Good alternate for even DSLR photographers

The Nikon Coolpix P5000 is a camera designed for point and shooters who want more control over their images than they get from their compact camera. It is also a very good camera that a DSLR user (such as me) will find acceptable.

Caveat: I've noticed that review ratings seem to be higher the more verbose (a polite word for bloated or padded) they are. Mine are not. They are to the point and will provide you with a quick read about how the camera operates. I am not providing a lengthy epistle about every feature.

It is faster than most other compacts in taking the pictures and regenerating for the next image. The external controls are convenient and the camera is fairly light (1/2 pound).

The compact size makes it easy to use. Controls for taking pictures as well as enhancing are easy to find and are workable. The large LCD on the back is comfortable for both previewing the image before shooting as well as playing back your pictures or just previewing them before deciding what images to delete. Images are fairly bright and easy to see. Of course when in bright sunlight, it is difficult. However, by bending over the camera or tilting it at an angle, you'll be more than comfortable.

Minuses
On the negative side, noise is high at the higher ISOs.
It does not shoot RAW.
The viewfinder is tiny; not that easy to see through.
You can adapt to this small viewfinder when taking pictures. The LCD is also good for taking pictures but that does soak up the battery life.
Surprisingly, no red-eye fix. (this should be mandatory on all cameras!)

This camera has some of the imaging controls of the D80 and D40 DSLRs (made by Nikon) which is terrific. However, the quality of your photos will not be quite the same. With lower ISOs, the quality is outstanding with excellent resolution, color accuracy, and image quality. Unfortunately, the noise becomes unacceptable in images shot at an ISO of 400 or greater. Resolution is cut down drastically.

Statistics
10.4 mp

Uses SD cards

Does video at 30 fps

Shutter speeds: 1/2000 to 8 seconds

Metering: 256 segment TTL with Matrix evaluative, centerweighted and spot metering.

Flash: built in i-TTL autoflash, dedicated hot shoe compatible

LCD 2.5”, 230,000p pixel resolution

Battery: EBN-EL5 Li-ion rechargeable, 250 shots

Weight: 8.1 oz

Zoom: 36 – 126mm equivalent, includes vibration reduction

Cool features
Ability to take auxiliary lenses. You can get a teleconverter to make it 378mm, wide angle converter makes it a 24mm equivalent. It does require an adapter. By the time you spend all this money, you could’ve bought a DSLR but this camera fits into your pocket!

Buttons on the back provide quick and easy access. Function button can be programmed for quick access to a single control that you choose.

Menus are well organized. Being easy to read, they provide help screens for every option. The Optimize Image menu (adapted from the D80) has 5 preset and one custom image profiles. You can also get filter effects.

Modes include face recognition to autofocus on the face.

In addition there is a panorama stitch so that you can suck in all of the Grand Canyon into one image. You have to work with the included software (or use Photoshop Elements feature) to make this work.

Bottom Line:
Although a bit pricier than some compacts, you get some really good images at the lower ISOs. You can also invest in the additional lenses to increase capabilities. In fact this camera is a good substitute for the DSLR. Its biggest drawback is the lack of shooting in RAW format. For those of you who feel like they’re missing out; don’t worry. You still get wonderful pictures and with an editing program such as Photoshop or Elements, you will obtain images that you’ll more than slightly pleased with.