Nikon is one of a handful of manufacturers still catering for those after an all-in-one camera with a mammoth zoom range, and its latest COOLPIX P1000 is its most ambitious yet. The COOLPIX P1000 has been crafted with a lens that offers a staggering 125x optical zoom, its focal range equivalent to 24-3000mm in 35mm terms. Using a Dynamic Fine Zoom option, however, it's possible to boost this to a focal length equivalent to 6000mm. Read more: The 10 best bridge cameras right now The lens, which offers a maximum aperture of f/2.8-8 and is supported by 5-stop Dual Detect Optical VR technology, directs light to a back-illuminated 1/2.3in sensor with a 16MP resolution, one that's capable of capturing images across an ISO 100-6400 range in both Raw (NRW) and JPEG formats. Additionally, the camera can be set to shoot videos in 4K UHD quality at up to 30fps, or in Full HD at settings up to 60fps. Further good news for those intending to use the camera for more considered video recording is that Nikon has opted to fit a microphone input around its side, and also offer clean HDMI output. To boost its appeal to those intending to use it for very specific applications, the camera is primed with special scene modes such as Moon Mode and Bird Watching Mode, although those wishing to capture subjects a little closer to them can also call upon a 1cm macro shooting option. The full suite of PASM exposure controls are also on hand, as is manual focus. Around the back, Nikon has opted for a partnership of a 2.3million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder and 3.2in vari-angle LCD screen with a 921k-dot resolution. Other features include 7fps burst shooting, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. “The COOLPIX P1000 is the first of its kind for a compact digital camera,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “It raises the bar for superzoom cameras and is a testament to our commitment to delivering innovative tools that offer creative freedom to capture and allow users to share their unique visions of the world.” Nikon US has stated that the camera will be available on sale in September, and that it will retail at £999.99/$999.95 (and you can pre-order it now through the above links). Pricing for Australia has not yet been made available. Read more: Quiz: Nikon cameras and lenses<doc-sep>There’s a school of thought in the photography world that suggests you “zoom with your feet,” but I don’t imagine any of its adherents ever conceived of the Nikon Coolpix P1000. Nikon’s latest “compact” camera has a lens with the world’s highest zoom ratio: at 24-3000mm equivalence, it’s capable of 125x optical zoom. The P1000 is the successor to the P900, which was already breaking new ground with its 83x zoom lens. The P1000’s lens only opens up to f/8 at the long end versus f/6.5 on the P900, but that tradeoff may be worth it for the extra reach — at that focal length, you’ll want to use a tripod anyway. Both cameras’ lenses start at f/2.8 and are paired with an understandably small 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor. The P1000 is obviously designed for extreme zoom scenarios like nature and space photography, and to that end it has dedicated bird-watching and moon-shooting settings on its mode dial. The camera can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second, has an OLED electronic viewfinder, supports RAW image capture, and works with Nikon’s SnapBridge Bluetooth image transfer system. It weighs 3.1 pounds / 1.4 kilograms, so it’s probably not something you’ll casually sling around your neck. Nikon is pricing the P1000 at $999, which is a lot for a superzoom. But then, this is the zoomiest superzoom ever. Can you really put a price on that? It’ll be out in September.<doc-sep>Previous Next 1 of 11 What do you get when you cross a telescope with a camera? Probably something a lot like the new Nikon Coolpix P1000, a bridge camera with a 125x optical zoom lens that makes the lenses on most cameras look weak. Unveiled on July 10, the Nikon Coolpix P1000 sports a lens that covers the equivalent of 24-3,000mm lens on a full-frame DSLR, including a macro mode — if a 3,000mm telephoto lens for a DSLR existed, that is. Scheduled for a September release, the P1000 costs $1,000. The 125x zoom lens has a bright f/2.8 aperture at the widest angle and an f/8 at the end of that long zoom. That’s enough to shoot from the nosebleed section of the stadium or capture details of the moon, Nikon says. The camera’s macro mode can shoot as close as 0.4 inches from the front of the lens at the wide-angle position. A snap-back mode button temporarily pulls back the zoom to make it easier to find the subject, before returning to full telephoto. Previous Next 1 of 5 at 24mm Nikon At 500mm Nikon At 1000mm Nikon At 2000mm Nikon At 3000mm Nikon Large lenses are characteristically harder to hold steady, so Nikon has paired a Dual Detect Optical VR Technology system inside the camera, which gives the P1000 five stops of shake reduction. If there’s a downside to all that zoom, it’s probably that the large lens gives the camera a two-hands-required kind of body (it weighs 3 pounds, 2 ounces) that is probably best served with a tripod for the longest shots. Though, for what it’s worth, that’s still quite a bit smaller than what the equivalent optics on a DSLR would probably weigh. That massive zoom lens is placed in front of an average-sized sensor, a 16 megapixel 1/2.3 inch sensor that uses a backlit design. Besides the 16-megapixel stills, the sensor is also capable of 4K at 30 fps, though with the usual 29-minute recording limit. The camera has a mic input for better audio capture, which is something you won’t find in most bridge cameras. The P1000 also uses Nikon’s latest processor, capable of capturing stills at 7 frames per second, for up to a second. Nikon says the camera’s contrast detection autofocus system is also quick. Despite the smaller sensor, the P1000 includes a handful of advanced features. RAW shooting is included along with manual modes, manual focus, and time-lapses. A hot shoe slot also allows the camera to use Nikon-compatible flashes. The ISO tops out at 6,400 and the shutter speed at 1/4,000. A handful of new auto modes cater to the camera’s long zoom, including a Moon Mode and Bird Watching Mode. Besides packing in that beastly lens, the Nikon Coolpix P1000 also uses an electronic viewfinder with a 2.3 million OLED, paired with a 3.2-inch tilting TFT LCD screen. That larger body allows the camera to accommodate a control ring on the lens, which you can assign a function to, like aperture. Zoom, however, is controlled more like a compact camera than a DLSR, with a toggle by the shutter release or with buttons on the lens. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are also built-in. If Nikon is trying to turn heads with cameras with unheard of features, the P1000 will likely do the trick. The camera not only can shoot what a smartphone can’t, but it easily beats most mega-zoom cameras on the market. The 125x zoom is the longest zoom on a compact camera yet — and for that matter, finding a DSLR lens over 1000mm is tough. The 125x zoom may be a bit more niche than the average superzoom, with the extreme zoom coming in handy for birdwatching, astrophotography, and the like. (That unheard of zoom comes on the tail end of Nikon’s year-long 100th-anniversary celebration, which also included announcements like the Nikon D850.) While we previewed the P1000 at a briefing, we have yet to put that 125x zoom through a real test. We know that longer zoom ranges can lose image quality at the longer end, though the Nikon-supplied samples seem to hold up for what we’d expect from a camera with a compact sensor. Design wise, the camera bears the attributes of a Nikon DSLR, video camcorder, and point-and-shoot. It has the weight, feel, and physical controls and buttons of a entry-level Nikon DSLR, but the onscreen menu controls are taken from a Coolpix point-and-shoot. The grip is quite substantial, giving us a firm grip on the camera. We do wish it had focus and zoom rings, but Nikon did include two zoom toggles: a fast zoom switch on the lens, and a more precise zoom control near the shutter button. Previous Next 1 of 6 Les Shu / Digital Trends Les Shu / Digital Trends Les Shu / Digital Trends Les Shu / Digital Trends Size comparison with the Nikon Coolpix P900 Les Shu / Digital Trends Size comparison with the Nikon Coolpix P900 Les Shu / Digital Trends Despite the advanced functions, this is very much a point-and-shoot camera. That’s not to say it can’t capture great images and videos, but even with that incredibly long lens, advanced-level photographers may find the small sensor unappealing (there’s always Sony’s RX10 IV for those users). Long-zoom cameras are handy for travel photography, but the P1000 is too cumbersome. There could be an interesting potential with video, but until we get to use it in the field, we’ll reserve judgment. The P1000 expands the crazy zoom length of the 83x superzoom Nikon Coolpix P900. But because the Nikon P1000 is much larger and more expensive than the earlier model, the older P900 — a very popular camera, Nikon says — isn’t being discontinued. Nikon sees different audiences for both cameras, but it acknowledges that the P1000 will be a very niche product. A Bluetooth remote, the ML-L7, is also launching as an optional accessory for remotely controlling the camera, listing for $50. The remote release can control zoom, along with triggering a photo or video. Editors' Recommendations<doc-sep>
Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) With a ridiculous 83x zoom, people have used the super long lens on Nikon’s Coolpix P900 to snap pics of Saturn or pull off the kind of shots you normally only see in spy movies. But apparently that wasn’t good enough, so today, Nikon is announcing the new Coolpix P1000 featuring frankly ridiculous 125x zoom, which is now the longest lens of any superzoom camera on the market. For anyone wondering what that translates to in old-school camera terms, the 16-MP P1000 is listed with a 25-3000 35mm equivalent lens, which can be expanded up to 250x when using the camera’s digital dynamic fine zoom. Now as you’d expect, with an aperture of f/2.8-8, this thing is mostly a daylight shooter when zoomed out to max. Though, when compared to the P900's f/2.8-6.5 aperture and significantly shorter range, the P1000 doesn’t give up much, if anything when it comes to image quality. Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) Photo : Sam Rutherford ( Gizmodo ) 1 / 6 In person, the biggest difference between the P1000 and its predecessor is size. Weighing in at three pounds two ounces, the P1000 is more than a full pound heavier than the one pound 15 ounce P900, and measuring 5.8 x 4.7 x 7.2 inches versus 5.5 x 4.1 x 5.5 inches for the P900, it’s noticeably larger too. But the real eye-opener is when you use the P1000's power zoom to extend its lens all the way out, at which point that 125X zoom lens really shows its dominance. Unfortunately, because I was checking out a preview unit, I didn’t have a chance to test the P1000's full zoom range for myself. However, I was able to play around with the camera’s snapback feature, which uses a dedicated button to quickly zoom the camera out so you can find and reframe your subject before jumping back to the magnification you were using before. I t’s a feature that’s pretty much a necessity, since at its full 125X zoom, even the tiniest camera shake translates to big shifts in the viewfinder. Additionally, on the barrel of the lens, there’s a dedicated focus ring that works with camera’s focus peaking feature to help make sure pics look as sharp as possible, even when that subject is miles away. And to make sure things stay shake free once you’ve got everything framed up and in focus, the P1000 sports what Nikon claims is five stops worth of dual-detect optical vibration reduction. Here’s a few image samples from Nikon, starting with a shot at the P1000 standard 24mm zoom. Photo : Nikon Next we get a little closer at 500mm. And now, 1000mm. Photo : Nikon Even closer still at 2000mm. Photo : Nikon Advertisement You can skip ad after 1 second You can go to the next slide after 1 second Continue And finally, all the way zoomed in at 3000mm. Photo : Nikon And here’s a shot of the moon taken by the P1000 with a 2400 mm zoom at 125th of a second at f/7.1 and ISO 100. And one more, which shows the good use case for the P1000 aside from spying on people. Picture shot at 1/40th of a second at f/5, ISO 100 and a 155mm zoom. Photo : Nikon 1 / 7 Other specs for the P1000 include 1/2.3-inch BSI sensor with an ISO range of 100-6400, a mic in jack, 4K UHD video recording and clean HDMI out for sending pics and clips to an external monitor. On the top of the camera, there’s also a new built-in hot shoe, a feature not available on the P900. As for the future of Nikon’s superzoom Coolpix cameras, the P900 wion’t going away, but for those looking for the longest zoom you can get on a camera, the P1000 will be available for $1000 sometime in early September. And if you still think a 125X zoom isn’t good enough, it’s probably time to starting looking into telescopes.