Nikon Coolpix P500

Nikon Coolpix P500 was announced in 2011 and is a 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm) Bridge camera with 12.1 Megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor. Its native ISO ranges from 160 to 3,200. The camera has a Tilting 3.0" screen with 921k dot resolution and built-in Electronic viewfinder. It has an image stabilization.

Nikon Coolpix P500 can capture video up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Here is the Nikon Coolpix P(xxx|1000) series lineup, where you can view and compare the main specifications of the cameras within the same series.

Nikon Coolpix P(xxx|1000) series lineup

	Model	Date	Sensor	Native ISO	Screen	Price
	Nikon P950 Compare	January 2020	16 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 6,400	Articulated 3.20" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P1000 Compare	July 2018	16 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 6,400	Articulated 3.20" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P900 Compare	March 2015	16 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 6,400	Articulated 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P610 Compare	February 2015	16 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 6,400	Articulated 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P600 Compare	February 2014	16.1 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 6,400	Articulated 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P530 Compare	February 2014	16.1 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 6,400	Fixed 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P340 Compare	February 2014	12.2 MP 1/1.7-inch	80 - 6,400	Fixed 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P330 Compare	March 2013	12.2 MP 1/1.7-inch	100 - 12,800	Fixed 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P520 Compare	January 2013	18.1 MP 1/2.3-inch	80 - 3,200	Articulated 3.20" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P510 Compare	July 2012	16.1 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 3,200	Tilting 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P310 Compare	June 2012	16.1 MP 1/2.3-inch	100 - 3,200	Fixed 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P300 Compare	May 2011	12.2 MP 1/2.3-inch	160 - 3,200	Fixed 3.0" 922k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P500	February 2011	12.1 MP 1/2.3-inch	160 - 3,200	Tilting 3.0" 921k dot	amazon B&H
	Nikon P100 Compare	July 2010	10.3 MP 1/2.3-inch	80 - 3,200	Tilting 3.0" 460k dot	amazon B&H

You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Nikon Coolpix P950 vs Coolpix P1000 vs Coolpix P900 vs Coolpix P610 vs Coolpix P600 vs Coolpix P530.

In this section we present pros and cons of Nikon Coolpix P500.

In 2012 Nikon Coolpix P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. Let us now have a look at some important differences between Nikon Coolpix P500 and its successor.

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Nikon Coolpix P500 vs Coolpix P510.

Tilting screen

Nikon Coolpix P500 has a 3.0" Tilting screen with 921k dot resolution. Tilting screen makes this camera very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

Electronic Viewfinder

Camera has a built-in Electronic viewfinder.

BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon Coolpix P500 features a 12.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.17 x 4.55 mm and a total area of 28.1 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 3,200.

The camera has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Camera is equipped with Expeed C2 processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolutions like 4000 x 3000, 3968 x 2232, 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 2944, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3, 16:9 aspect ratios.

Image Stabilization

The camera has an image stabilization.

USB Input and HDMI Output

Nikon Coolpix P500 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) input for data transfer. There is a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon Coolpix P500 comes with EN-EL5 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots.

Internal Storage and External Storage Slots

The camera has 102 MB internal storage and a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Nikon Coolpix P500's shutter speed can go up to 1/1500 sec. Camera can shoot continuously up to 0.8 fps.

Flash

Nikon Coolpix P500 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 8.00 m.

Nikon Coolpix P500 has dimensions of 116 x 84 x 103 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06"). It weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz), so it is a lightweight camera.

116 mm (4.57")

84 mm (3.31")

84 mm (3.31")

103 mm (4.06")