Nikon Coolpix P50 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Zoom Reviews

• Nikon Coolpix P50 Review

  
  By A20MHI8FMV6L8A on 2007-10-19
  I just purchased this camera after owning a few compact cameras and DSLR's. So far the camera is a gem. Small but easy to grasp, simple and fast to use, change settings, and above all, I've been thoroughly impressed with the image quality, color rendition, and image stabilization features. The optical and digital zoom combined with these features achieved sharp results.
  
  The software that knits together panorama intended shots (using the panorama scene feature) is better than most with very little distoration.
  
  A single 2 Gig SD card represents 500 best quality and size photos on this camera even at 8.1 megapixels.
  
  The noise levels above 200 iso is diminished by the higher megapixels and NR builtin the camera.
  
  This is a great travel camera given its wide angle for shooting buildings, landscapes, panoramas and people.
  
  I highly recommend this camera.
  
  Cons: No raw image support and movies are not highly compressed and use up the memory quickly.
  
  

• Great value for great optics

  
  By A1XCCH9NWN7E9B on 2007-11-20
  For me the equation was simple: I wanted a good camera at a good price. Nikon has a strong reputation for its optics, and they have produced high quality cameras. My wife and I owned an earlier CoolPix camera that took very good pictures, but was poorly constructed. The P50 truly lives up to its Nikon heritage. The camera is small, but has the heft and feel of a solid instrument yet it is easy to handle. The large Nikkor lens captures the light without a trace of distortion. The menus are intuitive, and the features are just right for a serious amateur photographer. Experimenting with the macro feature on camera, I inadvertently caught a bee in mid flight. The P50 captured the details of the cilia on the bee's head and thorax, and almost stopped its wings in mid beat. This is a fantastic little camera at a fantastic price. Above all, this is a camera that lives up to the Nikon reputation for quality.
  
  

• hoped it was good!

  
  By AAVSIY28BPKGV on 2007-10-19
  I have used nikon products for many years so I know how a camera works. I took it out to use it in full auto to test it like lots of people would who are not photographers. wide angle shots were good but tele shots were a differant story. they were all soft focus and colors were just as soft. I love nikon slr's and lenses but the point and shoot cameras are plain JUNK as far as I am concerned. If you can't use it on auto what good is it? Now I really wanted to like this thing but I just can't. the VR does nothing as far as I can tell and the auto ISO does not boost the shutter speed enough to give sharp results. look somewhere else, I wish I had.
  
  

• Read the Manual, Get a Tripod and Enjoy!

  
  By A3P200A3LK1TGQ on 2007-11-11
  I gave away my Nikon Coolpix 3200 and waited awhile before purchasing another Nikon. At the store I didn't go for the most expensive Nikon Coolpix--just one that was recommended for low light shooting. I'm moderately familiar with photography so I do not mind experimenting.
  
  This camera is very nice! The many types of programmed settings for indoors and low light are very handy. Usually when I want to take a great photo I will fire off several shots (I have two 2 Gb memory cartridges) using a variety of settings until I get close enough. The built-in retouching functions (D-lighting) are nice and work well. When I'm done I download onto my computer and perhaps do some contrast adjustment and cropping. The results are great.
  
  Please, PLEASE read the manual. It will definitely help anyone to use this camera to its fullest potential. I've ordered the AC adapter and charger/batteries to add to my tripod (already own). I also recommend purchasing a tripod; with the camera's timer you can take nice shots even in indoors and low light.
  
  None of my pictures have turned out grainy (yet), and if they ever do I check the settings. Photography is not idiot-proof, you must experiment! I'd recommend only using point-and-shoot settings for daylight/outdoors. Oh, and take multiple shots of a subject, there is enough memory in the camera to do this. Back in the old 35mm film days pro photographers would take rolls and rolls of pictures just to get that ONE great picture. Try the same approach and do not be satisfied with just one shot. This camera will let you do this easily.
  
  If I had a friend who had at some prior knowledge of taking photos I'd recommend it. If you are just a beginning picture-taker, look elsewhere.
  
  Anyone who takes their time to learn all the ins and outs of this camera will be rewarded with a fine product for many months and years to come.
  
  

• Travel mate

  
  By A3TRDCR3Q7RJI6 on 2007-11-23
  P50 is relatively inexpensive, so you can't ask too much. But I can say that this camera works pretty well as a travel mate. Pocket-size, wide-angle lens, AA batteries are what you really need abroad. Easy to hold with one hand. Overall image quality is very good. Coolpix P50 offers plenty of image details till 200 ISO. Noise shows up at 400 ISO and, quite obviously, above. Blurred shots can result in tele mode (102 mm max focal length). I haven't been able to take advantage of the image stabilization (electronic, not optical, vibration reduction): certainly, it's my fault. Compact, well-built, serious body. "Manual" is not very much so. At each focal length, you can manually choose between just two lens apertures (e.g.: 2.8 and 5.6 when at 28mm). On the other hand, "Program exposure mode" is very effective: better to relay on it. As usual, the optical viewfinder doesn't cover the whole picture, but in sunny days I experienced it's by far a better solution than the 2.4-inch display. Default images are a bit on the "soft" side: my advice is to increase contrast afterwards. At the end of the day I'm satisfied. Among the few pocket-size cameras sporting a 28 mm wide-angle lens, P50 is a relatively cheap and smart choice.
  
  
  
• THIS IS THE ONLY CAMERA SOLD IN THE US THAT HAS ALL THREE FEATURES---WIDE ANGLE LENS, OPTICAL VIEWFINDER, USES AA BATTERIES
  By A18NPUB5CNXZOE on 2007-10-26
  I've had this camera for almost a month now and I have found the photos to be quite sharp at all focal lengths---wide angle to telephoto. This is a good little camera---not perfect, but good. If you want to see some photos I took with it email me and I'll send some to you. [...]
  UPDATE: AS OF 3-5-2008 I'VE HAD THE CAMERA FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS....AND NOW I CAN REALLY SAY, THIS CAMERA IS GREAT! I WENT TO TAHITI WITH IT AND TOOK SOME VERY GOOD PHOTOS SOME OF WHICH I ENLARGE TO 16X20 WITH VERY SHARP AND CLEAR RESULTS. THIS CAMERAT ABOUT $[...] IS A BARGAIN! GRAB ONE BEFORE NIKON DISCONTINUES IT!!!
  
  Regarding the proprietary battery as compared with AA batteries, when you are out on safari in Africa living in a thatched hut or tent and your proprietary battery runs out of power, do you want to be running all over the jungle at night in a fruitless attempt to find a battery at a local "sari-sari" store while you hear lions and hei-enas roaring and sounding off all around you? With the Nikon P50, you can easily carry enough AA batteries with you on your trip so you won't have to risk your life searching for the proprietary battery all over the jungle on those cold nights with wild animals searching for YOU! Got it? :o)
  
  
  
  So, you ask, "who needs a 28mm lens?" You do! Most people concern themselves with how LONG is their telephoto lens. But, most people who "know" know that it is the WIDE ANGLE lens that is most important---most of the "best shots" are made with a WIDE ANGLE lens. For example, you're in Europe and you are trying to "get a shot" of that Cathedral of Notre Dame over there. You NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the California Poppy Fields and you want to get the expanse of the golden-yellow poppy flowers with the huge blue sky filled with white clouds above---you need a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are sitting at thanksgiving dinner and you want to take a photo from the foot of the table with everyone sitting on the left and right---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. You are in the garden of the California Mission and you want to take a photo of the ENTIRE garden surrounded by the mission walls---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. It's Christmas day and you want a photo of the ENTIRE GROUP of visitors in front of the Christmas Tree---you NEED a WIDE ANGLE lens. This is where the 28mm lens (or 23mm on this camera) comes in! So, you NEED THIS CAMERA! Otherwise you'll be cutting off heads and leaving Aunt Sylvia out of the "Christmas Group Photo" this year---and she'll disinherit you and you'll live a life of poverty and misery everafter! :o) If you agree or disagree or know of ANY other digital point and shoot camera that has a WIDE ANGLE lens please write, Email:boland7214@aol.
  
  
  PS: There is also a Canon SD800 which has a wide angle lens and an optical viewfinder. I like that one also. But the "killer" for me on that one is the proprietary battery necessary to operate the Canon SD800 over the use of AA batteries used in The Nikon P50 that are very cheap and you can find in almost any store in the world. With the proprietary battery you have to worry about someplace to recharge it----home or hotel----and sometimes you may be on a train or plane or in Eastern Europe where it may not be possible to find an electrical outlet to recharge the proprietary battery. With the AA's you can buy new ones at many stores or just bring a supply of 10 or 20 of 'em with you.
  
  PPS: Why do you need an optical viewfinder when you have an LCD screen? The simple reason is that the LCD's SOMETIMES get "washed out" in bright sunlight. And, another reason, I think, is that the optical viewfinder is "faster to use" under "pressure circumstances" like when you want to "grab" that smile on your kids face. Why not have both is my opinion. If you disagree fine, but two ways to view and take photos seems better than one. It's just common sense. (Plus, some people are "far sighted" and have difficulty clearly viewing a the little LCD screen a few inches from their eyes.) boland7214@aol.c
  
  UPDATE: THERE IS ONE "SMALL" THING ON THE CAMERA THAT BUGS ME..UNTIL YOU LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. THERE IS A "DELETE BUTTON". SO FAR SO GOOD. WHEN YOU WANT TO DELETE YOU PRESS THE "DELETE BUTTON". EASY, RIGHT? NOOOO....! WHEN YOU PRESS THE "DELETE BUTTON" ALL YOU GET IS THE ABILITY TO DELETE ONE..YES...ONE...PHOTO AT A TIME! SO, IF YOU HAVE, SAY, 500 PHOTOS ON THE SD CARD,IT WILL TAKE YOU A LOOOONNNGGG TIME TO DELETE ALL OF THEM ONE BY ONE. BUT, THEN, HOW DO YOU DELETE ALL OF THEM AT ONE TIME? IT ISN'T EASY TO FIND, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM---ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM? IT'S SIMPLE ONCE YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SOLUTION: GO TO "PLAYBACK MENU" AS ON P. 98 BY PRESSING THE > BUTTON AND AFTER PRESSING THE > BUTTON PRESS "MENU"...AND PRESSING THOSE TWO BUTTONS ONE AFTER THE OTHER WILL GET YOU TO A SCREEN THAT GIVE YOU A CHOICE TO DELETE ONE OR ALL OF THE PHOTOS. SO, YES, THIS IS A GREAT CAMERA...SO BUY IT...BUT I HOPE THE ABOVE WILL HELP YOU BE ABLE TO DELETE---IT TOOK ME JUST NOW ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO FIGURE IT OUT! If you want to see several HUNDRED photos taken with this camera send me an email to [...]
  
  
• Great camera
  By A3CIW5KKA4NV7E on 2007-11-23
  I purchased this camera for several reasons. First was the 28mm wide angle lens which is rare for a Point and Shoot (P&S) as most start out around 36mm and higher. The second reason was for the Manual settings, I have always used Nikon Coolpix in the past and had long sought this option. The third reason was that this camera takes AA batteries and thus I can use this to travel without having to buy a power converter so that I can recharge a battery pack.
  
  So far I have been very happy with this camera, it does everything I could ever want and lives up to the Nikon name. Some people complain that it does not have a long enough zoom, but long zooms can lead to very bad pictures when using P&S as you lose a lot of light AND when using long lens you must compensate with quicker shutter speeds- this can be tricky for most and generally leads to low quality images.
  
  Essentially this camera is great for going out and taking pics of family and friends- Landscapes- and Travelling.
  
  
• So far, so good!
  By A1JV8ZPCC8DKMR on 2007-12-09
  I'm very happy with this camera's balance of price to performance.
  
  This is my first digital camera. I have a degree in photography, although my job is not shooting now. I've used digital cameras occasionally on the job, but have been holding out at home, using film. Film is very comfortable for me. But we wanted to start to share photos with distant family, quicker.
  
  One thing I decided was to limit my shopping to just one brand (my old FE2 imparts some serious loyalty). I don't have time to compare feature for feature and spec for spec, all these different brands and prices and stuff. I realized I had to make my decision work for what I was going to shoot and who would be using the camera. We go camping, we visit relatives, we bake cookies: average family activities. The camera will be used by me, my wife, and our kids (6 & 8). I'm considering this camera my gateway to digital, and plan on using it for several years at least. Given that, plus...
  
  My list of features to make my decision:
  Nikon was my base brand unless I couldn't find something that fit.
  Manual exposure and shutter control.
  Time lapse (nice to have, not mandatory).
  Ability to turn off the LCD screen and use an optical viewfinder. (P50 can do it on some modes, not all)
  AA batteries.
  Less buttons = better.
  8 MP
  About $200, plus or minus $50.
  Mac-savvy.
  
  This list helped me make a decision fairly quickly, and I didn't lose any sleep over not looking at 20 more-similar-than-different options in the marketplace. This camera fit, and I've been very happy. My only issue, which I hear is true of all these cameras in this price range, is the lag time on the shutter. I'm convinced we have Gigs of cheap memory only because camera manufacturers need a way of mitigating this serious shortcoming of digital cameras in this price range.
  
  I haven't installed the software on my Mac, because iPhoto is perfectly acceptable for what I'm doing: sharing a few pix, ordering prints, and getting organized. I just plugged in the P50 and iPhoto launched automatically.
  
  So far, I've taken great pictures in the daylight, no-flash indoors, several modes. Everyone in the family has tried it out with success. So far, so good, no issues.
  
  I also looked at the P5100 (outside my $, plus it had more buttons than the P50).
  
  
• photos not very sharp
  By A1CIT6C4M9WDCE on 2007-11-25
  I'm disappointed with the very soft focus results I get with this camera. I've owned several small digital cameras and even the ones capturing fewer megapixels took much sharper photos. The P-50 is a decent all around camera with nice features. (I bought it for the wide angle lens.) I just wish the photos had better detail. I'm going to keep looking, while I put this one up for sale.
  
  
• big improvement over previous nikon coolpix models
  By A1D25HGBO4DOIO on 2007-12-30
  So much has been written in previous reviews I'll stick to the following:
  
  I use this camera with lithium double A's and an "sdhc" sd card.
  
  1) The time lag between flash shots has now been fixed! Previous coolpix models I have had include the Coolpix 3200 (about 6 - 10 seconds between flash shots), the Coolpix L1, and more recently even the L15 (about five seconds between flash shots). The P50 is down to about a second or two. Went crazy at a dark restaurant and the pictures are great.
  
  2) The colors in the pictures are the best of any coolpix I've had so far. Previously I had to fight with the camera settings to reduce yellow tones or pink tones coming off the "whites" but the P50 just seems to nail it. period. indoor pictures are looking very, very, accurate.
  
  3) The menu settings are an improvement with the inclusion of an extra wheel to manually go from manual to video to point-and-shoot.
  
  downsides.....? it's a little big to go in the shirt/pants pocket.
  
  My reasons for purchase were similar to another reviewer... sd card compatibility, viewfinder, accepts AA batteries... the wide angle lens is cool especially for restaurant shots, etc. What has surprised me (positively) is how fast the camera is now between pictures and how good the indoor pictures are turning out.
  
  
• Amazing Wide Angle
  By A22KMXDSLK00D0 on 2008-05-10
  Let me just say that a lot of people are saying images are grainy and seems limited.. They are wrong!
  I used this with ISO 2000 and captured fan on high speed and it captured it crystal clear in it's tracks.
  
  I have also heard that images are noisy, although do they question why? If you take time to read the manual
  this camera can cover just about any situation you can throw at it. If the aperture indicator is red guess what? Something is wrong...not enough light so change dial or your aperture and wait for green.
  
  People now days want everything so simple and have no patience. Do you think Ansel Adams got his pics on the first try? No it was trial and error. If you practice first then take to party,club or vacation then you will know exactly what mode to use and go from there.
  
  It can retain your settings in Manual and Program mode. Like having two presets for yourself. Has High ISO setting for almost pitch black pics. No where near as good as Nightshot from Sony but hey do you really want Green Photos?
  If you actually spend more than 60 minutes with this you will have no excuse not taking Amazing Photos!!!
  
  Amateur to Serious Hobbyist should be more than satisfied with this has more than enough modes to handle almost anything.
  
  Now Most Amazing part..You simply cannot touch a Compact or even Semi-Pro model under Almost$300 with Wide-angle Lens 24-28mm most always have 34-38mm. What's the difference?
  
  Well say your with your family at dinner in a nice restaurant. How far do you wanna back up before you can get everyone in the picture? Well most Point and Shoot and Compacts have the 34-38mm and you will
  definitely chop someone off or try to zoom and lose everyone accept Center Focus. Well with 24-28mm
  you can now get the whole table and not lose anyone! See quite a nice feature for under$200.
  
  Last this has a mode almost no one knows about unless you read manual or experiment. Has Auto Face Detection that everyone seems to be wanting. You know when you have group of people and centers on the closest face and aligns the rest in synch? It has this. Wanna make Voice memo where you were while taking pic? You can do it with this. How many times did you say man where were we when we took that? Oh yeah..Wait..no not there. Well now just record your voice and say family vacation in St Tropez june 1st Beach and viola you now know exactly where you were and when pic was taken.
  
  People just take the time to Read and Explore and Give this camera a Fair Shake It will Amaze you. Once Again!! If you take the time and do a little experimenting with it. I wouldn't want you to miss out on an Amazing Camera because people that don't take time to read or know how to properly use miss rate or review this product!
  
  
• The cheapest wide-angle digital camera on the market.
  By A114WE1URT580Y on 2008-02-21
  I bought this camera from Amazon at $149.00 almost one month ago. This little camera is small enough to be considered pocketable. Probably it is the cheapest wide-zoom camera on the market with manual controls from a reputable company. Lets start a brief analysis of this little camera.
  I would like to start pointing out the good things, first of the all is the wide 28mm lens very fast only at this point (f2.8). This lens goes from 28 to 102mm (3.6x optical zoom) with limited vibration reduction capabilities. The lens is totally retractable so u dont need a lens cap to cover it. One of the critical things on this lens is its speed when the zoom goes beyond 28mm, it jumps to f5.6 automatically. However at this setting the lens is sharper at the edges.
  Another good thing is the optical viewfinder, bright enough to frame and take pictures although to me is always better to use the LCD screen.
  To start up the camera takes more than 3 seconds it means the camera is slow, to reach the long end of the zoom is also slow and it takes more than 1.5 seconds.
  The body construction looks and feels solid, the camera is made of plastic enterily but the type of plastic is different from cheap kodak and canon cameras.
  The built in flash is weak, you will need to up the Iso to get bright pictures at night.
  Macro shooting is good, but it works only at wide end, do not try to get as close as 5 cms at long end.
  It supports SDHC cards.
  Very limited manual controls but its better to have the chance to control some settings than have nothing. Aperture can be set only to f2.8 or f5.6, there is no more options available. Shutter speed goes from to 8 seconds to 1/1000 (enough for starters)
  Iso performance is good up to Iso 400, forget to use Iso >400, the noise and NR eat son many detail than become any picture unusable.
  The lag between shot to shot is good when the built in flash is Off, I measure 1 second aprox. but things change dramatically when the flash is raised up, the lag time goes beyond 3 seconds.
  Picture quality is good to excellent at Iso 64 and f5.6, edges are sharp and the overall image quality has good exposure at default settings. At f2.8 the shutter speed flies but there'a compromise, the edges are quite a bit soft.
  The P50 does NOT have a REAL VR, it comes with something called eVR (electronical Vibration Reduction) what does it mean? it simply applies some sharpening to the picture, the result is unuseful I rather prefer to apply sharpening via external software.
  My overall conclusion is the Nikon P50 is so cheap than it's really worth the money, people like me who looks for wide angle cameras would be happy with this camera. I bought it as a complement to my DSRL equipment and I feel quite a bit satisfied with the results.
  To qualify a camera there are some features to be considered, but the offer has to be according to the price, wide angle zoom cameras are always more expensive than typical 35mm cameras (at wide end) so if you surf the web, you are not gonna find similar alternative to this Nikon model for the price, do not hesitate and buy it...
  
  
  
  
  
• Excellent Features, Great Value!
  By A2VNNRECQU1J3E on 2008-06-30
  Confession: I've only had this camera one week, so I'll update this entry if new facts warrant. Having said that, this is a terrific camera for those qualities that I value. The essence of great photography for my skill-level means being able to take A LOT of pictures inexpensively (deleting a bunch and fixing the rest in the "studio" of the desktop) and this camera not only does that well, but much better than previous cameras I've owned. I tested about 15 cameras in a few different stores before I settled on the P50 and I highly recommend it.
  
  First: the body is extremely comfortable to hold and well designed to fit in the hand (with a textured rubber surface where the fingers go, nice touch). It has a matte-black finish that I love--it stands out from a pile of cameras, and promises not to show scratches as easily as the other metallic-silver cameras I looked at (and have owned). It's thicker than the ideal snap'n'shoot camera (almost exactly cigarette-pack size) but usually those cameras require some kind of proprietary battery, which leads me to:
  
  Second: I specifically wanted a camera that utilizes AA batteries. I've been burned on this one before and I don't want to tie my photography to a battery-and-charger combo that is both expensive to replace and requires adapters for international travel. That in itself has been an expensive choice when I relied on disposables but at least they were easily obtained when I needed them. Kudos to this camera, I've put it through several days of use and the (included with the purchase) batteries are still hanging in there--my previous Casio would have burned through a few pair of disposables by now. Note to the environmentally conscious: I also have rechargeable batteries but I don't want to use them until I have baselined the camera's performance on the batts it came with.
  
  Third: Picture quality so far is terrific. I transferred the memory card directly from my (far more expensive) Casio into this camera and could thus compare picture quality side-by-side. I even hooked this camera directly into my large-screen TV (cables included) for a slide show and the results were great, even with 'normal' resolution shots. What was extremely surprising, and pleasing, was:
  
  Fourth: The movie quality. I shot a few movies and the playback on the big screen was equal to the video camera I purchased two years ago. I still have 13 minutes worth of movie space left on the 1G SD card in the camera (with about 80 pics and 3 movies already on it). I have no idea how much movie space I could get one 1G, but with 8G cards costing around $30 I am thinking that I may never use that video camera again!
  
  Fifth: Camera rejuvenated quickly after flash shots, and under normal light conditions I could take successive pictures fairly quickly. Not instantly, but pretty close. After my last few digital cameras I am extremely pleased--not SLR response but very good.
  
  Sixth: Price. $150! For what I value in a camera, it's a steal.
  
  Drawbacks: Function spin-dial on top. I think that's a carry-over from film photography that I would be happy to dispense with. I prefer all controls on one surface (except for the trigger, of course), but that's me. I happen to have a AA battery charger left over from a previous camera purchase, but that would be nice to have in the basic package as well (instead of the clear plastic mounting stand, which went directly into the trash). I know it's a lot to ask for $150, but that's the difference between four and five stars in my opinion.
  
  Otherwise, this P50 is just about the perfect camera: it allows me to capture large amounts of quality imagery easily and inexpensively (which I can refine with my desktop software into the ideal pictures). Good job, Nikon!
  
  
• Good Camera but keep extra Batteries handy
  By A9U8S93ZQ3AK3 on 2008-01-05
  Camera has good features like taking pictures in musuem where objects are in showcase.
  It also takes a while to write on the SD card.Seems to slow you down.
  We went thru 3 sets of AA batteries for 120 pictures on our trip on this camera.Keep extra AA handy if taking more than 30 pictures at a time.
  
  
• Nikon P50
  By A1DMMDI1TVIAVA on 2008-01-18
  Very impressed with this camera. Lots of camera for the $$$$. A traditional viewfinder which was a must for me. Also, very comfortable in hand. Bought the optional Nikon case for the P50 as well; a great fit and no more and no less than you need.
  
  
• Coolpix P50 first impressions
  By A1SWX82CE3VFL7 on 2008-01-27
  I bought one of these as a companion to my DSLR's and the other for my wife while travelling. We like the size, shape, screen, control positioning and menu. The image quality, resolution, and color balance are very good in good light. Flash seems a little strong for close portraiture and requires compensation. High ISO images have the expected noise but are still useable up to ISO 800. Additionally, extra features such as the wide angle coverage, face recognition, best shot selection, D lighting, panorama aid, zoom playback and AA battery power make it a good value. Features I miss are: Longer zoom, optical VR, more manual aperture selection, a little larger screen with more pixels, and of course less high ISO noise. Overall it is a good value and fits the purpose. If you are going for gallery prints from this type of camera, you need to spend $250 more.
  
  
• A good compact camera in general
  By A2PUQ50LNMQ6SM on 2008-03-08
  Nikon Coolpix P50 in general is a good compact camera, though it does have shortcomings. It takes great pictures in outdoor when lighting is adequate. Wide angel lens are nice. However, when lighting is even slightly below adequate like an overcast afternoon, it may take a long time to focus and take a picture. In general the camera is slow to focus. Pictures under the high ISO mode are no good. Additionally, I am not sure if it is my battery or Nikon P50's firmware - two fully recharged NiMH batteries would only take 10 or 15 pictures after which the camera would shutdown saying battery exhausted. This is after I set battery mode to NiMH. Nikon's firmware on previous models had this NiMH battery issue three years ago. Hopefully, the same issue is not coming back. I am a little disappointed with P50's performance and may just carry my Nikon D70 around. Once you have used a nice digital SLR, these compact cameras are just so inadequate.
  
  
• It's a great travel/camping camera
  By A1CID66CZM68B8 on 2008-02-28
  The Nikon P50Nikon Coolpix P50 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical zoom is a great little 8+ MP point and shoot camera that is light, small and easy to use. I have a Nikon D200 DSLR Nikon D200 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens which is my favorite camera, however, I would never take the D200 with me on a bike ride or a canoe trip. That's where the Nikon P50 excels; it's relatively inexpensive (I bought mine plus a case for $159 on line) and yet takes high quality images with its great optics and a sensor with a bucket load of pixels. It's also inexpensive to replace if it falls in the lake.
  
  Great little second camera. I recommend it for the outdoors-type who like to rough it without the risk of a mishap to your good camera.
  
  
• Good camera at a great price
  By A2V7WEEDDR7K75 on 2008-05-21
  The Nikon Coolpix P50 was the first Nikon camera I have purchased. In the past I have purchased Canon digital cameras, but the last couple I purchased seemed to have short lifespans. A Realtor in my same office purchased this Nikon about 9 months ago and really liked the pictures she was able to get. I borrowed it and felt the same way. The price was a big factor in the purchase as well.[...]
  I need a point and shoot camera. This was the only point and shoot that also has wide angle lens for anywhere near this price range. Wide angle is just better for Real Estate pictures. While the wide angle isn't huge it is a vast improvement over those camera without it. I find it especially useful for indoor shots. It doesn't make the various rooms look smaller than they are. Outside shots are OK, but they are certainly not the professional looking shots you can get with a very expensive camera and lens. For the price this thing can't be beat. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great quality lower end camera that does a real good job for a point and shoot model.
  
  
• FAR exceeded my expectations!!!
  By AQYMIS1ITE1JV on 2008-07-10
  I bought my first digital camera in 1999, a Sony Mavica for $1,000. It only took crappy 640x480 photos, and wrote the images to a floppy disk.
  
  When I bought this camera, for a little over $100, I wasn't expecting much. But the camera FAR exceeded my expectations!
  
  I was looking for a wide angle digital camera that I could just hook up to the computer (via USB) for transfer. This camera fits the bill.
  
  I also appreciate the camera's ability to quickly and easily switch between Autofocus mode, Macro mode and landscape mode.
  
  The image quality is excellent!! No jpg distortions, fine color.
  
  It comes with its own software. Don't install it!!! The software is useless. Use Apple's iPhoto instead. It works flawlessly with iPhoto.
  
  My only regret is all the time I spent fretting whether or not I should get this camera. I'm glad I got it.
  
  
• Cool Pix with the Coolpix
  By A2DIEWGFI2QYWE on 2008-01-08
  Just purchased this camera after having a Canon and cannot be more pleased. It is easy to use, ergonomic and the lens is of true Nikon quality. It has gone halfway around the world with me, used in all kinds of climates and just keeps on clicking!
  
  You cannot go wrong with this camera, just be sure to check around for prices, there is a great discrepency! Needless to say, I found the best price on Amazon.
  
  
• Cool-Pix 2008
  By A1Q79YYOS7VFYV on 2008-01-14
  Great Choice, Fits Nicely in my Hands, Easy to Carry Around, Takes Great Pictures, Easy to Use and it's a Nikon for $150.00
  Nikon Coolpix P50 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical zoom
  
  
• Nikon excellent value as usaul
  By A1A9Y18870X2LM on 2008-02-14
  I used a Nikon Coolpix 4200 for several years before finally deciding to upgrade. I loved the first Nikon I had, so I figured I'd stay loyal to the brand. This has turned out to be a very good decision - this camera takes fantastically crisp, clear pictures, and it is far more capable in low light than my older model was. As this was one of the major factors in deciding to upgrade, I have to say I am very happy. In terms of value for money, I don't think you could do better...
  
  
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A25FO56D8QV7QY on 2008-02-16
  Camera is a great. Slightly bulky, but takes nice pictures. It has wonderful features for a low price.
  
  
• HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  By A3NVS2QG614OKE on 2008-03-03
  I have owned several point and shoot digital cameras over the last 10 years and by far, this is the best one for the money. Its not the best at any one thing but it does everything well above average. Its got very decent battery life from AA batteries.
  
  Its got a nice wide angle lens. Its shot to shot speed and shutter lag is better than most. The size is not tiny but just right for me to grip. And all this for $160 on line. I hear Nikon is going to discontinue this model so get it now. The new model has a longer telephoto but no wide angle.
  
  I've owned cameras 3x more expensive (Nikon 5400 and Sony DSC) that had awful shot to shot times and terrible battery life. I've own digital elphs that were tiny but impossible to grip.
  
  Go get this one before they stop making it.
  
  
• Great pictures - cumbersome design
  By A2A550FCRAGDXK on 2008-03-31
  I had a coolpix 4200 forever and I absolutely LOVED this camera. When it broke I needed to replace it and really wanted to have the same features. This was one of the few cameras with a view finder - so I got this one. I wound up returning it though. The images the camera took were great - but I found the feel of the camera to be cumbersome and it ATE the batteries. I am still searching for a good replacement.
  
  
• Great buy, fun camera
  By A3T4Q7RIPIH7VB on 2008-05-20
  I can only rate this four star because I own a Nikon D200/D70 with all the bells and whistles. This small compact camera works great! The top feature is the wider angle 28mm lens, most point and shoots are 35mm and up, so you have that handy wider angle feature. The movie mode is easy fast and looks great for what it is. The photos are sharp and blow up well. I use this when I go out to dinner or family small gatherings, and it works OK for candid shots. I set the color on vivid, normal resolution, and toggle between auto and manual. The macro mode is pretty darn good. All around its a great value under $100.
  
  
• Perfect on-the-go camera.
  By A3USMW54VHON0T on 2008-06-09
  We bought this camera for my mom as she wanted something small to keep handy for taking pictures of my son. This camera has been wonderful! The picture quality has been better than we imagined, and all features of the camera are easy to use. The fact that the camera has not only a screen but a standard viewfinder as well is a big plus - so many affordable cameras now seem to lack the viewfinder, but my mom certainly finds it helpful. She also loves the size of the camera - small but not fragile. The right-hand side protrudes slightly for a hand grip, which she loves and which she feels gives a steadier picture. Video quality is also quite good, and includes sound too. All in all, it's been a great purchase!
  
  
• Great for the price and size!
  By A1PXCJO591UPTS on 2008-07-03
  This a great little camera with tons of really quality features in a compact body. I love that the camera is so small and yet takes amazing pictures at 8mp. The main plus out of this camera is that it is small yet you have the control over the photos that you might not have with other cameras this size or smaller. It has manual exposure controls and an optical zoom.
  
  The other side to those two features is that their isn't enough control. It leaves you feeling teased unless you are in perfect lighting. You can only choose between 2 aperture settings in manual mode and it picks those two f-stops for you. This means you aren't able to play with depth of field at all. :(
  
  Also, while it does have an optical zoom, it isn't very long and for $50 more you can get the p60 which has a much nicer zoom and the viewfinder is electronic.
  
  The only problem there is that the p60 is a little larger. Not by much mind you, but the cost (over my budget) and the size (wasn't comfortable with it in my pocket) made me choose the p50 instead.
  
  Overall, i am very happy with my new camera, and it seems to fit my shooting style very well. Between the many features it brings (quick shooting, many cool settings, and great size) and the amazing price... it made a nikon lover out of me.
  
  
• love the camera
  By A3RYYO7A6WQX34 on 2008-02-08
  Nikon does it again, Excellent camera, takes excellent pictures. Camers is easy to hold, lcd display is nice size, all controls in good places.
  
  

• PhotoPlus X2 Digital Studio
• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade

• Nikon Fabric Case - Soft case for digital photo camera - fabric
• SanDisk 2 GB SD Memory Card ( SDSDB-2048-A11, Retail Package)
• Kingston 2 GB SD Flash Memory Card SD/2GB
• SanDisk SDSDH-2048-901 2 GB Ultra II Secure Digital Memory Card ( US Retail Package )
• SanDisk 2GB SD Memory Card (SDSDB-2048, Bulk Package)