Nikon Coolpix P7000

Opinion: We bought a P7000 to have a backup in case of technical failure of our D200 DSLR camera while traveling (we do not want to take a second heavy DSLR camera in our luggage). Most of the photos are quite good. The camera is easy to use, is light, and has a very good LCD-screen. It will not replace our DSLR camera, but as a backup in case of emergency it fits perfectly. We are quite happy with this compact camera, and it does what we expected it to do.

Opinion: I have buy the P7000 because I want to have a smaler camera as the D90 as an "every by myself camera"! The photos that I make with the D90 are all in Nikon RAW! And I develop it in Nikon Capture NX2!

So the same I do it with the P7000 and the quality is most the same as the D90! To make photos with the P7000 is very comfortable.

The menue is a little bit slow. To save a RAW (NRW) file the same, but it´s not a Problem!

PS:Sorry for my bad english!

Opinion: Very weak camera.

Opinion: The P7000 is my third digital, all Nikons, all "point and shoot" compacts. I bought one in April, 2011, after very careful consideration of all possible alternatives, including big, heavy, noisy DSLRs. I was a full time working pro for over 30 years, 16 of them with my own studio. I know photography, I know cameras, and I know limitations (show me the camera that does not have some). The P7000 replaced a P5000 I'd used for almost 3 years. I wanted the slightly bigger sensor and many of the cool "bells and whistles" offered by the bigger, heavier, some-say-"clumsier," even "ugly" camera (I like its looks). I don't mind in the least the bigger handful. It still drops into a jacket pocket. It feels exceptionally solid in the hand. It's easier to hold than many smaller cameras. I especially like having an optical finder for those many times when I can't see a thing on the screen. Yes, it's only an 80% finder. So, I believe, was a Leica's, and as it happens I think of this camera somewhat in Leica terms. For me, one of the single most important things is to have a 50-pound camera bag in one small, pocketable package. I did the 50# bag thing for plenty of years. I do not want to do that ever again. The only extra things I ever carry is batteries.

I think to some extent you have to consider first what kind of photography you want to do. I like to work as inconspicuously as possible by "available dark." I like being able to actually switch off the shutter sound. Nikon offers various cool scene modes, but I have mostly adapted their "museum mode" with the sharpness kicked up a little, mostly to use Nikon's cool Best Shot Selector feature. I disagree with critics who say the camera can't perform in low light. I also disagree that you can't boost the ISO if you need to because it gets "grainy." When we shot film, we'd use 400 speed and soup it in something exotic to push it to 800 and accept that grain was the price of getting the image. Heck, grain is what makes up the image. One of the things I like best about digital is I can shoot outside at EI-100, run inside and boost it to 4 or 800 or even 1600 if I want, then run back out and resume shooting at 100. That's tough to do with film unless you have at least two bodies on you.

I shoot a lot of landscape and architecture. I love to shoot closeups, especially flowers. So, I guess that means I never shoot people or action, huh? This summer, our son was married. I was not "lead" photographer so I didn't have to run out and buy a $7K pro DSLR (which I might have had I needed to). I used my P7000 and got fantastic photos, all available light except for an occasional flash fill outside. Yes, the .3 second shutter delay cost me a few shots. But in my professional opinion, and I shot hundreds of weddings with matched Hasselblads, if asked to I could have shot the entire wedding with the P7000. As it was I made about 400 exposures and culled that to 180 pictures I couldn't part with. I made a cake-cutting sequence that is just outstanding, and I would know. You make allowances for limitations. I cut my photographic teeth with 4x5 Speed Graphics and sheet film holders. You want to talk heavy? Clumsy? No, the P7000 is not a DSLR, nor (I suppose) should it be used as a "replacement" for one, but I've been getting along just fine with mine—absolutely love it, would buy it again, and do not want a DSLR thank you very much. I write this as the brand new P7100 is being previewed. Well, Yay, but I'll wait for the P9000 or whatever before I jump again, on the ancient principle that the Best Camera is the One in your Hand. I hardly ever leave the house without my P7000 (you never know). I have a little case with two extra batteries, and I carry an aftermarket 12VDC charger in the car, so battery life has never been a challenge so far. I find the sharpness outstanding, and I am a total sharpness freak. I should admit that no worthy capture I make ever escapes post-processing. I find SOOC (Straight Out Of the Camera) exposures seem relatively dull and lifeless until I do a little tinkering, especially to open shadows. I've found that so far with every digital file I've done, but on the other hand I spent half my life in darkrooms, tinkering. To me, a digital file is just analogous to a negative. Why shouldn't I tinker?

I think it's possible that some folks have been overly critical of the Nikon P7000, which in my personal experience is a fine, well crafted photographic tool.