Nikon Coolpix P900

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,752
    113
    Arcadia
    I bought a Nikon Coolpix P900 recently and thought some might be interested in it. It's a $600 point and shoot but it has an 83x optical zoom on it. I sold me spotting scope and planned to use this in its place. I'm pretty pleased with it and the only area it suffers is in low light capabilities. I shot a video today to see what it would do, figured I'd share. If you watch to the end you'll see how far it was zoomed in.


    [video=youtube;01EvQl3Unk4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01EvQl3Unk4[/video]
     

    pute62

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    23   0   0
    Jan 29, 2009
    2,178
    113
    Lawrence
    When I saw how far you had zoomed in I thought, damn, I would have never seen that lizard in the first place. Looks like a pretty cool setup.
     

    Que

    Meekness ≠ Weakness
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 98%
    48   1   0
    Feb 20, 2009
    16,373
    83
    Blacksburg
    A buddy of mine was telling me about this today when I told him I was looking for a spotting scope. For $429 I could not pass it up! I should have known it was old news for INGO.

    [video=youtube_share;7LHA2s6hWqE]https://youtu.be/7LHA2s6hWqE[/video]
     

    deo62

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    18   0   0
    Apr 8, 2009
    3,199
    113
    Peru
    That is amazing! Don't know much about cameras but looks like just the ticket for her eagle watching.
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,752
    113
    Arcadia
    Comes in handy for hunting too. Right after I shot this video we ran over there real quick and shot that elk.

    [video=youtube;Y34nZZbyVxQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y34nZZbyVxQ[/video]
     

    Vigilant

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
    83
    Plainfield
    Comes in handy for hunting too. Right after I shot this video we ran over there real quick and shot that elk.

    [video=youtube;Y34nZZbyVxQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y34nZZbyVxQ[/video]
    Hopefully the retract motor on the zoom lens was hefty enough to drag the elk back? That is simply amazing, have been looking into DSLRs for a couple of weeks, and with the anticipated upgrades to the P900, it looks like I’ve found my next spotting sc...err camera!
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,752
    113
    Arcadia
    I posted this on another forum when someone asked about using the P900 as a spotting scope. Just my opinion and it may work great depending on what folks use a spotting scope for.

    I have one and used it on an elk hunt in Kentucky. It worked great for that application and I could see it being nice to have on hand if you want to video your hits or even just see them in a pinch. That said, I don't think it makes for a suitable substitute. As an electronic device it is dependent on batteries to operate and it could fail or malfunction at any time making it worthless. It also lacks the clarity and resolution of a quality spotter and you do not have control over the focus like a spotter provides. I sold my Vortex Razor spotter and bought the P900 thinking it would work out great, I'm now buying another spotter (but keeping the P900). I'll also add that the advertised 83x zoom is far different from what you would see through an 83x spotting scope. The field of view at 1x is enormous. I'm far from an expert on optics but if I had to guestimate I'd say the 83x P900 is probably equivalent to maybe 50x in a spotting scope.
     

    deo62

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    18   0   0
    Apr 8, 2009
    3,199
    113
    Peru
    For the camera savvy folks-would it be good as opposed to dumping a fortune in a high dollar zoom lenses for my wife’s birdwatching??
     

    K_W

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Aug 14, 2008
    5,385
    63
    Indy / Carmel
    I've been using a P100 (26 x optical zoom) since mid 2010. For an all-in-one camera has a very good mix of features and takes excellent photos.
     
    Top Bottom