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A few weeks ago I caught a pretty good deal on a Nikon Coolpix P510 camera. I have been using both my cell phone camera and a couple of 4 and 6 megapixel pocket size point and shoot type cameras for a quite a while.  The 4 megapixel camera was purchased on a close out about 6 years ago for sixty nine bucks.  Both of these small cameras work great for a quick snap shot, but they really lack in capability on the flash and on their zoom lenses. Some of the cheaper pocket cameras use a strictly digital zoom system that doesn’t even have an actual zoom lens.  I tend to avoid those type cameras because their photos get very pixely as you zoom in.  These small cameras have very small lenses that just don’t have enough glass in them to do a good job at the extremes of the zoom range.

I had read some reviews of the P510 when it first came out and was quite impressed with the features of the camera.  I also liked the fact that it was a Nikon as I have gotten used to the Nikon user interface.  Nikon does a pretty good job of making even their inexpensive  cameras with similar user interfaces.

Anyway, I have been taking some photos with the P510 and really like both the pop up flash and the zoom lens. I really like the range of the zoom lens. It goes from a 40mm (equivalent) to 1000mm!

Here are three photos of the beach at St. Augustine.  You can click on the thumbnail to see a bigger version.  I suggest that you do to see some additional detail in the photos.  I have sized these photos to 1200 X 900 pixels and 150 pixels per inch, so they are no where near full res, but to they do illustrate the capability of the zoom lens.

Coolpix P510 at full wide zoom. Look close at the right side of the road going toward the beach, there is a blue SUV parked there. Hard to see at full zoom.

P150 zoomed to see the SUV parked on the beach. Can’t quite read the tag, but you can read the speed limit sign very well.

Here we are at full zoom. Notice the speed limit sign and the birds on the beach. In the full wide you couldn’t even really see the birds.