Testing / Performance

The colors in the 24 tiles on the chart are further displayed as circles and squares in the graph below. The line connecting the shapes shows just how erroneous that particular color is when reproduced by the camera. The squares represent the ideal colors and the circles represent what is actually produced by the Nikon P1.

The Nikon Coolpix P1 received a 6.01 overall color score, which is quite dull even for a compact digital camera. The mean color error was a lousy 10.1, which is evidenced from the lengthy lines in the above chart. Overall, colors were over-saturated by 4.8 percent, which is normal for a compact digital camera. Despite the inaccurate colors, the white balance was more accurate than that on most compact digital cameras. So while the Nikon Coolpix P1 may not capture that perfect sunrise with perfect colors, at least it can snag some good shots of that snowy field.

Resolution / Sharpness* (2.97)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 flaunts more resolution than any other consumer wireless digital camera. With 8 megapixels on a 1/1.8-inch CCD, the P1 should be able to capture sharp images and provide plenty of room for cropping for most consumers. We tested the P1’s resolution by taking several pictures of an industry standard resolution chart at different focal lengths and apertures. We uploaded the images into Imatest and determined which settings returned the best sharpest results and how effective the massive amount of resolution really is.

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Click on the res chart above to view the full size image](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=P1-ResCH-LG.jpg)

The best results were garnered from images taken with an aperture of f/4.8 when shooting at a focal length of 23 mm. Imatest reported results in terms of line widths per picture height (LW/PH). Theoretically, if the camera were taking a picture with black and white alternating lines in the frame, this LW/PH measurement would be the maximum number that the camera could read before it started blurring them together. The higher the resolution, the larger the maximum number should be. Traditional resolution tests are expressed as line pairs per picture height (LP/PH), but in order to standardize various sensor sizes from various digital cameras we use the LW/PH unit.

To provide some background for this model, here are some figures from other 8 megapixel models. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 can read 1448 LW/PH horizontally and 1377 LW/PH vertically. The Olympus Stylus 800 can read 1742 LW/PH horizontally and 1715 LW/PH vertically. Now contrast those figures to the Nikon Coolpix P1’s results: 1328 horizontally and 1012 vertically. This is the worst reading from an 8 megapixel model we have gained so far. The P1 over-sharpened by 10.1 percent horizontally and 23.3 percent in the vertical direction. This Nikon undoubtedly has substandard resolution, but does far better than most in terms of noise suppression. We’d speculate that some of the noise reduction technology at work (with NR on and off) is impacting the degree of detail attainable in the images. With 8 megapixels though, this may be a reasonable tradeoff.

**Still Life Scene **

Below is a shot of our familiar still life scene, captured with the Nikon Coolpix P1.

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Click on the image above to view a full resolution version (CAUTION: the linked file is very large)](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=P1-StillLifeLG.jpg )

Noise - Auto ISO* (9.98)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 gave us a pleasant surprise when the automatic ISO setting was used. The automatic ISO range is truncated to a short 50-200, but keeps noise levels very low nonetheless. The P1 received an automatic ISO noise score of 9.98, which is easily one of the best scores we’ve ever seen for a compact digital camera. This score can be attributed to a strong metering system and impressively low amount of noise in the lower ISO settings. The colors may be a little off and the resolution sub-par, but the P1 will produce clear noise-free pictures even when the camera chooses the ISO rating itself.

Noise - Manual ISO* (8.37)
*We tested the perceivable noise in the Nikon P1 with the noise reduction mode both on and off, but the variance in the results was so slim that it’s not even worth fussing about. Below is a chart showing the Nikon P1’s 50, 100, 200, and 400 manual ISO ratings on the horizontal axis and the correlating noise on the vertical axis.

Once again, the P1 showed its remarkable ability to keep noise out of the picture. The overall manual ISO noise score was 8.37 – still very impressive. Its lowest ISO rating is one of the cleanest we’ve seen with noise comparable to some DSLRs. The P1’s ISO 50 and ISO 100 settings were as low as any compact or point and shoot model we have tested. Based on what we saw with the camera’s sub-par resolution and low noise levels, we can deduce that the P1 does a lot of in-camera noise reduction automatically, which may work for most users. Those looking to edit images post-capture may wish for less aggressive reduction in the camera, but the results are strong. Snapshooters will be delighted with the clean images produced by the P1.

**Low Light Performance ***(5.0) *

If night landscapes of the city skyline are a favorite, knowing the light limit of the P1’s image sensor is helpful. To find that limit, we tested the P1 at decreasing light levels and analyzed the colors and illumination. We tested at 60 lux, which is the equivalent to two soft lamps in a living room after dark. We tested at 30 lux, which is the light emitted from a 40-watt bulb. And we tested at 15 and 5 lux, which are both uncommonly dark but help us see how sensitive the Nikon Coolpix P1’s image sensor is and how it responds to exposures that are a few seconds long.

As the light levels decrease, so does the saturation of the colors. The Nikon Coolpix P1 used a half-second exposure at 60 lux and a much longer 3.93-second exposure at 5 lux. Below is a chart showing the exposure times in seconds on the horizontal axis of the chart – 0.5 seconds in 60 lux, 0.714 seconds at 30 lux, 1.61 seconds at 15 lux, and 3.93 seconds at 5 lux. On the vertical axis of the chart is the noise level.

The biggest jump in noise happened from a half-second to one-and-a-half seconds, then the noise plateaus to the slowest 4-second shutter speed.

**Speed / Timing **
*Start-up to First Shot (5.58)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 hit the snooze button a few times before getting up. It took 4.42 seconds to start up and take its first shot.

*Shot to Shot (9.56)
*There are several burst modes on the P1, the fastest of which shoots a bit over 2 frames a second. The Continuous H mode is the fastest with a 0.486-second average for five consecutive shots. The Continuous L mode is a little slower, but shoots for a lot longer. It took 39 shots at an average of one every 0.56 seconds. The Multi-Burst mode took 16 pictures at a pedestrian 0.62 seconds and stitched them into a single image file. The Ultra HS mode took 100 pictures in 3.34 seconds, but that’s not as impossible as it sounds: this fast rate is due to the low resolution of the shots at 640 x 480 pixels. There is also a five-shot buffer that takes a picture every 0.948 seconds for as long as the shutter release button is depressed, but only saves the last five. The P1 as a whole isn’t exceptionally speedy, but its average response times coupled with the many burst modes is certainly fine.

*Shutter to Shot (8.06)
*The Nikon P1’s auto focus system is a bit slow, so it took almost half of a second to capture the shot—0.47 seconds, to be exact.

Physical Tour

Front*(7.0)
*The P1 has the look of many other Nikon Coolpix digital cameras with its compact form and slight right-hand grip. The grip has a polished silver-colored highlight that doesn’t serve any functional purpose but gives the P1 a little cosmetic appeal. At the top of the grip is the shutter release button, which just barely sticks out toward the front side. On the right side of the P1 is the Nikkor 3.5x optical zoom lens, which is labeled just so with lettering around the rim of the lens assembly. Also printed on the rim are the lens’ focal lengths and apertures: "7.5-26.3 mm, 1:2.7-5.2." The actual lens has a plastic door that snaps shut to protect it, although the door itself is quite fragile. The lens barrel is a brushed silver color and protrudes from the camera a bit more than half an inch even when the camera is off. Above the left side of the lens are an AF illuminator and a microphone. Above those features is the Speedlight flash. To the right of the flash is the Nikon Coolpix P1 logo.

Back*(8.0)
*The layout on the back of the P1 is fairly simple. The 2.5-inch LCD screen takes up the left two-thirds of the back. Below the screen is a printed Nikon logo. To the right of the screen is the typical gamut of control buttons; more on those in a moment.

In the top right corner of the P1’s back is the single-paneled zoom toggle that rests in a shallow thumb divot. The ‘W’ sits on the left and the ‘T’ on the right with icons below each side. The ‘W’ has a multi-up icon below it that looks like a checkerboard. Below the ‘T’ is a magnifying glass to signal that this side of the toggle is used to zoom in on pictures during playback; there is also a question mark to signify that pressing it brings up the Help mode.

Below the wide end of the toggle is a flash icon next to an LED. Below this is the circular Menu button. The multi-selector is below the Menu button and centered below the toggle. It is made of a central OK button surrounded by a single donut-shaped control. There are icons in each of the four directions as well as an icon to the multi-selector’s top right, which shows the OK button with a transfer marking symbol next to it. Around the multi-selector, the flash icon sits at the top, the exposure compensation on the right, the flower macro icon on the bottom, and the self-timer icon on the left. There are two circular buttons below the multi-selector: the playback button is on the left and the delete button is on the right.

Left Side* (7.5)
*The left side of the P1 shows two black panels with a silver highlight band sandwiched in between. At the top of this side is a dark but still somewhat translucent panel with a WiFi label on it.

Right Side* (7.0)
*This side of the Nikon Coolpix P1 is a bit thicker than the other side. The black panels still sandwich the silver band, but the front panel protrudes as a hand grip. On the left panel is a tiny rubber cover with a tiny bump to help in prying it open. It is labeled with the USB logo and A/V out lettering. To the right of this cover is a polished silver eyelet where the wrist strap attaches. At the bottom of this side is another tiny rubber panel that serves absolutely no purpose; it is decorative rather than functional.

Top*(7.5)
*A brushed silver band runs across the top – the same band that runs along both sides. It is merely for looks, but this camera’s appearance certainly benefits from it. On the left half of this band is a built-in speaker. Just left-of-center and towards the back is the mode dial, complete with icons, words, and letters. To the right of the dial and situated more toward the front of the camera is the shutter release button. On the far right of the top is the recessed and rectangular On/Off button with a small LED by it.

Bottom* (7.5)
*The left side of the bottom has a plastic door that slides to the left and pops open to reveal the skinny slots for the lithium-ion battery and the SD card. On the far right side of the bottom is the tripod socket, which is the standard quarter-inch size. In between these two features are scores of required labels and logos.

Components

Viewfinder* (0.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 does not have an optical viewfinder, but uses the live view on the 2.5-inch LCD screen with 97 percent coverage instead. While the size of the screen is nice, the resolution is inadequate. The screen solarizes horribly in just about any lighting, but is especially bad in bright light. Keeping the screen directly perpendicular to the nose is annoying.

LCD Screen* (6.25)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen, but only 110,000 pixels to populate it. The low resolution is obvious; the LCD looks like a television screen that you are too close to. It is difficult to see if pictures are properly focused because crisp edges cannot be discerned with the poor resolution.

The amorphous silicon LCD is coated with a material to prevent reflection, but the coating does not prevent solarization. When the sun hits the LCD screen it is impossible to view. The subject in the screen takes on the appearance of a negative and it’s hard to tell if the picture will be properly exposed. There is a brightness adjustment, but it is buried in the setup menu and awfully hard to find when it’s hard to view the LCD anyway. The brightness adjustment has five steps. Instead of a live view of subjects, the P1 has a picture of a lady in a yellow hat that gets brighter and darker as the user moves up and down the brightness adjustment scale. This same lady is also the model for the Hue adjustment, also found in the Monitor Settings section of the setup menu. The Hue adjustment lets users tweak the view to be more yellow or more magenta in an 11-step scale. This does not affect the

recorded image – just the LCD view.

Besides the low resolution, there are two aspects of the screen that disturb me. The first is the frame coverage; the LCD only shows 97 percent of what is being recorded, when just about all LCDs offer 100 percent coverage. Secondly, there is a reddish haze that appears occasionally when taking pictures of backlit subjects. This only appeared on the screen and not on the recorded image, but it still impedes the view. Overall, I was initially impressed by the size of the screen but later disappointed by its low quality.

**

Flash***(5.75)
*

The Coolpix P1 has a built-in Speedlight flash above the lens and slightly to its left. While it is not centered directly above the lens, it is out of the way of wandering fingers so it likely won’t be blocked. The flash works quite well and is effective from 1 ft. 8 in. onwards. In the widest angle, the flash is effective to 12 ft. 6 in. When the most telephoto setting is used, the flash is only effective to 6 ft. 7 in. So when you’re at that Eagles concert and you’ve snuck your P1 past security, just realize that the flash isn’t going to light up Glenn Frey’s face – unless you’ve got on-stage passes.

The following flash modes are available when the top of the multi-selector is pushed: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Flash Cancel, Anytime Flash, Slow Sync, and Rear Curtain Sync. The red-eye reduction mode fires three flashes before the big flash and then follows up by using Nikon’s in-camera red-eye fix technology. Still, a couple of my pictures managed to survive with red eyes.

**

Zoom Lens*** (6.25)
*Sick of the slow zooms on most compact digital cameras? The Nikon P1’s zoom could win a race against any other compact any day of the week. The Nikkor 3.5x optical zoom lens is controlled by a single-paneled zoom toggle on the back of the camera. This see-saw-like control allows users to access the full 7.5-26.3mm focal length (equivalent to 36-126mm in 35mm photography). The lens

itself is constructed from 7 elements in 6 groups and has a maximum aperture of f/2.7, which is a bit wider than most options on compact digital cameras’ lenses. The Zoom-Nikkor lens moves fast, so a tiny tap on the toggle will zoom faster than one would think. Ten taps on the toggle take users through the full range of focal lengths. A scale at the top of the LCD screen shows users how zoomed in they are compared to the capability of the lens. When users have exhausted the optical zoom they can push the ‘T’ portion of the toggle down for a half-second to access the 4x digital zoom. This only deteriorates picture quality, but some users just can’t get close enough. The zoom lens is overall quite sensitive, which some users love and some hate. I was a bit surprised by its quick movements at first, but shortly became accustomed to it.

Design / Layout

Model Design / Appearance* (7.0)
*The P1 looks just like every other Nikon Coolpix digital camera: compact and plain. Sure, it has a few flourishes here and there, but it’s still a very traditional looking digital camera overall. The Nikon P1 is a point-and-shoot model with its compact measurements and is designed for the beginning to intermediate user who wants a simple interface and the convenience of wireless transfer and printing, and marketing towards simple ease-of-use and convenience is not the same as marketing towards the fashion-conscious. The Nikon Coolpix P1 isn’t especially gorgeous but it is not the homeliest of models either. Its plain appearance certainly belies the P1’s wireless capability.

Size / Portability* (6.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 measures a compact 3.6 x 2.4 x 1.5 inches and weighs 6 ounces without the card and battery. An eyelet and a wrist strap aid in this model’s portability, but its main strength is still its small size. It is just a bit too thick to stash in a pants pocket, but could fit in a coat pocket very easily. The P1 is designed to be very portable to complement the wireless capability, which attracts a more convenience-oriented audience.

Handling Ability* (7.0)
*The Nikon P1 has some ergonomic surfaces on it that allow for better handling. The body is compact and mostly rectangular, but a few divots and lumps go a long way. The biggest feature is the right-hand grip, of course. The front of the grip has a distinctive lip with an edge that isn’t sharp but still provides enough edge to hang on to. On the back of the camera, there is a divot around the zoom toggle. This lets users’ thumbs rest comfortably above the toggle when not using it. The handling is quite smooth and is streamlined by these ergonomic features.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size* (5.0)
*The buttons on the Nikon Coolpix P1 are adequately sized despite the P1’s overall small frame. The zoom toggle is a single panel that rocks between the ‘W’ on the left and the ‘T’ on the right. It is just barely smaller than the width of a thumb, but is still big enough and stiff enough to provide a good medium to control the hyperactive zoom lens. The other circular buttons on the back are properly sized and spaced. The mode dial, located atop the P1, has part of it hanging over the back edge. This allows users’ thumbs to grip the ribbed dial and turn it. All of the buttons are clearly labeled and laid out in an organized manner.

My only concern is with the multi-selector. Its central button is surrounded by a single donut-shaped button that can be pushed in four directions. This ring can easily be pushed in two directions at once and cause a bit of camera chaos.

Menu*(7.0)
*The menus on the Coolpix P1 can be displayed in text or icons, depending on the user’s preference and selection in the setup menu. The text view is much easier to decipher. The icon view does put all options on a single screen, but it puts each option in a tiny tile. Not all of the icons are completely intuitive, but the text title appears at the top of the screen to help. The menu backgrounds are gray and the selected option is highlighted in gold.

There is a designated Menu button as well as a designated Setup position on the mode dial. The setup menu appears automatically when selected on the dial. The following options are

available: Menus, Welcome Screen, Date, Monitor Settings, Date Imprint, Shot Confirmation, AF Assist, Sound Settings, Auto Off, Format Card, Language, Interface, Auto Transfer, Reset All, and Firmware Version.

When the Menu button is pushed in the Auto mode, a message appears: "Warning!! No menu in auto mode. Please use another mode." When the button is pressed in the programmed and aperture priority modes, the following options are available: Image Quality, Image Size, AF Area Mode, Auto-focus Mode, Fixed Aperture, Noise Reduction, Reset, and User Setting.

The movie mode menu is not long with its Movie Options, Auto Focus Mode, and Electronic Vibration Reduction selections.

The scene mode menu is always in the icon format even when the preferences within setup are selected to text. A little blue triangle in the corner of each tile shows which scene modes have special effects. The effects are generically labeled "Effect 1," "Effect 2," and so on. Fortunately, there is a help guide available when the ‘T’ end of the zoom toggle is pushed. It explains all of the scene modes and menu options on the P1. For example, Effect 2 in the Night Landscape mode has the following insight: "Halos form around street lights and other point light sources." (That is much more descriptive than "Effect 2.")

The playback menu has these options: List by Date, D-Lighting, Print Set, Slide Show, Delete, Protect, Transfer Marking, Hide Image, Small Pic., and Copy.

Ease of Use* (6.75)
*The Coolpix P1 is quite easy to use for the most part. The auto mode is simple to find and makes photography very easy. The P1 handles well with its ergonomic and compact body. Its control buttons are adequately sized and spaced. Navigation can be a little tricky with the single-paneled multi-selector, but a gentle touch keeps the camera moving in the right direction. The menus can be displayed as text or icons. The icon view puts all the options on one page, which is nice. However, it is so busy to look at that users will more likely opt for the text view. The ‘T’/ telephoto end of the zoom toggle also doubles as a Help button and has explanations for menu options and scene modes and such; this will be very helpful for beginners trying to decipher some of the menu’s lesser known icons.

But let this be known: while the camera itself is easy to use, the wireless setup process is not. It is anything but. Users need to know their SSID, wireless password, the type of password, and the type of wireless environment. Needless to say, I was digging in my filing cabinet of Internet bills to find the one I’d scratched all that info on. So if you’ve purchased this camera as a gift for your technologically challenged grandma, do her a favor and set up the wireless for her. After the initial setup, the Nikon Coolpix P1 is easy to use—but only after.

Modes

Auto Mode* (6.5)
*The green camera icon shows where the automatic mode is located on the mode dial. The P1 doesn’t allow any exposure changes in this mode whatsoever, which is fine. This is the automatic mode after all. It throws this Coolpix into a simplified point-and-shoot digital world where hardly any decisions need to be made. The only questions that need answered are what to shoot and when to push the button. If users attempt to push the Menu button, a warning appears: "Warning!! No menu in auto mode. Please use another mode." The auto mode is very easy to use and should calm the nerves of those technologically phobic consumers (but why would technologically phobic consumers buy a wireless camera?).

Movie Mode*(7.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has a good movie mode; it has many of the same features that other high-end compact digital cameras have. There are three sizes, which the camera calls "Movie Options." 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120 are the sizes available. The VGA resolution movie can shoot at a selectable 15 or 30 frames per second. The other two sizes only shoot at 15 fps.

There are three options in the movie mode menu: Movie Options, Auto Focus Mode, and Electronic Vibration Reduction. Users can choose between single and continuous auto focus, although the slightly audible noise from the focusing in continuous mode gets picked up by the microphone. The vibration reduction is Nikon’s version of image stabilization; this system is digital instead of optical like some models offer. The vibration reduction really didn’t reduce much of the natural vibration of hand-shake. The video I took with the vibration reduction on was only slightly less shaky than the regular video. Users can zoom before and after, but not during recording.

The Nikon P1 has a time lapse movie option that is fairly unique. Users can shoot still pictures at intervals of 30 seconds or 1, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes. The camera then strings the still images into a movie file. Sound is not available for this, of course.

The P1 also has two colored movie options that shoot in QVGA resolution. The black and white movies shoot at 15 fps and the sepia movies mimic the jerky look of old-fashioned movies with a slow 5 fps frame rate.

Drive / Burst Mode* (7.25)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has several burst mode options that all shoot at different speeds. The Continuous H mode takes about 2.3 frames per second, which is fairly average for a compact digital camera. This mode takes 5 pictures before stopping to write to the memory card. The Continuous L mode goes a little slower at 2 fps, but lasts for a much longer 39 consecutive shots. There is a multi-shot mode that takes 16 images at a rate slightly slower than 2 fps; the camera then stitches these images into a single image file. This seems a little silly to do when you can have full resolution at a faster pace. Also available is a 5-shot last burst mode that shoots for as long as the shutter release button is held down and records only the last five shots. This mode takes a picture about every second. And if users want to sacrifice resolution for speed, they can with the Ultra HS mode. This burst mode can shoot up to 100 pictures in under three and a half seconds. Yes, you read that right. The catch? They are all at VGA resolution. This is fine for viewing on television screens, but it will make 4 x 6-inch prints that look pixilated and drab. Overall, the burst mode on the P1 is multifaceted and includes lots of options and speeds for the average user.

Playback Mode* (6.5)
*

The playback mode does not have its own position on the mode dial but has a designated button instead. Users can see the pictures individually or in index screens of 4, 9, or 16 images. The pictures can be organized by date or played in slide shows with various intervals (2, 3, 5, or 10 seconds). Shooting information and histograms are displayed with individual pictures. Users can tag photos with transfer markings (for faster transfer of selected photos) or a protection key to keep images from accidental deletion. Voice memos and the Nikon trademark D-Lighting technology can be added in playback mode. When an individual picture is selected, users need only to press the shutter release button down to record up to 20 seconds of audio. The D-Lighting option is found in the playback menu and shows users a preview before saving a brighter copy of the picture (it doesn’t delete the original). Users can scroll through the photos and tag individual ones for deletion or printing. This saves tons of time for users who have lots of photos to delete, but don’t want to delete them all and don’t want to delete them individually either. Movies can be played back in typical VCR fashion with fast forward, rewind, stop, play, and pause options. Editing is not possible, but viewing is simple.

Custom Image Presets*(8.0)
*

The Nikon Coolpix P1 has 16 scene modes – 12 of which have special effects. The scene mode has its own position on the dial, and when selected, users must hit the menu button to access the scene presets. A menu full of icons appears; in the corner of some of the icons is a tiny blue triangle. The triangle signifies the "advanced scene modes" that have the special effects. The advanced modes include Portrait (Face Priority AF), Portrait, Party/Indoor, Night Portrait, Landscape, Night Landscape, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Fireworks Show, Backlight, and Close Up. The effects with these modes are generically labeled as "Effect 1" and "Effect 2," but the Help button eliminates the ambiguity with its explanations. Some effects bring out the subject’s skin tones and some blur the background; they are definitely worth looking into. The normal modes include Panorama Assist, Beach/Snow, Museum, Copy, and Sports. The exposure information is shown in all of the scene modes, but it cannot be changed. Still, it is nice to see what the Nikon P1 is up to. Knowing that the Fireworks Show mode’s shutter speed is 4 seconds long will hopefully prevent users from using it during the day.

Control Options

**Manual Control Options **

The Nikon Coolpix P1 has more manual control than the other consumer wireless digital cameras currently on the market. Right now, the two other models only have automatic and scene modes. The P1 and P2 add a little manual functionality with an aperture priority mode. This lets users choose among ten steps in the aperture. Other than that, users can manually set the white balance and manually select the ISO, focus mode, exposure compensation, and metering.

**Focus
***Auto Focus (7.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has a contrast detection auto focus system that works in conjunction with the auto focus illuminator. The default mode is the 9-area auto focus but there are infinity, focus limit, and macro modes as well. The focus limit is used for subjects farther than 2 meters from the lens and works faster than the regular 9-area auto focus. The P1 can focus from 19.6 inches to as far as the lens can see or as close as 1.6 inches in the macro mode.

The focus modes can be selected on the bottom of the multi-selector, but the auto focus area modes can only be selected within the shooting menu. The center auto focus mode was the fastest of the modes, although it still resulted in some shutter lag as the auto focus system as a whole is a bit slow. The manual mode isn’t really manual – it only allows manual selection of the auto focus point. Using the multi-selector, users wander around 99 onscreen points to choose where the sharpest focus should be. Single and continuous auto focus is available just as it is on most compact digital cameras. The continuous system makes a barely audible noise that is not nearly as bad as most digital cameras’ continuous AF systems. But it still takes the Nikon P1 a moment or two to focus in the continuous mode, so it’s almost pointless.

Perhaps the coolest auto focus mode is the Face Priority auto focus mode that can be found in the scene mode (Portrait: Face AF). This mode constantly searches for faces and puts yellow boxes around them on the LCD when it finds them. It does this for up to three faces. The P1 then focuses on them to ensure they are sharp and clear in the picture.

*Manual Focus (0.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 does not have manual focus.

Metering* (7.5)
*This Nikon Coolpix has the three standard metering options as well as an option that links the metering mode with the auto focus system. Like all other Nikons, the P1 has the 256-segment matrix metering mode that acts as the camera’s default. Center-weighted and spot options are also available for backlit subjects. They work well as long as the subject is in the middle of the frame. For those rare occasions when the subject is backlit and not in the center, there is a spot auto focus area option that utilizes the P1’s 9-area auto focus mode and meters from that particular spot.

Exposure*(7.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has a standard exposure compensation range of +/- 2 EV with 1/3 increments. If users don’t have time to adjust and readjust within this scale, the P1 has an auto bracketing option. This shoots three pictures: one at the selected exposure value, one a half step below, and one a half step above. The Nikon Coolpix P1 has other features to ensure that pictures are properly exposed. The Best Shot Selector takes pictures for as long as the shutter release button is held down and then saves the sharpest image. A white balance bracketing option takes a single picture and saves three copies of it: one original, one a shade more red, and one a shade bluer. Histograms are available in both recording and playback modes. If all of these precautions still produce a less than perfect exposure, Nikon’s D-Lighting can be added in the playback mode. The D-Lighting is like an automatic enhancement that brightens the image a bit. The Coolpix doesn’t delete the original image file though; it creates a new file with the enhancement. Overall, the Nikon Coolpix P1 has a lot of features to make sure that photos are well lit and sharp.

White Balance*(7.5)
*The white balance option also has its own space on the mode dial. When selected, the white balance menu appears with text on a gray background instead of a live view. I am a bit disappointed that there are no live views. I expected that because the white balance had its own position on the dial, it would come with some more features than most, but I assumed wrongly. Auto, White Bal. Preset, Direct Sunlight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Shade, and Speedlight are the available white balance options. The manual white balance is quite easy to set, which is vital because this camera will be used mainly by point-and-shooters.

ISO*(7.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has its ISO option directly on the mode dial. Auto, 50, 100, 200, and 400 manual options are available. The Auto ISO option has a truncated range from 50-200. This is typical of compact models. Check out the testing sections to see how much noise the P1 allows in its ISO ratings.

Shutter Speed*(0.0)
*The P1’s mechanical and charge-coupled electronic shutter can snap just as fast as other compact models and can go as slow or slower than most compact digital cameras. The P1 has a shutter speed range from 8 seconds to 1/2000th of a second and can display a red blinking blur warning that users will see often. The shutter speed cannot be adjusted manually, but certain scene modes invoke specific speeds. For instance, the Fireworks Show scene mode uses a 4-second shutter speed at all times – even if the fireworks happen to be during the day. Luckily, the shutter speed in scene modes is always displayed at the bottom of the LCD screen.

Aperture*(6.5)
*The Zoom-Nikkor lens has a three-blade hexagonal iris diaphragm that can open as wide as f/2.7. This is a bit better than the average compact models’ aperture of f/2.8. The Nikon Coolpix P1’s aperture priority mode lets users adjust the aperture manually in ten steps between f/2.7-f/7.6 in the 7.5mm wide focal length and in four steps between f/5.2-f/7.3 in the 26.3mm telephoto focal length. The extra wide angle range is nice, but the maximum aperture shrinks considerably when the telephoto portion of the Nikkor lens is used.

Image Parameters

Picture Quality / Size Options* (6.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has 8 megapixels and plenty of image sizes to fill the range. 3264 x 2448, 3264 x 2176, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, and 640 x 480 are the options. All of these are 4:3 formatted except for the 3264 x 2176 size that is optimized to make 4 x 6-inch prints. The smallest two image sizes are optimized for the computer screen and television, respectively. The smallest 640 x 480 size will also be easy to email, which will be very handy on a wireless digital camera. The image sizes can be adjusted in the camera’s menu once the mode dial has been moved into the correct position. The compression – with its Fine, Normal, and Basic options - can only be changed in the menu.

Picture Effects Mode*(7.75)
*There are lots of in-camera picture effects for photographers who want to print directly and don’t want to mess with editing software. The Saturation option comes with Maximum, Enhanced, Normal, Moderate, and Minimum choices. Image Sharpening comes with Auto, High, Normal, Low, and Off options. Image Adjustment has Auto, Normal, More Contrast, and Less Contrast settings. These options are all available in the recording menu, but they don’t have live views so it’s hard to see their effects until after the pictures have been taken. A noise reduction mode can be turned on and off as well. Surprisingly, there are no color modes such as black & white and sepia; these effects must be added with the included PictureProject software.

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity **
*Software (6.25)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 comes with a PictureProject CD-ROM that has several software programs on it. PictureProject 1.6 for images, ArcSoft PanoramaMaker 3 for panoramas, and QuickTime 6 for viewing movie clips are included, along with the Wireless Camera Setup Utility. This software is required for the P1’s WiFi to work. The PictureProject program automatically imports photos wirelessly from the P1 when the camera is utilizing its Shoot & Transfer option, which puts the camera into auto mode and automatically transfers pictures that users take. When the camera is in its PC Mode, users control wireless image transfer from the PictureProject software on their PC with the Transfer button. Other buttons across the top of the program screen include Import, Print, Mail, Share, SlideShow, muvee, Burn, Auto Enhance, Auto Red-eye, and Help. Most of these options are self-explanatory; the "muvee" may need some explanation. This button lets users select photos and video clips to string together into a slideshow/movie production. There are classic sepia, over-the-top music video, and pro: medium style templates. Music can be added as well as captions.

Once pictures are uploaded, they can be viewed three different ways depending on the selected tab: Organize, Edit, and Design. In the Organize view, users can add captions, view shooting info, tag photos, and search for images with the search filter.

Users can either double-click on a single image or click on an image and then the Edit tab. This lets users adjust several image parameters. Brightness can be adjusted on a sliding scale that ranges from +100 to -100. D-Lighting can be set to None, High, Normal, or Low. The Color Booster has a sliding scale from 0-100 and two color modes: People and Nature. The People option enhances certain colors and makes pink lips even more red, for example. The Nature option more evenly saturates colors. The Photo Effects option adds either Sepia or Black & White coloring to images. Sharpening can be set to None, High, Medium, or Low. The Straighten option lets users tilt the image +/- 10 degrees.

The Design tab lets users create photo books or scrapbook layouts with photos and captions that can then be printed. This will be nice for consumers who want an album, and want it now.

The Nikon Coolpix P1 also comes with ArcSoft PanoramaMaker 3 software that complements the camera’s Panorama Assist scene mode. The software lets users choose between horizontal, vertical, 360-degree, and tile panorama templates. Users must select the camera lens used and the size of output image desired. Then multiple pictures can be selected to be dragged into the panorama maker. Individual images can be rotated and the brightness and contrast can be edited before stitching the pictures together. Once the images are lined up next to each other, users need only to click "Next" for the computer to automatically align the pictures into a single image. Users can fine-tune the final product if desired. Once the panorama is made, text can be added and the brightness and contrast can be tweaked. The image can then be exported or printed.

Jacks, ports, plugs*(8.0)
*Don’t throw out the wires with this camera. It’s not completely wireless. In the initial setup phase, the camera must be connected to the computer with the USB cable. The USB shares the same jack with the AV out cable, which is NTSC and PAL selectable. When users battle the technology and set up the wireless system, the Nikon Coolpix P1 uses IEEE802.11b/g technology that operates within a range of 100 ft. of the wirelessly connected computer or printer.

*Direct Print Options (9.0)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 can print directly to PictBridge compatible printers via the USB cable or the optional Nikon PD-10 wireless print adapter. When users set up a profile with a computer, the Nikon P1 automatically adds a printer to the profile whether the network has one or not. Once users have hooked up the USB cable or established the wireless connection, a PictBridge menu can appear on the camera with these options: Print Selection, Print All Images, DPOF Printing, and Paper Size. From here, users can scroll through the pictures and mark which ones they want to print as well as how many of each picture they want – if they haven’t done so already. This is easy to do and doesn’t take long at all.

*Battery (5.75)
*A skinny Nikon EN-EL8 rechargeable lithium-ion battery comes supplied with the P1 as well as a charger that comes in two parts: the charger and power cable. The battery can take 180 shots before shutting the camera down. It takes about two hours for the battery to fully recharge.

*Memory (4.5)
*The Nikon Coolpix P1 has 32MB of internal memory and a slot for SD card. When the camera uses its full 8 megapixels at its finest resolution, the internal memory can hold 7 pictures. This certainly won’t be enough for even point-and-shooters, so plan on spending another $80 or so on an SD card.

Other Features* (9.0)

Printer Rebate –* If consumers purchase the P1 and select Epson printers between October 27, 2005 and January 7, 2006, they can receive a rebate for $50 or $100 depending on the model of Epson printer purchased.

*Self-Timer – *The orange LED on the front will flash a few times before the picture is taken. The self-timer can be selected to take a shot after 3 or 10 seconds.

Best Shot Selector – The BSS option takes up to ten shots as long as the shutter release button is held down, then selects and saves the sharpest one before deleting the others.

Built-in WiFi Port – Setting up the wireless capability is downright painful. The setup isn’t wireless at all, so don’t throw out the cables thinking they’re unnecessary on a "wireless" digital camera. Users must connect the Nikon Coolpix P1 with the USB cable to the computer and open the Wireless Camera Setup Utility software (from the included CD-ROM). This opens a wizard that prompts users to turn on the camera, set the mode dial to Setup, and so forth.

On my first try, my computer would detect the connected camera and would upload pictures into PictureProject, but the camera was not recognized by the wireless setup utility. I called up Nikon’s tech support hotline and made it to the "level three" tech support agents before they said my Dell Dimension 4800 with Windows XP Pro didn’t have the right driver; apparently Microsoft owns the driver to the Nikon Coolpix P1 digital camera so it can be opened on pretty much any computer. Nikon said my computer should have the driver and my computer must be screwed up. After an hour and a half, they told me to reinstall Windows. Not for me, thanks.

I decided to try another computer. My first try was on my home computer, so my next try was on a computer at work. The computer detected the Nikon P1 that time, but unfortunately no one knew our wireless encryption key.

Third time is the charm, right? I commandeered my husband’s IBM ThinkPad laptop and after several guesses as to what type of password (ASCII or hex?) I had and what type of network I had (peer to peer or access point?), the Nikon Coolpix P1 connected to my home wireless network.

I’m sure not everyone will have to suffer on the phone for an hour and a half with Nikon tech support, but let me say this – if you are good with computers, that knowledge will sure help you when you set up the P1. The Nikon Coolpix P1 can store several profiles of computers, each of which you must save when connected via USB. The profiles cannot be edited (for instance, if your wireless key is typed incorrectly and you need to change it), so I had to delete my computer’s profile and restart the process countless times. I would have rather edited just the password type. When the P1 builds a computer profile, it automatically assigns a connected printer – even if there is no printer.

Once the setup is complete, the Nikon Coolpix P1 can be a bit more wireless. Within a hundred feet (unobstructed, that is—I couldn’t get it to work two rooms away from my computer), the P1 can transfer images and movie clips quite quickly. The blue WiFi position must be selected on the mode dial, then the camera takes a few seconds to connect to the network. Once connected, the following menu options are available: Easy Transfer, Shooting Date, Marked Images, Selected Images, Shoot & Transfer, and PC Mode. Users can transfer images to the computer in many different ways: all at once, by certain dated albums, only images marked with the transfer marking, or users can scroll through images and select ones for immediate transfer. The PC Mode lets the PictureProject software control when to transfer images from the P1.

The Shoot & Transfer option is one of the coolest features on the Nikon Coolpix P1. It throws the camera into Auto mode and automatically sends the taken pictures to the PictureProject software on the computer. Users can decide whether to save the images on the memory card or to have them saved straight to the computer. This can free up space on the memory card.

When users are done with the Shoot & Transfer, they must move the mode dial and reconnect to the network to get back to the WiFi menu. Images cannot be emailed straight from the camera like they can on the Kodak EasyShare-one, but the wireless shooting and transferring is still very convenient. The initial setup gave me a few gray hairs and higher blood pressure, but the fun of wireless shooting and transferring almost made me forget that hour-and-a-half phone call. Almost.

Overall Impressions

Value*(7.0)
*Convenience is pricey. The Nikon Coolpix P1’s most notable and marketable feature is its wireless capability, but the competition among wireless digital cameras is fierce. The Kodak EasyShare-one set the standards high with a large touch screen and a wireless system that connects with any other wireless device – not just registered computers or printers. The value of the Nikon Coolpix P1 must be considered in light of the few other wireless models currently on the market. The P1 has more megapixels than any other wireless model and its price reflects that. But the P1 is missing the interesting color modes that Canon has and the monstrous amount of internal memory that the Kodak has. Frankly, the Nikon P1 doesn’t have any cool features beyond its wireless capability. So if you need the 8 megapixels along with wireless, the Nikon P1 will provide. But if wireless is your priority, there are better options at the $549 price point.

Comparisons
Nikon Coolpix P2 – Released at the same time as the P1, the Coolpix P2 is meant to provide a wireless option to consumers who don’t need the megapixels and are searching for a lower price. The Nikon P2 has 5.1 megapixels and retails for $399. The P2 has an identical camera body to the P1; the cameras share the same LCD screens and lenses and modes – even the aperture priority. This Coolpix has a slightly different ISO range of 64-400 and less internal memory with 16 MB, but still has the wireless functionality. Like the P1, the P2 can transfer images wirelessly to computers and printers that have the optional adapter. The Nikon P2 sits at the low end of the new consumer wireless digital camera market, but still has many of the same functions and features as the more expensive P1.

Canon PowerShot SD430 – This new model comes with 5 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom lens, and WiFi capability. The SD430 has the sleek look of its fellow Digital ELPH siblings, but adds a thin blue LED to flaunt its wireless wares. This Canon is thinner than the other wireless models at 3.9 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches and definitely better looking. It comes with a 2-inch LCD screen that has 118,000 pixels. The Canon PowerShot SD430 has 14 shooting modes including 8 scene modes. This model has Canon’s interesting My Colors mode that has lots of digital color filters and effects for users shy of software. The Canon SD430 comes with a wireless printer adapter and retails for $499. The package will be available at the end of January 2006.

Kodak EasyShare-one – The EasyShare-one was announced in January 2005 but took so long to actually make it to store shelves that the Nikon P1 almost was released within the same week. The Kodak EasyShare-one has half the resolution that the Nikon has at 4 megapixels. However, what it’s missing in pixels it makes up for in very innovative features. This Kodak has a 3-inch touch-screen LCD with 230,000 pixels of resolution that makes it a competitor with digital photo viewers. Its 256 MB of internal memory put this model in the ranks with photo storage units. Besides the flashy features, the Kodak EasyShare-one performed well. It kept noise levels low and produced fairly accurate colors. The EasyShare-one is best known for its wireless capabilities. Its setup can be done completely wirelessly, unlike the P1, which requires a USB cable to set up communication. The Kodak can email pictures directly from the camera, whereas the Nikon only transfers the image files to a computer or a printer. The Kodak costs a bit more at its $599 retail price, but is worth the extra Ulysses S. Grant.

**Who It’s For
***Point-and-Shooters –* For the average Joe who wants the convenience of wireless transfer and printing while still enjoying the simplicity of pointing and shooting, the Nikon Coolpix P1 is a great option. The auto mode eliminates all choices except where to point and what to shoot.

*Budget Consumers – *At $549, penny pinchers probably won’t give the Coolpix P1 a second look. It is wireless and does have 8 megapixels, but budget consumers will have to choose between the two for cheaper options with either feature.

Gadget Freaks – Gadget freaks could be satisfied by the P1’s ability to capture a time lapse movie and then wirelessly transmit it to a computer. In fact, gadget freaks may be the only consumers able to use the Nikon P1 wirelessly because the setup requires users to know their computers’ SSID, their networks’ WEP, and other technical mumbo jumbo.

*Manual Control Freaks – *The aperture can be manually controlled in ten steps and the white balance can be manually set, but manual control freaks will miss the satisfaction of being able to adjust the shutter speed. Still, this wireless digital camera has more manual control than the other few wireless consumer models currently on the market.

*Pros / Serious Hobbyists – *If the biggest professional draw is the black housing, you know these consumers are going to stay away.

Conclusion

**Conclusion **

Nikon started with a basic set of features – 8 megapixels, 3.5x optical zoom lens, 2.5-inch LCD screen – and crammed them in a compact body with a built-in wireless port. The consumer wireless market is quite new and the P1 is one of the first three models in this new segment. The P1 has stiff competition and answers with more megapixels and a bit more manual functionality. However, the Nikon Coolpix P1 also skimps in some very important areas. The 2.5-inch LCD screen has only 110,000 pixels, making the view not as smooth as the view from other models. Also, the wireless port is built-in but the setup itself isn’t wireless. It requires users to connect the camera with the USB cable to save the computer and printer profiles on the P1. Pictures and movies on the P1 can only be transferred to PictureProject software and PictBridge printers with the optional wireless printer adapter. Pictures cannot be emailed directly from the camera or showcased on online albums, so the P1 doesn’t realize the full potential of WiFi.

That said, the wireless transfer of images to the computer was quick and easy – once past the initial hair-pulling setup. This point-and-shoot has 16 scene modes that include some unique effects. There are also lots of features like histograms, bracketing, blur warnings, and face-priority auto focus to ensure that users of the P1 take great shots regardless of conditions. The Nikon Coolpix P1 sells for a retail price of $549, which seems overpriced when its features are considered and compared with its competition. The P1’s little sibling, the 5 megapixel P2, has many of the same cool features and the wireless capability and sells for a more reasonable $399. The extra three megapixels on the P1 seem a bit unnecessary unless users plan to wirelessly print window-sized pictures. The $150 cost of those three megapixels makes me think the P2 will be a more popular choice for point-and-shooters.

Specs / Ratings

**Spec Table
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