made.

- Need to sharpen standard images for adequate results. Can adjust in Menu but even then more sharpening may be required.

+ God shape, Comfortable to handle.

- Guide instructions rather complex -could hopefully be simplified.

+ 12 Meg. Quick, easy, battery charging. Easy and wide range of settings to achieve the kind of results to suit your individual tastes. Compact size for carrying in a small case, say, clipped to a belt. Generally, this P5100 enables one to produce quality pics.

- Honestly, no real bad points. Obviously not a match for a £1000 DSLR but for a compact - I would recommend it.