Why You Can Trust CNET Nikon Coolpix P7700
Though you'll welcome the better lens and some other improvements to the follow-up to the P7100, wave goodbye to the optical viewfinder.
Am I the only one seeing mixed messages from Nikon on its enthusiast P series models? On one hand, the newly announced Coolpix P7700 takes a few steps in the right direction with a better lens, articulated (rather than tilting) display, true HD video capture, updated design and presumably better performance than the P7100.
However, switching to a BSI CMOS and dropping the optical viewfinder seem like counterintuitive decisions; BSI techology allows for better low-light photos from a small sensor but trades off the bright-light quality that many of the pixel-peeping photographers who buy these models demand, and an optical viewfinder is one of the few reasons to still buy a "compact" this large. It's still relatively big and heavy.
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The good news is that Nikon still provides the longest zoom range in its price class, and does it without sacrificing aperture flexibility too much. That could be huge, provided the lens doesn't jump to f4 once you zoom past 28mm; f4 at 200mm in a camera this size would be a nice treat, though. (With a sensor this small, you'll get only moderate background defocus at f2. The increased light transmission it enables has more of an impact on your shooting experience.)
Here's the current competitive field in its price class:
| Canon PowerShot G12 | Fujifilm FinePix X10 | Nikon Coolpix P7700 | Nikon Coolpix P7100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor (effective resolution) | 10mp CCD | 12mp EXR CMOS | 12.2mp BSI CMOS | 10mp CCD | 10.1mp MOS |
| 1/1.7-inch | 2/3-inch | 1/1.7-inch | 1/1.7-inch | 1/1.7-inch n/a | |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 80 - ISO 3200 | ISO 100 - ISO 3200 | ISO 80 - ISO 3200/6400 (expanded) | ISO 100 - ISO 3200 | ISO 80 - ISO 6400 |
| Lens | 28-140mm f2.8-4.5 5x | 28-112mm f2-2.8 4x | 28-200mm f2-4 7.1x | 28-200mm f2.8-5.6 7.1x | 24-90mm f1.4-2.3 3.8x |
| Closest focus (inches) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Continuous shooting | 1.1fps frames n/a raw | 7fps 8 JPEG/n/a raw | 8fps 6JPEG/n/a raw | 1.1fps 90 JPEG/ n/a raw | 5 fps 12 JPEG/ n/a raw (11fps without tracking AF) |
| Viewfinder | Optical | Optical | None | Optical | Optional EVF |
| Autofocus | n/a Contrast AF | n/a Contrast AF | n/a Contrast AF | 99-area Contrast AF | 23-area Contrast AF |
| Metering | n/a | 256 zones | n/a | 256-segment matrix | n/a |
| Shutter | 15-1/4000 sec | 30 - 1/4000 sec | n/a | 60-1/4000 sec | 60-1/4000 sec |
| Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot shoe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LCD | 2.8-inch articulated 461,000 dots | 2.8-inch fixed 460,000 dots | 3-inch articulated 921,000 dots | 3-inch tilting 921,000 dots | 3-inch fixed 920,000 dots |
| Image stabilization | Optical | Optical | Optical | Optical | Optical |
| Video (best quality) | 720/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 1080/30p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 1080/30p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 720/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 1080/60p AVCHD @ 28, Mbps; 1080/60p QuickTime MOV @ 28 Mbps Stereo |
| Manual iris and shutter in video | No | No | Yes | n/a | n/a |
| Zoom while recording | No | Yes | Yes (Auto only) | n/a | n/a |
| Mic input | No | No | Yes | n/a | No |
| Battery life (CIPA rating) | 390 shots | 270 shots | 330 shots | 350 shots | 330 shots |
| Dimensions (WHD, inches) | 4.4 x 3.0 x 2.0 | 4.6 x 2.7 x 2.2 | 4.7 x 2.9 x 2.0 | 4.6 x 3.1 x 1.9 | 4.4 x 2.6 x 1.8 |
| Weight (ounces) | 14.2 | 12.4 | 13.9 (est) | 14 (est) | 10.6 (est) |
| Mfr. Price | $499.99 | $599.99 | $499.95 | $499.95 | $499 |
| Availability | October 2010 | November 2011 | September 2012 | September 2011 | August 2012 |
This is a tough, competitive field: this chart doesn't even include other comparable models like the Olympus XZ-1, Canon PowerShot S100, Samsung EX2F, not to mention the more expensive but larger-sensored models like the Canon PowerShot G1 X, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 and Fujifilm X100. And several of these cameras still await their 2012 refresh. If Nikon can't produce great photos from that sensor -- or unless it distinguishes itself as a great camera for shooting in low light -- the attractions of the lens can only carry it so far. It does look like an interesting one to watch, though.