With so many things closing down and a tremendous decrease in traffic to travel websites, I’ve been at a bit of a loss for what to do. Since I recently purchased new camera equipment, I decided to take some of this down time to really learn how to use it all. I chose to start with my Nikon P900 superzoom camera since I’ve had it the longest. Even though I don’t know how to use it to its fullest potential yet, I already love it.
For years, my go to camera has been a Nikon D90 DSLR. This has been a more than adequate camera for the blog. However, for quite a while now I’ve been wishing for a longer telephoto lens for better bird and other wildlife photography. The problem with that is, I knew I didn’t want all that weight for a single fixed lens, maybe 300mm, and having to use it with a tripod. It’s just not my style.
I really got excited last year when I attended a birding class at Estero Llano Grande State Park and learned about bridge or superzoom cameras. They are called bridge cameras because they bridge the gap between point and shoot cameras and SLRs (Single Lens Reflex).
Why I Chose the Nikon P900 Superzoom Camera
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After a lot of research and reading reviews, I finally decided to purchase the Nikon P900 superzoom camera a few months ago. I opted for the P900 rather than the newer P1000 as it gets slightly better reviews and was half the price.
The camera has a fixed 24-2000mm zoom lens. It weighs less than my D90 that has an 18-105 lens and the lenses are about the same length. Although quality of the lens is not the same on a zoom lens, the entire camera cost less than a single fixed 300mm interchangeable lens I had considered. Since my photography is about documenting travel for the blog and personal use, this was a great solution for me. It is lightweight yet has excellent zoom capability.
Camera Details
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- 16MP CMOS Sensor; 6 level brightness adjustment
- 24-2000 millimeter 35 millimeter Equivalent Focal Length. Sensor Size: 1/2.3 inch
- 83x Optical Zoom NIKKOR Super ED VR Lens
- Vari Angle TFT LCD Screen
- Electronic Viewfinder.Highest ISO Sensitivity:6400
- Full HD 1080/60p Video
- Built In Wi Fi, NFC, and GP
- 166x Dynamic Fine Zoom, 332x Digi Zoom
I’ve had the Nikon P900 out a few times now but I’ve mostly been using it on auto and I want to get OFF! I’ve tried a few times to use it more manually but can’t figure out how to access all the settings. It is similar to the D90 but not the same. Not much of anything comes with a manual these days so I purchased a photographer’s guide to the camera and plan to learn all it can teach me.
I have a couple of samples for you of what the lens can do, handheld, from minimum to maximum zoom. I did these handheld for demonstration purposes. At the full 2,000mm, unless you have a very steady hand, sharpness can be improved with a tripod or monopod, especially in windy situations.
The arrow in the first photo indicates the area you see at maximum zoom in the second photo.
Not that you have any reason to doubt me, but since these were taken across the Rio Grande, you know I didn’t just walk closer!
Final Thoughts
The Nikon P900 superzoom camera has been a perfect choice for me. It’s a great all purpose camera. From wide angle landscapes to zoomed in shots of things barely visible to the naked eye, it meets my needs with a minimum of equipment. I’ve really been enjoying the challenge of capturing some super close ups of birds and other wildlife. Additionally, it takes awesome video which I’ve only experimented with once. So much to learn!
What is your favorite go to camera and why? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Until next time…
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