Customer Reviews:
 Digiscoping November 15, 2008
This is a super camera for digiscoping birds and other distant animals. It seems to be a bit slower than my Nikon P80, but otherwise it's a great choice.
Dix Smith
Ft. Collins, CO
 Nikon P5100 October 29, 2008
I have been taking pictures since 1975, digital pictures since 1996, and this is one hot little camera. I have an expensive 35 mm SLR and all the accessories that I use when I want to take great pictures, but there are times when I do not want the 8 to 10 pounds of camera equipment hanging from my neck. So, I carry a small digital camera in my shirt pocket or in my coat to capture those special moments that only come once in a lifetime. Small Casio and Richo cameras have worked well in the past, but this Nikon beats them all hands down. The picture quality (8 by 10) rivals that of my expensive SLR and it is more handy, so I actually get the shot of my son and wife skiing down the slope while I schuss past them.
I have owned this camera for more than 6 months and have taken more than 1000 pictures with it. The camera powers up quick, is easy to use without having to memorize the users guide, and is not a battery hog like some other digital cameras. For the price, you cannot beat this little gem for picture quality, ease of use, and raw megapixel power. The only shortcoming I have found is the relatively slow shutter release - making fast action photos tough to capture without some anticiaption and timing.
I highly recommend this camera for the casual photographer. If you get this camnera, take the time to order extra batteries and a large memory card, you won't be disapointed.
 Poor images October 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It pains me to say 1-star. I have been using the P5100 since it was released and I must say that the images are extremely poor. This could come down to old firmware in the camera or a faulty component. I've worked hard to try every setting on this camera and it just produces images that I would expect come from a sub-$70 camera.
I bought the original Coolpix camera ~10 years ago and I wish I hadn't given it away.
By far, the best camera I've ever bought (opinion after 2 months of heavy use) October 9, 2008
First of all, let me address one of the major complaints about this camera: low light AF hunting. I've never had a digital camera that did NOT have trouble getting its focus in low light. The Canon XTi has the problem, my Minolta digital had the problem and, from what I've read the Olympus E510 and Nikon D60 also have that problem. But with the P5100 there are ways around it using the landscape setting.
The other problem, much discussed, is the noise factor. If you are seriously thinking about this camera and like low light photography, as I do, then I would suggest you go to this Flickr link and have a look at how capable the P5100 truly is in low light situations. Noise is not a factor if the settings are correct.
I bought this looking for a camera capable of doing film-like work (or as close as possible)with a very small body. That does not mean I am necessarily looking for razor-sharp resolution (though you do get that with this fine Nikkor lens). I wanted a certain "look" to the photographs that this camera can indeed produce.
No RAW? Who cares! I don't do PS anyway and would rather have an excellent camera that takes great photographs in the first place and doesn't require the use of RAW and hours slaving away over Photo Shop rebuilding a flawed photograph piece by piece. No thank you. If that appeals to you then get the G9 or G10, but don't try to put it in your pocket! But if you want what is, IMHO, a better camera and lens to use on site and get it right the first time, on location, then this is a better choice. Have a look at this link to see the P5100's low light capability and film-like qualities: http://www.flickr.com/photos/atemzeit/2312242297/
or this:
www.flickr.com/photos/atemzeit/276954369/sizes/o/in/set-72157594379505014/
Or here to see its beautiful bokeh: http://www.flickr.com/photos/soul-san/2585370492/
And bear in mind that this camera does this with 12.1 pixels on a tiny little sensor. How? The secret is the custom application of the EXPEED digital image processing engine. Something the G9 and G10 don't have. You get the advantages of a huge pixel count (on a small sensor) but without the excessive noise found on cameras not possessing such a capable processing engine. And, regarding the G9 and G10, not only is this camera much smaller but the build is far better and it has a hard substantial feel, thanks in part to the magnesium body.
If you want to reduce the pixel count on your sensor to increase the dynamic range this camera can do that. It can be reduced to 8M, 5M, 3M, 2M or 1M. Also, how many digital cameras these days offer ISO settings of 64 and 100? This one does.
But, for me, all it boils down to is this: is this camera able to deliver the look you are searching for or not? If you like what you see when you brouse Flickr then give it a try. If you don't like what you see, give it a pass. The proof is in the pudding and you can read ten different reviews and everyone says something different. So just go by the results you can see on the net.
This review is my opinion only and, as I said, you can certainly find people who do not agree with me about this. I read many reviews and finally just decided to peruse Flickr to see actual results. So don't take my word for it, look for yourself.
Great little camera! September 8, 2008
This is my first digital camera and I am greatly impressed with its versatility and general ease of use. Yes, I agree with others, the lag time is somewhat daunting, but for most applications it is acceptable. The overall excellence in picture quality alone, especially with regard to clarity and exacting color, should thoroughly delight most discriminating photographers. The camera is extremely sensitive to very subtle light sources and automatically adjusts to accept poorly illuminated environments. It is hard to believe that anyone would not be happy with this camera.
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