Nikon Coolpix P100 vs Nikon Coolpix P500

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon Coolpix P100 and the Nikon Coolpix P500, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Nikon Coolpix P100 was introduced in July 2010 and Nikon Coolpix P500 was introduced in February 2011. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon Coolpix P100 over Nikon Coolpix P500.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Nikon Coolpix P100.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Nikon Coolpix P100 and Nikon Coolpix P500 have 3.0" Tilting screens with 460k dot and 921k dot resolutions respectively. Tilting screen makes cameras very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting.

Viewfinder

Cameras have built-in Electronic viewfinders. Nikon Coolpix P100 has 97% coverage magnification and magnification.

BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon Coolpix P100 features a 10.3 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 80 - 3,200. 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 20.7 mm². Its native ISO range is 160 - 3,200.

The cameras have 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.

Cameras are equipped with Expeed C2 processor.

Image Stabilization

The cameras have a built-in [y] image stabilization.

NFC on Nikon Coolpix P100

Nikon Coolpix P100 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Nikon Coolpix P100 has an HDMI and Nikon Coolpix P500 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon Coolpix P100 and Nikon Coolpix P500 come with EN-EL5 battery pack with battery life of 220 shots on Nikon Coolpix P500.

External Storage Slots

Nikon Coolpix P100 has a single SD/SDHC card slot. Nikon Coolpix P500 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/2000 sec on Nikon Coolpix P100, and up to 1/1500 sec on Nikon Coolpix P500. Nikon Coolpix P100 can shoot continuously up to 10.0 fps. Nikon Coolpix P500 can shoot continuously up to 0.8 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 8.00 m on Nikon Coolpix P500..

Nikon Coolpix P100 body has dimensions of 114 x 83 x 99 mm (4.49 x 3.27 x 3.9") and Nikon Coolpix P500 body has dimensions of 116 x 84 x 103 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06"). Nikon Coolpix P100 weighs 481 g (1.06 lb / 16.97 oz) and Nikon Coolpix P500 weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz).

Nikon Coolpix P100

Nikon Coolpix P500

114 mm

83 mm

116 mm

84 mm

83 mm

84 mm

99 mm

103 mm