29.6.2019

I am a keen amateur photographer who enjoys photographing animals, wildlife, landscapes and waterscapes. I also do some professional photography and videography but dislike lugging the weight and bulk of D-SLRs so always use compact or bridge cameras such as this. I was especially keen to test its 60x optical zoom lens having used several superzooms in the past but often found images to be blurred at the top end of the zoom.First impressions are of a well-built, albeit glossy-plastic camera which is easy to hold, feels well balanced and it is easy to grip - even with a sweaty hand in hot weather thanks to the textured rubber grips.All controls are comfortably accessible and I was pleased to note the video button is positioned away from the thumb-rest so accidental filming is unlikely. The 60x 24-1440mm performs exceptionally well, focuses accurately and fast, especially in good light and produces crisp, clear, sharp images. Indoors, and in poor light, performance is a little slower and images can be grainy in low light, but this applies to all cameras and the Nikon is on a par with others I use. The macro facility is especially good and I found it excellent for taking close-ups of flowers, insects and raindrops but with the wide-angle lens had to be careful not to actually touch the subject with the lens otherwise it picked up grains of pollen - it's easily done. Although the lens appears to be partially threaded, this is for the lens cap rather than protective or creative filters and, disappointingly, it isn't possible to add a UV or skylight filter to protect the vulnerable lens, particularly when moving close to photograph macro subjects.Shooting modes are selected via a dial on the top of the camera to choose between portrait, night portrait, night landscape, backlighting and sports while using the 'Scene' mode opens a menu listing of 15 scene modes to cater for probably all potential photo opportunities from fireworks and the Northern Lights or star trails to photos of an active pet (said to take a photo when it detects a dog's or cat's face but also works with other animals), sports events, landscapes, beach, snow and even a favourite meal along with face/smile/blink detection settings for getting the best from people shots and group photos. In 'smart-portrait' mode a collage of 4 or 9 photos can be taken via the self-timer which selfie-fans will probably love. I found the panorama mode is especially good and produces a seamless panoramic shot with both standard and wide-angle options, the latter being ideal for landscape shots. A basic starter manual is included but this doesn't cover the additional features and, without it, many of these modes and scenes could be easily overlooked so it is worth downloading the PDF user manual from the Nikon website in order to discover and enjoy the full features available.Although the camera offers a broad range of easily selected scene modes, the auto scene selector whereby the latter determines the camera's settings is quick and easy to use by a complete novice and it does a good job, producing clear, accurately exposed, correctly focused photos so all the first-time user has to do is point the camera at the subject, hold it reasonably steady and shoot the scene knowing the camera will do the rest. To add a little creativity, the Auto mode allows the user to add a few effects such as adjusting the hue (white balance), saturation (vividness), exposure compensation and D-lighting (brightness and contrast). On playback, effects such as painting, photo illustration, soft portrait, b&w + colour portrait, cross screen or a miniature effect can be added. In the portrait mode, an additional range of special 'glamour retouch' effects can be applied to the face to remove wrinkles, widen eyes, redden cheeks, whiten teeth, soften skin, change skin tone and 'foundation make up' to change skin tone.Video recording is also good with stereo sound, barely any noticeable focus wander when panning and only a small amount when at the top end of the 60x zoom. There's a good range of resolutions and aspect ratios but the camera does not offer UHD 4K. This isn't an issue for me because I don't have any 4K monitors for playback and the video files would be too large for my aged PC to handle. I am very happy with the excellent quality of the FHD footage, its audio and image stabilisation plus the unexpected bonus of being able to capture a still shot while filming.A particular strength for anyone wanting to check photos immediately on a phone or tablet screen or even edit them outside the camera (some in-camera editing is also available) is the Nikon SmartBridge app. I tested it on an Android phone, tablet and my Kindle Fire 8 on which I've installed the Play store. This works brilliantly: once paired via Bluetooth, photos are immediately sent to the phone/tablet for backing up, emailing, uploading or simply checking. Alternatively, photos can be downloaded from the camera via WiFi. I had an issue with the app initially so contacted Nikon at 3am; by 11am I was impressed to receive a punctual and helpful response which built confidence knowing that Nikon cares about and responds to customer inquiries.Battery life is excellent: I took 493 photos, most of which involved some zooming to frame the subject, 16 short video clips, the camera was paired with my phone for 4-5 hours and the supplied Nikon-branded battery icon was still showing as fully charged. Surprisingly, the manual gives a battery life of just 280 still shots.Having carried it around my neck for 6 hours I couldn't help noticing how light it is at just 510g compared with my regularly used Sony DSCHX400V 50x at 716g. The Sony does have other features which the Nikon lacks though including manual focus and some manual controls including aperture priority and shutter priority along with a threaded lens enabling filters to be used.Although highly impressed by this camera, I do have a few niggles: While the modes or auto settings handle all the controls and settings, this is at the expense of having no manual controls at all - and I missed them. I photograph landscapes and waterscapes, often with a waterfall or flowing stream and I like to slow the shutter speed to capture the movement of the water, but I can't do this with the Coolpix B600. Nor can I use a neutral density filter unless I hold it in front of the lens (which I sometimes do) because, although the lens appears to be partially threaded, this is solely for the attaching the supplied lens cap. I also missed having a tilting monitor screen: I shoot a lot of animal scenes low down to catch them at their eye level, often just 20cm from the ground. To do so with the B600 I have to stretch out flat on my stomach whereas a tiltable screen means I can more comfortably crouch. Similarly, despite a raised bump at the top of the camera where I would expect to find a viewfinder, there is no electronic viewfinder on the camera which would be useful for shooting in bright sun - although it has to be said, the B600's 3" monitor is good and could be viewed reasonably in bright sun. However, these observations are possibly not issues for the camera's target market so it would be unfair to deduct a star from its rating for such omissionsI have uploaded sample still photos and video clips using the camera's Auto mode. All are hand-held but when using the 60x optical zoom, a tripod is strongly advised because even with Nikon's very effective image stabilisation, some wobble is inevitable. I found little focus wander at 60x as can be seen on the wild deer clip but far less than on other cameras I've used, including a camcorder.This is the ideal camera for the budding photographer who wishes to upgrade from a typical 3x zoom compact camera to produce quality shots particularly where the user can get close to the subject but doesn't need to know a great deal about photography to do so. It's a high quality, point and shoot superzoom which I am enjoying using and would recommend.Strengths:* Good build quality* Lift-up flash* Excellent photo quality with good colour representation and accurate exposure* Creative mode - will shoot 5 copies of same shot with different settings applied, which can be varied (selective colour, depth, light, classic, noir or memory)* Can add effects to shots already taken and 'beautify' portraits taken in portrait mode* Accurate colour representation with options to easily adjust white balance, saturation and tone* Good video mode with stereo audio and wind noise filter* Minimal focus wander on video when zooming or panning* Good range of video filming resolutions and aspect ratios* Powerful 60x optical zoom with minimal focus loss at 60x* Snap-back button on lens barrel giving wider view when framing subject* Smile and Blink detect shutter modes* Fast burst modes* Excellent Snapbridge app which syncs with a phone/tablet for downloading photos and video* Very easy to use and a good upgrade from a compact cameraWeaknesses:* No viewfinder - a speaker is on the raised bump which looks as though it were moulded for an electronic viewfinder* No tilting monitor screen* Lens isn't threaded to allow use of filters or even a UV/skylight to act as lens protector.* No manual controls - something I will miss when taking shots of waterfalls* No manual focus* Access to battery and memory card is blocked when mounted on a tripod* Would have liked more resolution options, than just 12MP in 16:9 aspect ratio

30.6.2019

♦ Introduction ♦The B600 is one of Nikon's high-tier "budget" bridge cameras and is available in two colours: Black or Red. Going by the photos, the black has mostly a matte finish, whereas the red (the colour I have) is gloss everywhere, apart from the grip of course; the red is a really nice deep colour which I like, however bare in mind that gloss will show fingerprints quite easily.This camera is very lightweight weighing in at approximately 500g; this combined with the impressive 60x zoom, which is equivalent in 35mm terms: 24mm - 1440mm. Having this much zoom in a compact and lightweight body is definitely ideal for those would want that extra reach on the go without lugging around heavy gear.This model does also have WiFi & Bluetooth features which means you can transfer photos to your smart device by using the 'SnapBridge' app.There are a couple of features this camera doesn't have, which is fairly understandable due to the price, but important to note as this could be a deal-breaker for some: No RAW format, no fully manual mode and no tilt or flip screen (it's fixed into place). The lack of these features are of course due to its price and the fact it's more of a "point and shoot" camera.♦ Box Contents & Recommended Accessories ♦- Box Contents:• B600 camera.• Rechargeable battery (Lithium-ion).• Camera strap.• Micro-USB cable.• AC Adapter for charging.• Documents (Manual & Warranty).- Recommended Accessories:• Memory card (SDHX or SDXC will do). Memory cards are much cheaper nowadays, so I would recommend going for a 32GB capacity card or higher if you plan to take this on holiday. With the photo settings on maximum resolution, each photo takes around 7-8 MB of storage.• SDHC card reader: Whilst you can connect your camera directly to your computer, I have for as long as I remember used a card reader to transfer photos. It's typically a lot easier and quicker.- Optional:• Tripod: You don't need to go expensive for a tripod as this camera is very light, however if you want to get the best results at the zooms furthest, a tripod will help reduced shake that bit further. The cameras vibration reduction is decent, but it can only do so much, unless you have a really steady hand. At 1440mm equivalent, the slight movement moves the whole frame a lot.♦ First Impressions, Ergonomics & User-Interface ♦The camera and contents are well packed and organised within the box; upon removing the camera, I was very pleased with how lightweight it felt. There is grip located on the right-hand side of the camera and covers the thumb, fingers and palm; the grip I personally was more than adequate.Button layout is quite standard to a lot of cameras, with the power button; zoom and mode dials on top; navigation, menu and playback ect... on the rear. One feature Nikon typically have on their cameras is a snapback zoom feature, which is something I really like; when holding down, it stays zoomed out but has a rectangle on the screen to show where the framing will be when that button is released; this makes it a lot easier to track subjects and honing in on them.Nikon's user interface is not my favourite out of the brands I have used; I much prefer Sony's (personal preference); either way, with a little playing around you will get used to where everything is. Also note that the photo setting options will change depending on what mode you have selected. When an option is selected, there is a little bit of text that scrolls at the bottom to help the user.♦ Image & Video Quality ♦You can get some decent images from this camera, however the quality typically depends on how much you are zoomed in; the more you zoom the more the quality degrades, however the main reason for the drop in quality is due to shake which can cause the image to be slightly blurry. When using zoom, I would also recommend turning "Digital Zoom" off in the settings, this ensure you will only use the optics from the camera to zoom in for best results.The optical zoom overall is extremely impressive and there have been some shots where I have achieved some nice shots when I have managed to keep the camera sturdy.During my use, I did find sometimes the camera required a bit of user overriding. The main issue I had was the camera occasionally over-exposed images, however you can see this on the screen before it has been taken, if this is the case, use the exposure compensation option (to the right of the 'OK' button); this is a very easy to access and quick mode to use.The quality of the images decent enough, though due to the small sensor, don't expect it to be good in low-lighting conditions. The photos produced would be more than suitable for posting on social media and decent enough for getting small prints or even making a holiday book of some sort.As for video quality, it was just "okay"; not bad, but nothing special either. Great for capturing family moments, but that's as far as I would go for use.♦ Final Thoughts ♦Overall, this is a camera is great for casual-shooting or point-and-shoot scenarios. The settings are made to be simple and for the camera to do most of the work for you, which it does a decent job most of the time.✔ Pros:✓ Very lightweight.✓ Impressive range of zoom, but not "overkill".✓ Fairly good for close-up shots.✓ Decent quality results.✓ Vibration Reduction does a good job to a reasonable extent.✖ Cons:✘ Not great in low-light.✘ Quality does degrade the photo quality the further you are zoomed in.

9.7.2019

The camera sits in the hand very well. It has a good weight to it. Not heavy enough to tire your hand and arm, but no so light as to worry about dropping or knocking it.I don’t have especially large hands, and the controls fall easily within my grip.I could easily work the camera, when set to fully automatic, with just one hand.The menu system is easy to navigate, and a wide range of options and preferences are easily set and remembered.The image sizes available are from 16M to VGA. The first for high quality printable images the latter for low resolution images, perhaps images you might want to show on Facebook but don’t want people to be able to copy and enlarge them.In this price point there are cameras (from Nikon among others)that will give you 20 megapixel images but, in truth, for the vast majority of people, 16 megapixels is more than enough.It will also shoot movies up to 1080, 25p, 50i. Lower resolutions at 720 and 48 are also there in 25p settings.Various other settings for white balance, autofocus and ISO are also there, but I suspect that the vast majority of users will never go near them and leave them in auto setting. I know I generally don’t touch them unless I want to achieve a special effect of some sort.Shooting modes are accessed via the top dial. Fully auto is there, alongside a range of scene modes including night time, portrait and backlight. There is also a scene auto mode, which allows the camera to set the scene for you.All these functions work well.There is also a delayed shutter release, to let you put the camera down and get into group pictures. A Macro mode, for super close up images. A switchable flash option, and an exposure adjustment setting.The lens is sharp and colour correct. It also has a huge telephoto (zoom) action, which really is impressive. Zoom controls are in two places on this camera; by the shutter release and on the lens barrel.There is no viewfinder, just a viewing screen. This may suit most users, but some might want to pay a little more to get a viewfinder for use on very bright days when the screen is hard to see clearly.There are no real ‘manual’ controls, like aperture and shutter priority, but the majority of people buying this camera will not be looking for those functions anyway, so there is no real loss there.One thing I really like is the WiFi image transfer. I can send my pictures straight to my iPad even when the camera is off, using the free app that you can download from Nikon. It is really easy to set up and it works!Overall it is a good package from a respected manufacturer and should be near the top of the list if you are looking for an easy to use, high quality camera that will last a good few years and deliver results without you having to think about knobs, dials and settings.For most people leaving everything in fully automatic would probably suit them down to the ground.The camera even tells you when you need to pop up the flash when using the auto scene selector!I like it, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for this sort of camera.

12.3.2019

I am not a technical expert on cameras and can therefore only give you my assessment from a user’s point of view: which has been so pleasant an entry into cameras that I have already bought an extra memory card, 2 extra batteries and charger, and screen protector.From a reviewer point of view it is somewhat disappointing not to be able to report that this Chinese made camera visually leaves a lot to be desired: that is far from the case. I can’t fault the finish of this camera. I say somewhat disappointing because there is always the awareness that some folks feel such reviews are overly favourable and one tries to be overly critical in order to satisfy oneself that a truly impartial view has

25.6.2019

With smartphones destroying the camera market, there are two good reasons in my view to carry a camera if your photographs matter to you. The first is the benefits that come from a larger sensor - better image quality, bokeh (or blurred backgrounds) and better performance in low light. The second is the range of a decent zoom lens. It is in this second category that this camera shines particularly for travel photography. I've never had a camera or lens with this type of zoom, and it really does transform what's possible - not just photographing things that are further away, but in opening up new composition possibilities. As a travel camera it's fantastic - remarkably light for the size of the zoom,

10.3.2019

I have really enjoyed getting to know this camera.The camera is compact and light, ideal for shoving in a rucksack and taking on an adventure, after all as my professional photographer friend tells me the camera you use the most is the one you have to hand.It is incredibly easy to use and has very intuitive features that I mastered quickly and obtained excellent results from.The zoom is incredible, as a test I focused in on mail from across my living room - the address was crisp and clear, despite the tiny writing.Out in the field I was impressed by the crisp clear pictures and dazzling colours.It is comfortable to hold,

4.7.2019

Straight out of the box this camera looks fantastic in red. It also feels very good quality, as you would expect from a Nikon. I already have a Nikon DSLR which is a much bigger camera so was fairly familiar with the way the control dial, shutter and navigation buttons work. That said they are very intuitive anyway and shouldn't pose a problem to anyone the first time they use this camera.The camera comes with a strap (which is the most difficult part of setting it up - you have to thread it though small slots on each side of the camera and loop it back into the lugs on the strap to secure it).The rear screen is large and clear and does away with the necessity of a traditional small viewfinder.

30.3.2019

Smart phones have turned us into lazy photographers, surpassing most cameras with point and click technology. This is a great camera - light to hold and intuitively easy to use. It doesn't come with any useful instructions, so it's necessary to download the 200 page manual and flick through it before using. If you want to create photos with effects and produce professional, high resolution pictures for editing, then this is a good camera, especially if you have limited knowledge of camera photography - my 8 year old has taken some amazing pictures with it. I've had Coolpix cameras in the past, but the technology has moved ahead massively since then.I like:* the SnapBridge technology which

1.7.2019

Do you want a ‘superzoom’ compact camera, but none of the fuss of choosing your own settings?Then this Nikon B600 is for you. If you do want manual control, then avoid it.For me, when I first picked this up, you notice it’s actually very light, you notice that the red paint is horrendously bright, and then you realise it has no manual settings.I could live without RAW photo output, but not even being able to influence that shutter or aperture is really bad for me. It does take good photos, and you do have exposure compensation, sport mode and a few other specific modes, but there’s not much manual intervention.The photos this takes are OK.

16.2.2020

This is a 'fun' camera. I bought it to complement my Nikon SLR which has an 18-200 lens. I didn’t want to buy another very heavy, expensive lens so went for this lovely, light B600 in red with a 600 mm lens. So far I’m very pleased with the results although of course it can’t compete with an SLR. It’s so easy to use, just leave it on auto. It doesn’t seem too bad in low light either - so far - and the colours are natural out of the camera. I’ve used the 'vivid' mode to compensate for some the the dull, grey days we have in February with pleasing results. I couldn’t get on with the fiddly lens cap so I just bought a 52 mm lens filter and leave that on to protect the lens and don’t bother with the cap.

8.10.2019

This camera feels and looks like a small SLR. The 60x optical zoom allows you to get some really neat close up shots, particularly useful for wildlife and nature shots. The set up and use is really straight forward if you have ever had a camera before. The emory card that comes with the camera is way too small so best order a larger one to start with. The battery lasts a long time considering that the little display screen is on a lot, despite that, the battery can easily last a week long holiday.I have an older SLR camera as well, and despite it being older and bulkier, there are more options to you as a photographer, resulting in better images. For simple holiday snaps,

24.5.2020

Very pleased with this camera. Easy to use and lightweight to hold. I have a L330 which is great but I wanted a camera that was capable of WiFi transfer to my android devices. This camera fitted the bill for me.I have a Canon with interchangeable lenses but I'm finding it rather heavy now and awkward changing lenses. Rather than give up on my hobby I thought I'd give this 60x zoom a try. Can't wait for lockdown to end so I can go out and put it through its paces.Added a couple of photos of some seagulls which were on the roof of a house approximately 50 metres away.

21.6.2020

What a perfect little cameraWanted something better than a compact that was good to look at too. This certainly fulfills that & more! So easy to use, lightweight, has a cord for lens cap so I don’t lose it, great comfortable strap & such a lovely colour!!It takes really good photos & I can download them onto my phone through the app! I like the macro feature & the multiple shots feature particularly but I can’t fault it for ease of use!It doesn’t have a view finder which is the only negative for me!Nikon seem to be good for attractiveness & value for money!

5.7.2019

I loved the colour of this camera the build is slightly plasticky but I didn't mind that. It's lightweight and comfortable to hold. It's camera menus are easy to use. The backlight function I found particularly good and all other settings worked well except for the Sports mode which I didn't find very good all pics were blurry. The camera's zoom is brillant although at full zoom it's a struggle to hold it steady handheld. I think the quality of the photos this camera produced was great and I can't wait to get some printed.

30.4.2020

This camera is very simple to setup and use you can be taking photographs in 2 minutes literally.Pictures are sharp full of colour and very detailed, it also takes excellent quality videos with ease.Stylish exterior with a pleasant finish, the screen has great clarity when using as a viewfinder or reviewing photos. Overall fantasy buy would recommend for beginners/experts.One note it would be advisable to add extra storage like an SD card when shotting a lot of photos or taking videos.

Nikon Coolpix B600 - Reviews

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