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83xx SuperZoom: Nik 83 Just a few years ago, who would have imagined a hand-held, fixed-lens digital camera which would offer a lens with the equivalent of 24mm to 2000mm, or 83x zoom? Professional photographer Kevin Poulter was so impressed with the new 16.1MP Nikon P900 . . . he bought one! O n one side we have “professional” DSLR cameras offering an enormous range of features, not the least being the range of lenses available. Coupled with this are prices that range into the stratosphere. On the other side are “consumer” models, with a single fixed lens and often little, if any, user controls apart from a shutter button. They became known as “point and shoot” models – and they’ve only been superseded, to some degree, by the amazing quality of some cameras found in today’s smartphones. But in between the two came the “prosumer” models; cameras which for not too much money could turn the average holiday snapper into a fine photographer, if only because the camera managed to do most of the tricky stuff itself. It’s into this genre that the recently released Nikon P900 fits – but with features definitely leaning towards the professional side, rather than the consumer . . . and the price is very much in favour of the consumer! Digital photography is constantly evolving and electronics is the driving force. With a proliferation of brands and camera models, consumers look for major advancements, especially cameras that virtually take the photographs for them. Optics have nearly peaked in features, quality and afford- ability, so electronics leads the way. For example, there are cameras with GPS satellite connection to locationstamp photographs. Or a viewfinder screen that displays on almost any angle, then automatically switches to the eye-level viewfinder when approached by the user’s eye. And so on. SuperZoom cameras Fixed-lens SuperZoom cameras challenge DSLRs as they offer fantastic versatility, compact size and most of all, the capability of photographing wide angle scenes – and then being able to “zoom in” to very distant vistas; very distant vistas, as the series above ably demonstrates! It’s not that small and definitely no lightweight . . . but with an 83x optical zoom, even professionals are starting to discover that the Nikon P900 suits their requirements much better than their even larger and heavier DSLRs requiring multiple lens changes to achieve a result not all that much different. 26  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au Words and photos by Kevin Poulter on’s incredible P900 Digital cameras now enable almost anyone to photograph at near-professional standard and send photographs anywhere in the world in moments. In addition to the size and zoom, fixed lens digital cameras abolish the need to change lenses, a difficult task outdoors, especially if there are environmental factors in play, like sun, dust or salt spray enhanced air. So I enhanced and colour-corrected my digital images manually in Photoshop set to CMYK colour mode, didn’t mention their digital origins and then saw my digital images regularly in Australian magazines. I felt especially vindicated when an enhanced 4MP image of a car interior was reproduced full page in a glossy magazine and it looked perfect. Extraordinary advances in digital imaging Lens quality and range Not long after digital cameras arrived, I saw the possibilities and started to use an Olympus fixed lens digital camera. At first some magazines refused to accept digital camera images, as they often reproduced very poorly compared to drum-scanned slides (transparencies), plus major colour errors like purple skies often appeared in the printing reproduction process. You often hear “experts” deride fixed-lens zooms: “you can’t get the same quality as you can with interchangeable lenses”. Perhaps that is a consideration; however most P900 images are very good and can be enhanced in software like Photoshop Elements for startling improvements, so the images from the leading fixed lens cameras (FLC) suit enlarging or magazine reproduction. Of course if you look very closely, you might see a difference between a $10,000 telephoto lens and a <$1,000 FLC camera’s image but it’s hard to beat the FLC’s features: smaller, easier to use and carry, vastly more economical and very acceptable images. The Nikon P900 enabled ticking off a number of long-term photo goals in my bucket-list – extreme macro, surfers riding the waves and other distant photography like birds (feathered type) and a portable semi-professional (prosumer) camera that would fit in a very small bag and be ready for action in seconds. Professionals might still use a DSLR, but the P900 compact SuperZoom Nikon is so portable when highest standard resolution is not needed. At 83x zoom (or the equivalent of 24mm to 2,000mm in the old film format), photographers can produce many photographs that were previously out of reach. This IRB (rubber ducky) at Burleigh Heads was travelling at speed and photographed in “sports” mode, hand-held, from about 1km away and 13 stories up. It ably demonstrates the P900’s potential for surveillance and other covert work! Along with that huge zoom range, it also offers vibration reduction (VR) as well as full HD video recording if you want it. And with WiFi built in, there’s no need to plug it in to transfer files. siliconchip.com.au AAugust ugust 2015   2015 2015  27   27 27 For example see the Surf Club rubber ducky shown below, photographed from about a kilometre away. This sensational magnification makes the P900 very suited for surveillance use, like Police and ASIO. On top of the optical zoom of the lens itself, digital zoom is also available (electronic magnification), taking the zoom capability to a startling 8,000mm equivalent! However, digital zoom is not recommended, as despite some processing enhancement in the camera, it also magnifies any lack of clarity and noise by four times. The best method for achieving images beyond 83x is to photograph at full optical zoom and crop plus enhance later in a computer. The Nikon P900 showing one of the many angles the monitor can be set to for viewing, including aiming at the subject, for selfies. When tilted toward the base, the camera can be held high for photographs over the heads of people in a crowd. Electronics leads the way Advances in electronics have added so many features, like image processing, non-optical viewfinder screens (including eye-level), high-capacity small batteries, massive storage cards and much more. Apart from the SuperZoom, one of the most attention-getting features of the P900 is the IR auto-sensor that detects the eye approaching the eyepiece viewfinder and switches to that display. This not only saves a huge amount of power compared to simultaneously running two screens, it’s much more convenient than manual switching. Strictly speaking the IR does not detect the person’s eye, rather anything that comes in range of the eyepiece (for example, waving a hand). First reaction is “what? how does it know it’s your eye?”, then you realise the IR can be activated by any solid object. Vibration reduction Another most useful and wow-factor electronics-driven feature is the Vibration Reduction (VR) or anti-shake system. Nikon’s is arguably the best - certainly it’s nothing short of spectacular. The vibration reduction is so good, it’s possible to take a photo of the moon hand-held with only a moderate loss of clarity compared to on-tripod photography! It works by electronic motion feedback to a VR “floating” interior lens element, which follows your movement perfectly. The new Dual-Detect Optical VR system in the P900 utilises accelerometers in the lens, linked to analysing image motion on the sensor, with a claimed five stops worth of stabilisation. In other words, you get 32 times as much light on the sensor as you would without VR! This scene at Burleigh Heads, Qld, is approximately the angle of view the human eye sees. Note the tiny telecommunications tower on the top of the hill (centre of the photo). Inset at right is the same view with the P900 at full zoom – hand held! If this camera was used closer to the tower, it would reduce the need for mast climbing for inspections. 28  Silicon Chip siliconchip.com.au The eyes have it! Check out the two pictures above: which one do you think was taken with the P900? The photo at left of Natyse shows the lens angle of view and enlargement used for the highly magnified test at its right, a huge enlargement of the same photograph. Two images were taken with the same zoom magnification, on two cameras. The startling result shows the P900 image (left) has better clarity than a Canon EOS 60D SLR with a Canon 18-55mm lens! If it wasn’t for the lack of a “hot shoe” (flash adaptor) on the Nikon P900, I would leave the Canon at home more often and shoot everything with the Nikon! The VR System works by driving motors moving an internal lens element, to compensate for camera shake. Two angular velocity sensors are used, one detects “pitching” (vertical movement), while the other detects “yawing” (horizontal movement). Diagonal movements are detected by an amalgamation of the results of both sensors. These sensors detect camera movement as angular velocity every millisecond. Angular velocity data is sent to a microcomputer (built in the lens) which calculates the amount of compensation needed. Then data is transmitted to the VR unit and adjustments are made instantaneously. Commands are sent to two voice coil siliconchip.com.au motors (VCMs), which move the VR lens in a particular direction. Nikon’s VR System changes operation algorithms when the shutter release button is lightly pressed and during exposure. Therefore when the shutter release button is lightly pressed, the VR lens shows a smooth viewfinder image. During the exposure, however, the algorithm changes to compensate for every slight movement. Furthermore, just before exposure, in a Nikon exclusive, the VR lens will reset to the central position, to ensure maximum range of movement on all axes. One unexpected point is the VR must be switched off when using a tripod, or results may not be perfect. Manual mode or the pre-set “Moon Mode” is great for photographing our nearest neighbour in space. Tips: to achieve the best hand-held images at high zoom, brace your elbows hard to your side and set the camera into burst mode. Then examine the resultant images. Chances are one image will be clearer than others. Incidentally, a full moon does not show as much detail as a partial phase. Image Sensor The CMOS 1/2.3-inch (6.2mm x 4.6mm) sensor has 16.1 million effective pixels, which are reduced in some modes like burst. Pixel-count is a guide to quality, however how a With the zoom at minimum (24mm equivalent, left), the P900 doesn’t look too dissimilar to most cameras. It’s only with the lens fully extended (2000mm equivalent, right ) that the difference becomes obvious! sensor is designed, its size and type, lens, plus in-camera processing are the ultimate tests of image quality. Suffice to say the P900 images are well suited for most amateur applications and many less-demanding professional applications. The P900 is able to shoot a burst at up to seven frames per second in full resolution. The shooting lag for a single-shot is measured by Nikon as approximately 0.12 seconds at wide angle and .75s at telephoto, both excellent figures. Remember early digital cameras and the delay between pressing the shutter release and the image being captured? In many it was more than a second (often the photo opportunity had disappeared by then – or the subject had seen you aim the camera and turned away!). The P900 records in JPEG compressed format which can be near lossless with few artifacts in fine mode. RAW is not supported (another oft-heard “professional” criticism), though not many prosumer photographers nor computer processing applications need that unprocessed mode. Video Many still cameras now film HD (or even 4K) video, taking advantage of the comparatively large sensor size. Video is filmed very well - better than most professional video cameras achieved just a few years ago. The P900‘s in-built microphone audio in video mode is very sensitive, but includes accentuated background noise like birds, so if you are serious about video, look for a camera with mic input. Nikon has a microphone zoom mode, which reduces background noise somewhat. Full HD recording is 50 frames per second or 25 fps in PAL mode. Slowmo is available and videos are recorded using the H.264 standard in an With the P900 long lens and macro setting, both wildlife and photographer are relaxed. The macro setting enables photography to within millimetres of the front lens element. 30  Silicon Chip Snapbridge enables easy sending of photos from a Nikon WiFi and NFC enabled camera to compatible smartphones or tablets. Or use a Smartphone or Tablet to control your camera. MPEG-4 container with stereo audio. WiFi Nikon’s P900 has both WiFi and NFC connectivity for Nikon’s Snapbridge smartphone companion app. The Nikon P900 enables wireless transfer of images to a compatible smartphone or tablet for quick and easy sharing or mobile post-processing, however the Snapbridge app can also be used as a wireless remote control for even more creative possibilities. (Nikon’s optional ML-L3 infrared remote is also supported.) The Coolpix P900 also includes a built-in GPS to geo-tag your photos during your travels. Global Positioning GPS and Points of Interest (POI) are built-in, recording the exact location of each shot you take, so you can recall where photographs were taken. Your journeys can be shared on Google Maps, Google+, and other social networking sites, or with Nikon View NX2 software. Points of Interest (POI) show nearby photo-ops like scenic lookouts and historic landmarks. AutoFocus (AF) AutoFocus is the contrast-detect type, so occasionally it will not focus on a flat plane surface but mostly it’s very good. The focus area selection can be Face priority, Manual (spot, Normal or Wide), subject tracking or Target-finding. Other features These include highlight a single colour in a black & white photo. Create portraits that look like paintings and illustrations. Combine multiple exposures into one high dynamic range image for best shadow and highlight detail and more in the camera. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is 3.8 volts DC and 1850mAh, good for about 360 photographs per charge or 1 hour 20 minutes of video. Memory Card The P900 accepts cards up to 32GB in SDHC type, or up to 128GB in SDXC types. Nikon has only tested SanDisk, Toshiba, Panasonic and Lexar cards, so check the on-line handbook before investing in one. I recommend a 32GB memory card, as most people can save about 3,000+ images on that capacity, or a number of years of images. So it’s important to download them regularly to your computer as back-up. Choose the fastest and largest capacity well-known-brand memory card within your budget. The card should be rated at class 10 speed if possible, especially for fast burst image loading and video. A card rated less than class 6 may cause video to stop unexpectedly. The less important figure is 30MB/s, the download transfer speed to a computer. Look for sale prices offering 32GB rating 10 cards – we’ve seen recognised brands as low as 50c per gigabyte (but see the “SD card Scam” panel – don’t siliconchip.com.au buy on price alone). It’s important to format the card in the camera before use to suit the individual camera, or you may think it’s working but lose all images. Essential accessories While the P900 comes with most of the “accessories” you need inbuilt, it doesn’t include everything. For instance, all cameras (not just this one!) should have the best quality UV filter you can afford on the front of the lens. Just like adding top quality speakers to an amplifier, the camera lens should not be compromised by a cheap filter. We chose a Hoya 67mm HD UV Ultra premium digital filter, purchased from a local supplier for $65 posted, via ebay - about half retail price. The added filter ensures the lens isn’t scratched in an accident and if it becomes dirty, only the filter is contaminated or damaged. Incidentally, if the filter is affected by salt from a boating trip or a visit to the beach, it needs to be washed with a very soft cloth in fresh water. Just rubbing salt off with a soft cloth is extremely abrasive and the filter will be scratched. A lens hood is not essential, but saves sun glare entering the lens and protects the lens if it gets close to a hard surface, like a window. A 3-stage rubber collapsing lens hood needs to have an internal thread so the lens cap can be in place when not in use. This feature is rare. We chose a Phottix 67mm 3-Stage Collapsible Rubber hood, again on ebay from a local supplier, at $27 posted. There’s slight vignetting or small dark areas in the image corners on wide-angle, but that’s rarely a problem and the hood can be taken off. There’s no indication that a wider rubber lens hood is available. How does the P900 rate? It’s big – as large as some SLR cameras – and heavy, at 900 grams with battery, card and shoulder strap. It’s also quite pricey (especially if you pay the RRP of almost $900!). shopbot.com.au suggests prices from about $620 up. There’s just a few glitches that were also in the earlier compact P510, like the lens occasionally fully extending without a request to do so, but rarely enough to be concerned about. To support Australian bricks and mortar stores, the P900 in this review was purchased from a Ted’s Camera store. Within a week the camera had lost some functions and Nikon said it needed a firmware re-load. However, when I took the P900 back to Ted’s, they replaced it on the spot. So it pays to go to a reputable supplier, underscored by previously having a Canon repaired by Teds under an extended warranty. In a short time it was repaired and available to pick up with no cost. Imagine getting that sort of service via ebay! There’s much more to the P900 and that’s why the manual is 242 pages, but these are the highlights. At a street price of $680, the Nikon P900 comes highly recommended, or for real portability with a less ambitious SuperZoom, consider the Nikon P610 with 60x zoom, priced at $499, the very small Nikon Coolpix L830 with 30x zoom at $199, or other leading camera brands. Summary Does every photographer need an 83 times zoom lens camera? No, but it sure is fun when you have exhausted most other photo opportunities. There Beware the SD Card Con! Before ordering an apparently “bargain” SD on line (particularly from overseas) use your friend Dr Google and search for “fake SD cards” or similar. Some reports suggest that as many as 80% of higher-capacity cards are fakes (even some with apparently legitimate labels) and are very much lower capacity than shown (would you believe 8-16MB?) with “spoof” software to make them appear larger. It would appear that fake 32GB cards are the fraudster’s “sweet spot” although other sizes do rate a mention. There are several utilities available on the web which will check a suspect card and tell you if it’s the real deal. But, if you’ll excuse one more cliché . . . if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! may be practical business applications too, like inspecting power lines, insulators, aerial arrays and surveillance. If you’d like a small portable SuperZoom camera, the P610 or similar is so easy to carry and use – even one handed. You will still be able to photograph the moon near full-frame, but the lightweight compact convenience is a real plus. Your choice can be assisted by a visit to a comparison website, such as http://goo.gl/u1kERf All websites may have a bias or sales agenda but it’s a great starting point. Type in the two cameras that you want compared and immediately see the major differences and advantages of one camera over the other. Ultimately your choice of camera depends on what features you want most of all and how much you really SC can afford! For comparison, here’s the Nikon P900 (centre) shown alongside a Canon EOS 60D and a smaller Nikon P510. siliconchip.com.au August 2015  31