Nikon Coolpix P520 vs Nikon Coolpix P300

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Nikon Coolpix P520 and the Nikon Coolpix P300, 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 P520 was introduced in January 2013 and Nikon Coolpix P300 was introduced in May 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 P520 over Nikon Coolpix P300.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Nikon Coolpix P300 over Nikon Coolpix P520.

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 P520 has a 3.20" Fully Articulated screen with 921k dot resolution and Nikon Coolpix P300 has a 3.0" Fixed screen with 922k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Nikon Coolpix P520 selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

Electronic Viewfinder on Nikon Coolpix P520

Nikon Coolpix P520 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Nikon Coolpix P300.

BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon Coolpix P520 features a 18.1 megapixel 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 6.16 x 4.62 mm and a total area of 28.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 80 - 3,200. Nikon Coolpix P300 features a 12.2 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.

Nikon Coolpix P520 can take pictures up to 4896 x 3672 resolution. Nikon Coolpix P300 is equipped with Expeed C2 processor and can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution 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 cameras have a built-in [y] image stabilization.

Built-in GPS on Nikon Coolpix P520

Nikon Coolpix P520 has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Bluetooth on Nikon Coolpix P520

Nikon Coolpix P520 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Nikon Coolpix P520

Nikon Coolpix P520 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. connector for video signal output.

Battery

Nikon Coolpix P520 comes with EN-EL5 battery pack with battery life of 200 shots and Nikon Coolpix P300 comes with EN-EL12 battery pack with battery life of 240 shots.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Nikon Coolpix P520, and up to 1/2000 sec on Nikon Coolpix P300. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 6.50 m on Nikon Coolpix P300..

Nikon Coolpix P520 body has dimensions of 125 x 84 x 102 mm (4.92 x 3.31 x 4.02") and Nikon Coolpix P300 body has dimensions of 103 x 58 x 32 mm (4.06 x 2.28 x 1.26"). Nikon Coolpix P520 weighs 550 g (1.21 lb / 19.40 oz) and Nikon Coolpix P300 weighs 189 g (0.42 lb / 6.67 oz).

Nikon Coolpix P520

Nikon Coolpix P300

125 mm

84 mm

103 mm

58 mm

84 mm

58 mm