Customer Reviews

Nikon Coolpix P1 8MP Digital Camera with 3.5x Optical Zoom (Wi-Fi Capable)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I picked this camera up at the new lower price ($150 less). For this price the camera is definately worth the money. From a picture taking standpoint the camera is great. 8-Megapixel photos that look great, great flexibility for different sceens and a pretty quick shutter release are the highlights. The camera does have some difficulty focusing in dark situations especially if you have zoomed in and the object is too far away.

The only real problem I encountered is setting up the wi-fi feature. I consider myself pretty computer literate, but this stumped me for some time. A call to Nikon was pleasant but a waste of time. The biggest problem you will run into is if you have Firewall-Enabled in XP or XP Pro. You have to look close but on page 136 of the manual there is a little note about Port settings if you use a firewall (and who doesn't?). By the way, the Nikon rep was clueless when I told him it worked with firewall off but wouldn't with firewall on. He basically said, he had no idea and firewalls aren't Nikons specialty. Anyway, the key is to go to security settings, click on Windows Firewall Settings, click "Add Port" and then add UDP port 5353 and click OK. Add another port only this time select TCP port 15740 and click OK. This was VERY POORLY explained in the manual and I couldn't find anything on their website.

While just taking pictures the battery life was fine. Using the wi-fi feature really eats up battery life. I would recommend picking up an extra battery (only $17) as a spare for those longer trips. That should give you well over 300 photos.

PROS
- Great pictures outdoors
- Good pictures indoors within the limits of the flash
- Large variety of shooting modes and camera control
- Simple enough to use as a point-and-shoot
- Capable enough for some real creative photography
- Pretty quick shutter release time
- Very thorough manual (with the exception of wi-fi setup)
- Wi-fi transfer of pictures is great (once setup)

CONS
- Wi-fi setup is difficult
- Focus in dark areas is sometimes difficult
- Battery life could be better

I am a consummate camera buff having been in photography since the mid 1970s. I have used many different cameras (Canons, Pentaxes, Olympuses, Kodaks, Polariods, an Agfa, even had a Minolta for a brief time, yuck!) and shot tens of thousands of photos all over the world. In 2003, I retired my T-50 and EOS 650 and stepped into the digital world with a Canon "Powershot" S-50. (It has been a delight not having to fumble with film while having the capacity to take 1000s of shots on a 1.0GB card!)

The S-50 broke in Nov. 05 (with shot number 4000 on Waikiki Beach). For Christmas my wife gave me the P1 (my first, ever, Nikon). To date, I've taken about 1500 photos with it.

The Nikon P1 "Coolpix" is handy. The 8.0 megapixels and 3.5 zoom are excellent (and the reasons for the P1's purchase). It fits in a pocket comfortably. It is light weight and not cumbersome to hold. The large 4.5 monitor screen is nice (enlarging all subjects).

The P1 "recovery time" (the moment between the photo taken and its recording to the Sandisk) is much quicker. The mode choices are numerous and the camera is easy to use. The recording mic hears all sounds. If I were a novice camera user I would be well pleased with the P1.

Experience has shown, however, that the P1 could be better. Here are the things I do not like about it (allowing it to earn only 3 stars).

1) The digital flash is never bright enough. All my photos are much darker- less vibrant- with the P1.
2) The mode dial atop the Coolpix turns too easily. Often it twists even as the camera is being handed over. The dial moves randomly in the pocket, the backpack, the suitcase, and the briefcase. It's irksome to be continually resetting the photo mode.
3) The 3.7V Lithium ION (730mAh) battery is good for about half the photos expected. It is smaller than other brands' (Nikon should produce stronger versions for the P1).
4) It is possible, and simple, to misload the "Coolpix" battery (a trait solved by other brands).
5) The battery recharger works only with a chord (from the wall outlet to the recharger). The recharger plugs directly into the chord and not into a wall socket (making more camera stuff to fumble with). The 3-piece recharging process is not handy (in having to find room for a 3 ft. chord on a shelf or basin).

Nikon will probably remedy these problems in the future. For now, I find myself using the wife's Canon S-550 more and more (leaving the newer P1 in the camera drawer).

I find the Nikon P1 to be a great point a shoot camera. I had no problems with it right out of the box. I have taken many well developed pictures and I'm more then pleased with it.

This is a point and shoot camera so you do give up full manual control. But there is a variety of features to let you play around and be creative to a certain extent.

I've gone through most the settings and have had very little to complain about. The only pictures that have not turned out are ones taken with very little light. This issue can be attributed to user error not camera error. For example taking a night picture with a large shutter time by hand caused some blur (imagine that).

I have seen a little noise at ISO 400 when my focus is far away and there is very little light but nothing different then any other camera. You can still get some really nice night pictures if you use a tripod and the correct settings even night shot mood will produce decent results then.

As for WiFi I personally love it. No more having to find the right cable and plug it in. I used the cable once to see how it compared and I can get just as fast results through wireless. So after that finding I tossed that cable in a drawer with a lot of other lonely cables and have not brought it out since. I am a PC user so I'm not sure of any apple issues but I was setup and going with wireless in under five minutes so I was really happy. I've also played with some of the settings like direct transfer to the computer and that could be useful in some situations.

Over all I've really enjoyed using this camera and as always compare them in the store first for your preference. But I've had no real issues and would definitely suggest taking a look at this camera if you're looking for a good compact Digital camera.

I initially had some problems setting up the Wi Fi on this camera. The instructions for using this with an Apple computer could definitely be more clear (not sure if the same issues exist for PCs).

BUT in fact it is easy to set up the wireless (if only they'd explained it better to begin with!) and it works like a charm. You can set up your computer to display a slideshow of photos, and the ones you snap are automatically added to the slideshow as soon as you take them. Great for parties.

Moreover, the features and photo quality are excellent. I highly recommend this camera.

I love it's small size (easy to pocket), decent looks (it's a camera after all), outdoor picture quality (could be better indoors) and of course the wifi feature (easy to use, IF you have WinXP!).

If you like to take spur of the moment shots though, this camera is just not up to snuff, especially indoors. It just takes too long to boot up and focus. Between photos there is a good 2 second lag, at least. Not good if you like to take photos of your kids in an "oh so cute" action situation. That's exactly what most people use consumer cameras for and this subpar performance is just not acceptable. If that includes you, look elsewhere and consider a lower resolution camera and forget about the wifi for now.

If it weren't for that, the camera would get an easy 4, if not 5 stars from me.

The Nikon P1 is my first digital camera. I have waited for prices to come down and features to go up. My 20 year old Nikon F2 was stolen which made the decision pretty easy. I am amazed at all the features available in this small camera. The pictures are excellent even in automatic mode. The camera has 16 scene modes as well and two different levels of semi-manual mode. I did not have problems setting up the Wi-fi connection on my network and was surprised at all the reviews complaining about the complexity. I think the transfer rate is excellent and the pictures pop up on your computer immediately after completion. If you have gotten past the point of getting your wireless network to work in your home, the setup process should be a breeze. Make sure you read the instructions related to using a firewall and opening specific ports. The software is very easy to use and the auto enhance feature is a one click process. The instruction manual could have been a little more intuitive. I recommend an extra battery and 1GB SD card. I found a package for the memory and a carrying case which is not included for under $400.

Gamer head is right. The boot time is not the issue, in low light, with a moving subject, forget it, you will never get the shot. The camera is very slow to focus under low light conditions. Also, you will find most everything indoors or cloudy conditions is low light. thus, no catching any spontaneous nighttime cuteness or following animals at the zoo on a cloudy day, etc. Over all a nice still shot camera, but must have very fast memory to use movie mode, and no low light movement or your shot is out of focus.

Works great right out of the box. Simple, intuitive, easy to use. Takes great pictures with the point and shoot mode. Lots of custom options available for special pictures and creative types. Small compact size, but easy to hold. Not too small. Good battery life.

I've owned a number of film cameras over the years, and always prefered Nikon. The digital world is something different, though. I have owned Kodak, Sony, a couple of Canons, Konica, and a couple others too ghastly to name. I finally picked up the Nikon P1 at Costco after returning one of the ghastly ones. It is better than any of the others with the exception of my Canon 5MP Elph. Picture quality can be very good, but you often have to work for it. Automation levels for focus, flash, exposure etc just aren't anywhere near as good as with the Canon. An earlier review mentioned control issues - knob turns too easily, "dark flash" etc, and was very accurate. WiFi works, but is hardly worth the trouble. Again, it looks better on the box as a bullet point feature than the reality, as is the case with so much of this camera.

If you want to "work it" you can get very acceptable results, although there is more color "fuzzing" at the edges of details under heavy magnification than I see with the Canon.

If you want a camera that you can pick up, point, shoot and get routinely get better than expected photos, this isn't the camera for you. I use The P1 a good bit at work, but given a choice for family type events, I pick up the wife's Canon.

Consider the Canon Elph SD600 as an alternative to this.

I was very pleased with my recent purchase of the Nikon P1. I was very excited about the wireless feature but hesitant because of the reviews I have read stating that it was difficult to set up. The reviews were somewhat correct. I did have problems but only when I had to enter the key code for my wireless router. It would not accept the one I had. Mind you, it contained 63 characters and symbols. I emailed Nikon support but did not get any response, so I called. After about 20 minutes on the phone with a tech I was told I could not use my key code because it contained certain symbols. I was a little upset because I did not want to have to redo my wireless network at home. About a week later I received an email that there was an update to the wirless software for the camera. It made no mention of my problem only enhancements they made to features. However, when I tried to enter the key code it worked. I am now enjoying the benefits of the Wi-Fi feature of the camera and it is just great.