Nikon has announced the Coolpix P950, the latest in its line of top selling compact cameras, will be available from February with an overseas price tag of US$800.
The Coolpix P950 has a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, and a 83x super-telephoto zoom lens that covers focal lengths from 24mm all the way to 2000mm. The successor to the popular P900, released in March 2015, can also shoot 4K video.
On the stills side, the P950 can shoot 7 fps burst shooting and now supports RAW image capture to cater toward advanced enthusiasts.
Here’s an excerpt of the press release.
Primary features 1. 2000 mm-equivalent super-telephoto photography at your fingertips
The Coolpix P950 is equipped with an 83x optical zoom Nikkor lens that covers the wide-angle 24 mm to super-telephoto 2000 mm range of focal lengths. Lens optics, for which one Super ED and five ED lens elements have been adopted, effectively compensate for the chromatic aberration that commonly occurs with super-telephoto shooting, ensuring sharp and clear resolution throughout the entire zoom range. What’s more, when Dynamic Fine Zoom is used, shooting at the equivalent of approximately 4000 mm* is possible. Its Dual Detect Optical VR function supports image-stabilisation capabilities equivalent to a 5.5-stop increase in shutter speed, making it the most powerful vibration reduction function in Nikon compact digital camera history. This enables nimble, hand-held shooting in the field, even at super-telephoto zoom positions, when taking a tripod along is inconvenient or impractical. AF performance at telephoto positions has been increased and the buffer has been expanded for superior continuous shooting performance so that users may successfully capture every perfect moment as it occurs.
A heron photographed with the Coolpix P950 (At the equivalent of 24 mm* at left, and at the equivalent of 2000 mm* at right) *Equivalent focal length in 35mm [135] format. Photo: Ken Goshima.
2.Shooting and recording functions that support flexible imaging expression
Support for more realistic 4K UHD/30p movie recording
The Coolpix P950 supports the recording of high-definition 4K UHD/30p movies. It can record powerful and dynamic movies beautifully at super-telephoto 2000 mm equivalent. In addition, frames from movies recorded in 4K UHD format can be saved as still images, preserving photos of decisive moments.
Adjust zoom speed with movie recording
When the side zoom control is operated with movie recording, zoom speeds of the lens can be set to High-speed movie zoom, Mid-speed movie zoom, or Low-speed movie zoom. This allows users to record more creative and artistic movies by, for example, choosing a slower zoom speed to achieve a cinematic effect with their movies. Changes in the aperture setting that occur with zooming during movie recording are also smooth for natural transitions in exposure, with very little flicker.
Support for Nikon’s exclusive NRW (RAW) file format
The Coolpix P950 supports the recording of image data read from the image sensor with still-image photography as NRW (RAW) files*. Nikon’s RAW image processing software, Capture NX-D or ViewNX-i, can be used to edit and retouch these files to achieve the intended results without degrading image quality.
*Images cannot be recorded in NRW (RAW) format with shooting in Creative mode, Bird-watching mode, Moon mode, or any of the scene modes. NRW (RAW) images cannot be processed or edited in-camera. NRW (RAW) images can be processed and edited by copying them to a computer and using ViewNX-i or Capture NX-D software.
3. Superior operation that supports comfortable shooting
The Coolpix P950 is equipped with an approximately 2359k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with eye sensor, and a 3.2-inch vari-angle monitor with wide viewing angle. It also has a side dial that can be used to perform the function assigned by the user in AF mode, or to adjust focus in MF mode, all without taking their eye away from the viewfinder. Other controls built into the Coolpix P950, include a focus-mode selector for immediate switching between AF (autofocus) and MF (manual focus) modes, and an AE-L/AF-L button for locking exposure and/or focus, supporting more flexible response to shooting conditions, scenes, or subjects.
When the optional DF-M1 Dot Sight is attached
4.Greater possibilities for expansion to pursue more varied imaging expression
The Coolpix P950 is equipped with an accessory shoe and an accessory terminal that supports a wide variety of accessories. Accessories such as a dot sight, which may assist with super-telephoto photography of small or distant subjects like birds and celestial bodies; speedlights that can be used to flexibly control lighting; and microphones that enable realistic recording of wild animal calls, concerts, and so forth, allow users to enjoy operational experience similar to that offered by digital SLR cameras.
5.Additional features
Equipped with Bird-watching and Moon modes that can be quickly accessed using the mode dial
Clean HDMI output function that cleans the information displayed from the image output to an external monitor during recording
Bulb and Time exposure options available for capturing long-time exposures
SnapBridge support that enables remote camera control from a smart device and automatic transfer of photos to a smart device
Creative mode that makes attaining the ideal imaging expression simple
Coolpix Picture Control allows individual imaging style to be achieved easily
whenever they put an * in the text you can be sure there will not be an * anywhere else to explain!