P7000 – serious competition for the G11/LX5 Market

toby — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:50:44 +0000

Last night Nikon announced the P7000- This looks to be a serious contender in the bridge camera category. Does drop the ethernet port, the built-in GPS and knocks 4 MPs off the previous (P6000) model but you know have a much better performance in low light and an external mic input along with a hot shoe to stick an external mic makes this camera attractive for stills in a fairly portable package and an excellent option for video. The problem is this market segment now has several serious contenders- lets look at where the P7000 falls -

Nikon Coolpix P7000 Key Features

10MP CCD sensor
720p HDvideo with external stereo mic jack, Auto Focus and Lens Zoom
ISO 100-3200
RAW + JPG capture option
7x zoom (28-200mm equivalent) f/2.8-5.6 built-in ND filter
3″ 921k dot LCD screen
HDMI output
Zoom memory function
Compatibility with Nikon Speedlights
Wireless remote control from front or back.

P7000 advantages over G11/LX5:

More versatile zoom lens (28-200mm equivalent)
Higher resolution LCD screen
Twin control dials
Two customizable buttons (although ‘Fn’ is of limited utility)
Socket for external microphone

Priced at $499 I have to wonder how well this camera will sell, it is without doubt a very nice camera, AF speed and general operation and control of the camera is excellent and responsive but at that price point you are competing with entry level DSLRs and the newer mirrorless DSLRs or EVIL cameras and both of those market segments offer snappier performance and greater versatility. This camera is certainly smaller than a DSLR, but not as small as the LX5, and offers a very convenient package with the 7x zoom and friendly HD video* and even some room to grow with the hotshoe and external mic port but that room to grow is certainly limited and I think most users will find themselves out of that room soon. If you are already a DSLR owner and you want something that goes everywhere why not consider the S95 – doesn’t have quite the zoom but is slim and offers stereo audio recording without needing an external mic. It is also over $100 cheaper. What are your thoughts? Does the P7000 interest you? pre-order the P7000 pre-order the S95 / Go S90 for savings, sacrificing the HD video and stereo audio pre-order the LX5 Order the G11 *Friendly HD video is a term I am using to distinguish between the HD video you shoot with DSLRS and the video you shoot with P&S and other cameras that constantly autofocus. DSLR HD video is excellent but takes practice, a tripod or a stabilizer and with the exception of the D3100, someone who knows how to manual focus while shooting the video- all this adds up to make the DSLRs not very friendly for HD video. I plan on writing more about this soon. In the meantime feel free to ask questions @camerarec

Personalized Recommendation for Jaime

toby — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:00:43 +0000

Jamie wants a DSLR that is easy to operate or a top of the line Point & Shoot. She takes 100′s of photos a week and plans to frequently shoot videos too.

How about a DSLR that includes HD movie mode! Released May 2008, the T1i is getting rave reviews for its HD movie mode on top of taking stellar 15MP photos.

Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.1 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS LensCamera Highlights: 15MP | 3″ high-resolution LCD 3x the resolution of your standard P&S screens | 18mm-55mm lens with image stabilization | HD movie mode | Live view | Excellent low-light performance | Auto Lighting Optimizer & Creative Auto – shooting guides on the LCD screen enable you to make corrections based on simple to follow guidelines.

Why the T1i is perfect for Jamie:

She is ready to move up to a DSLR. The T1i is now Canon’s most approachable DSLRs with several features designed specifically for photographers new to DSLRs.
She has kids, kids are constantly on the move and you don’t want to miss one of those moments because of your camera. The T1i has virtually no shutter lag and can take pictures at 3.4 fps.
Jamie needs video- T1i has HD movie mode 1080 @ 20fps and 720 @ at smooth 30fps
Hundreds of photos a week adds up and it sounds like Jamie is ready to get even more serious. T1i is ready for that kind of shooting. Durable shutter, rugged body and of course the possible addition of thousands of lenses giving you incredible photographic flexibility and room for growth.

Buy the Canon EOS Rebel T1i

Possible Alternatives:

The T1i is excellent camera but not something that is incredibly portable, no DSLR is. But you can get near DSLR quality with a little more shutter lag in the Canon Powershot G10 14.7MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Camera Highlights: 14MP | 3″ LCD | 5x Zoom | Smooth, 30fps VGA movies | 26 Shooting Modes including 17 Special Scene Modes | Shoot in RAW – few P&S offer this

More zoom than the G10 above & HD video but no Raw mode in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCDCamera Highlights: 10MP | 12x Zoom & 25mm Wide | HD Video | Intelligent Auto (iA) mode = a suite of features that help you take the very best photos possible

Please let me know if you have any questions about these cameras or anything else you come across while shopping.

If you are not Jamie and you want your own personalized recommendation

CameraRec » >$500

P7000 – serious competition for the G11/LX5 Market

Nikon Coolpix P7000 Key Features

Personalized Recommendation for Jaime