Nikon COOLPIX P520 Pro Reviews

The Nikon COOLPIX P520 has a lot to offer. Its 42x zoom lens is one of the longest optical zooms around and combined with the excellent Vibration Reduction optical stabilisation produces great results. It has a bigger, more detailed screen than most and other features like the built-in GPS, effects filters, Easy panorama, and a wealth of video modes make it a good buy that's competitively priced. It is however up against stiff competition from models that can outreach its capable zoom and provide other benefits that have proved popular in this market, like RAW shooting, a hot shoe, versatile customisation and longer battery life. And of course there's its predecessor, the COOLPIX P510 which is still in the Nikon line up for the time being. Aside from the lower resolution 16 Megapixel sensor and slightly smaller screen that tilts up and down, but not out and forwards, the two models are otherwise virtually identical, so the P510 could turn out to be real bargain for you. So while the COOLPIX P520 has a lot going for it, its slow response, poor battery life and lack of a RAW mode are shortcomings you'll need to consider carefully given what's available at similar and lower prices from the competition as well as from within Nikon's own product line.

A massive zoom at a competitive price, but it comes with too many compromises

The Nikon COOLPIX P520 is an overall capable compact, with a reasonable standard of image quality, a clearly effective VR system and an excellent LCD screen to recommend it. It's also currently priced around £80-90 less than rival models, although this is perhaps reflected in its finish and the quality of its electronic viewfinder. Still, if these issues are of no concern it's definitely worth adding to the shortlist.

While the P520 continues to offer a very well rounded package, with SLR-like handling, manual exposure and focus, an eye-level viewfinder, a flexible and high-resolution LCD screen, built-in GPS and optional wi-fi, full HD movies with stereo sound, full-time AF and optical zoom, we can't help but feel a strong sense of deja vu. The new Nikon Coolpix P520 doesn't offer enough improvements and new features to tempt would-be upgraders from the previous generation or to compete with the best super-zooms on the market, so while it remains a solid choice, there are better cameras competing for your attention and money.

All things considered and the P520 is, in general, a decent superzoom camera. We like the small size, big zoom range, image stabilisation and new vari-angle screen - but even all that's just not enough to see it prevail as a class leader. And that's the thing really: the P520, despite its small advances compared to its predecessor, remains a touch behind much of the competition. We'd like better battery life, an improved viewfinder, brighter aperture range and more than likely less resolution to get it into a more competitive position. That said, the affordable £319 price matches up to the list of features on offer and, overall, it doesn't disappoint - it's just that the P520 isn't as much a leap away from its predecessor as it could have been. It's good, just not quite great when considering the range of competitors.

Overall, the Nikon Coolpix P520 is a very good megazoom. It doesn't have the higher-end features or deeper controls of the Fujifilm HS50EXR, Panasonic FZ200, or Canon PowerShot SX50 HS, but if you don't need or want those, it's not an issue. The only real concerns I have are the slow autofocus in telephoto and the long shutter lag in low light. But, again, if you don't shoot anything that's terribly fast-moving, it probably won't be an issue.

The Nikon Coolpix P520 is a decent update to the P510, but we're a little surprised to see that the optical zoom hasn't been extended to 50x to compete with those cameras with more zoom from Canon, Fuji and Sony. The sensor has been increased to 18 megapixels and the screen is bigger at 3.2 inch. Other than that, not much as changed, you're still getting a featured packed, DSLR style camera, without the bulk. If you're wanting to shoot fast moving objects far into the distance you may struggle as the focus is a little sluggish at the longer lengths. But other than that, the P520 will take some excellent pictures that you'll be extremely proud of. The Nikon Coolpix P520 comes highly recommended by ePHOTOzine.

What we have here is another very capable bridge camera from Nikon. Unfortunately, while the Nikon Coolpix P520 is an excellent and versatile all-round performer, ultimately there's nothing to get overly excited about, and it is not the best option currently available on the market. If you're looking for something with a large zoom range, but with more flexibility, take a look at the Canon SX50 HS. Meanwhile, the fantastic Panasonic FZ200 offers a lens with an f/2.8 constant aperture throughout its zoom range, which is also worth consideration.