Nikon COOLPIX P7000 review

Copying Canon? Nikon looks to its rival for inspiration

The premium compact competition is hotting up. It was previously a three horse race between Samsung (EX1), Panasonic (LX5), and Canon (G12) but now Nikon has released a contender that could easily be confused for its biggest rival – the PowerShot G12. That is, except for the vari-angle LCD screen which is sadly missing from Nikon’s P7000.

Like the EX1 and G12, this latest model is smaller than a hybrid but bigger than a compact. Falling short on pocketable, this pro shooter would be more suited to a small bag instead. This can be forgiven though, as the multitude of controls on board more than warrants the added bulk. On top you’ll find a dial that permits you direct access to important settings such as ISO, white balance, and bracketing. This is accompanied by a mode dial boasting all the manual modes and three custom, along with the power button, shutter release with surrounding zoom, and an exposure dial. There is even a hot shoe, which completes the look and feel that this camera is aimed at advanced shooters. This all saves you from delving into the menu that, incidentally, is kept short and logically ordered into ‘shooting’, ‘playback’, and ‘set-up’ tabs.

Cranking up the sophistication factor are two control dials. One changes the shutter speed and the other surrounds the ‘OK’ button and can be used to alter aperture and flick through photos and menu options. These are both within thumb’s reach and enhance the efficient operability of this model. A padded rubber grip at the rear and the front ensures your right hand comfortably wraps around the metal body, which appears robust and attractively retro in its design.

The biggest downfall of its predecessor, the P6000, was its sub-par image quality. Enthusiast DSLR users demand more from their second shooter and they will be pleased to hear that Nikon has addressed this all-important area. Somewhat surprisingly, this model has fewer megapixels than the P6000 – dropping from 13.5 to 10MP. This is purely beneficial though, as it combines with a large 1/1.7-inch sensor for improved noise handling. We tested it in dark woodland and found that the P7000 produced useable images at ISO 800.

Colours are rendered true-to-life and scenes can be captured at a wide-angle 28mm to a far-reaching 200mm telephoto, which out-shines that of its competitors. Highlights are blown in bright conditions, but chromatic aberrations (purple fringing) are barely noticeable. Fortunately viewing your images is much better suited to sunny scenarios thanks to the 920k-dot, three-inch LCD – a massive upgrade to the P6000’s 230k-dot screen. There is also an optical viewfinder, which is rare for anything other than a DSLR and has about 80% coverage. A hot shoe completes the grown-up look of this pro compact, giving users the opportunity to use an external flash.

Inside the menu you will find some handy in-camera editing options, including ‘Skin softening’, ‘Straighten’, and ‘Miniature effect’. The latter is something of a ‘feature of the moment’ and is a firm favourite to experiment with. Nikon has also come up with a novel addition – the Virtual Horizon. This acts as an electronic spirit level to ensure the camera is correctly positioned for level horizons. We hope this catches on.

Video is a sales booster for any camera and this time around we get HD movie recording (720p). It’s still mono sound, but at least the microphone jack presents the option of using an external mic to record stereo sound for any budding videographers. There’s still room for improvement and in the P7000’s case it is the RAW performance. The new NRW+ format is only supported by Nikon’s own brand of software, and the processing time will slow down any shoot. However, at £490 it’s slightly cheaper than the G12 and looks set to create some stiff competition.