Nikon Coolpix P530 Bridge Camera Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification

The Nikon Coolpix P530 updates the Nikon Coolpix P520, and is now the "little brother" to the Nikon Coolpix P600, with its 60x optical zoom lens. The Nikon Coolpix P530 is a bridge camera with a 42x optical zoom lens, 16 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, a 3 inch LCD screen, and electronic viewfinder (EVF). 

Nikon Coolpix P530 Features

The Nikon Coolpix P530 has a 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor which allows more light in. The 42x optical zoom lens is a 35mm equivalent of 24-1000mm, ideal for landscapes and zooming in close to your subject. To help take the sharpest pictures possible, there is advanced lens-shift VR (vibration reduction), which enables slower shutters speeds of up to four stops, and Active Mode which delivers clear shots even when you're moving.

When shooting there is auto mode which adjusts the camera settings automatically for the detected scene. You can also select from 21 scene modes or use the manual exposure modes (P/S/A/M). Other shooting modes include auto HDR, Easy Panorama 360°/180° and the lens has a minimum focusing distance of 1cm for shooting macros. In continuous shooting mode you can record at 7 fps for 7 frames or 200 full resolution shots at 1 fps. When you finish shooting you can edit your photos in the retouch menu, adding effects such as selective colour and cross screen. You can use subject tracking AF which allows you to take sharp shots of moving subjects.

Videos are recorded in 1080p/30p full HD with stereo sound, you can also use the optical zoom when recording. You can also shoot in slow and fast motion, up to 120fps. There is a built-in HDMI connector for connection to an HDTV. You can purchase the optional Nikon WU-1a Wi-Fi dongle to allow you to transfer your images to a mobile device.

Key Features

• 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor
• 42x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 24-1000mm)
• Advanced lens-shift VR (vibration reduction)
• 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD monitor
• 0.2 inch 201k dot electronic viewfinder
• Full 1080p HD movie recording with stereo sound
• ISO 100 - 6400
• 1cm minimum focusing distance
• Auto HDR mode
• Easy Panorama 360°/180°
• 7fps continuous shooting

Nikon Coolpix P530 Handling

The P530 looks and feels very similar to a DSLR, with a substantial grip which is rubberised, and a rubberised area on the front left, although the patch on the back for your right hand thumb is just plastic. There is the usual zoom rocker on the top to control the zoom. On top of the camera, you'll also find a mode dial, on / off switch and fn button. The latter can be customised to change the ISO, metering, white balance and more. The flash is activated by a button also on the top.

On the rear of the camera, but towards the top is a display button, movie record and dial for adjusting shutter speeds and aperture. Other buttons include playback, menu, delete and there is also a rotating dial for cycling through the menu options. This can also be pressed to give access to the flash, self-timer, exposure compensation and focus mode. 

The screen is good, it's 3.0 inch in size and has a 921k dot resolution. The electronic viewfinder is useful for when shooting with the zoom at a long length as it reduces camera shake, but it's quite small and has a low resolution. The menu system is easy enough to navigate, with clearly laid out sections. 

Battery life is rated at 240 shots according to CIPA test results, this will be OK for a day of shooting, although you might appreciate having a spare to hand. We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Both the continuous H and L modes record at full 16 megapixel resolution, with the 60fps restricted to 2 megapixels and the 120fps mode limited to VGA size.

Nikon Coolpix P530 Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Nikon Coolpix P530 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Images are well exposed with good colour reproduction. Portraits have decent skin tones and are free of red-eye when using the flash.

Nikon Coolpix P530 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images have a good amount of detail at both ends of the lens, but are a little soft at times. Purple fringing and chromatic aberration is quite well controlled. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of just 1cm which allows for impressive macro shots.

Nikon Coolpix P530 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Noise is low at ISO 100, and there is a slight loss in detail at ISO 200 and ISO 400. This loss in detail becomes a little worse at ISO 800 and again so at ISO 1600, with images becoming a little soft at this setting. Again, there is a noise increase at ISO 3200. At ISO 6400 image quality is poor, so it's best avoided unless you are shooting pictures to share on the web.

Nikon Coolpix P530 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Under our incandescent lights, the auto white balance (AWB) produces a decent image with a slightly warm result, with the incandescent preset performing a little better. There is an auto white balance option to keep the warm colour which is shown above. Under the fluorescent lights the AWB does an excellent job, with all three fluorescent presets producing images with a colour cast.

Panorama mode - Panoramas have a decent amount of detail and are well stitched together, although the resolution is quite low.

Nikon Coolpix P530 Digital filters

Digital Filters - The P530 has a number of special effects, with examples of each above. You can also expand dynamic range by using the D-Lighting option or one of the backlighting or HDR scene modes. 

Video - Below is a video recorded in full 1080p HD. You can also use the optical zoom during recording, an example of which can be seen below, although focus can be slow at times at the telephoto end of the lens. You can also record videos at 4x (480), 2x (720) and 0.5x (1080p) to create super slow and fast motion videos.