Review: Nikon P1100

About 55 years ago Nikon made a “special order” 2000mm f11 lens for their Nikon F cameras. It weighed 17.5-kilograms (or 25kg with the optional tripod mount) and it wasn’t very practical for bird photography.

So what are your options if you do like photographing birds, aircraft or even the moon? You could spend $10,000 on a Nikon Z 800mm f6.3 lens with a 2x teleconverter, giving you a 1600mm f13 lens on an FX camera (or 2400mm on DX), but another option would be to buy a superzoom camera like the Nikon P1100.

The new Nikon P1100 actually replaces the P1000 that was released in 2018, and in fairness to anyone considering an upgrade, there is not a lot of difference between the two cameras.

Both have a 16-megapixel BSI-CMOS 1/2.3” sensor which has about 1/30th the imaging area of a full-frame sensor. And both cameras have an optically stabilised 4.3-539 mm f2.8-f8 zoom lens that is the equivalent of a 24-3000mm zoom lens in full-frame terms.

In fact, the only differences between the P1100 and the older P1000 is the addition of a USB-C port (which does make charging the camera a lot easier when travelling), updated Bluetooth and improved image stabilisation that now supports 5-stops as opposed to 4-stops of movement.

Having reviewed a few superzoom cameras over the years I am usually skeptical of their image quality; small sensors seldom do justice to a scene.

But given this camera was released in time for the Avalon Airshow, and my longest lens is mere 300mm I thought it might revisit the camera type again.  

The build

Like the P1000, the P1100 is a relatively compact size, at least compared to a Nikon 800mm lens. The camera weighs 1410-grams and is 181mm in length, making it an easy fit into a small backpack or rucksack.

As with most Nikon equipment, the ergonomics are good, with the camera controls fitting nicely into your hands.

Just beneath the shutter release is a zoom controller, but there is also a second zoom control beneath your left thumb that is customisable.

A large control ring around the body of the lens is also customisable; its can be used for manual focusing but I set it up to adjust the exposure compensation.

The other feature I immediately liked about the camera is the viewfinder; I’ve had a few difficulties in the past with compact camera viewfinders, but the P1100 viewfinder was easy to use, even for eyeglass wearers. 

As you might guess, one of the first photos that I had to try making with the P1100 was of a full moon. Most people love photographing the moon, and without spending thousands, this is one of the few cameras that can make the task easy.

Despite being night time, the exposure was 1/500th of a second at f8, ISO 400.

A few days later a Kookaburra on a power line also proved a good subject. At the 600mm (equivalent) setting I had a nice full-length shot, but by zooming into 3000mm I got a headshot of said kookaburra.

Photographing the moon or birds is easy with this camera, but one of the more unusual tests I gave this camera was to photograph a country funeral in rural WA.

I’d packed the camera in the hope of doing some bird photography while out west, but just before the funeral a family member suggested they would like a few shots.

Despite its size, the camera was actually good for the task; the shutter sound was very discreet, and while the 24mm setting was good for capturing a few wide shots of the outdoor event, the zoom also allowed me to make some portraits of the speakers without being intrusive.

Later at the wake, I put the P1100 in the car and made a few last photos with my iPhone, a more subtle tool for close-in work.  

Of course, the real test for the camera was at the Avalon International Airshow, and this is where I discovered the true capabilities (along with a few limitations) of the P1100.

As you might expect, there were hundreds of photographers at the event along with a surprising number of professional telephoto lenses that were as heavy as they were expensive.

Halfway through a 30-degree day I was pleased I only had the P1100 to carry. The camera was perfect for capturing wide shots of displays, or zooming in to capture shots of aircraft as they taxied down the runway. The true test of the camera though, was to capture the flying displays.

Some aircraft, like the Piper Cub, were easy to track and photograph but it was the fast jets that were the challenge. The initial temptation is to zoom in as close as you can while the aircraft is in the distance, but tracking a camera through a 3000mm lens is not easy.

A small “Snap Back Zoom” button just in front of the zoom by your left thumb temporarily pulls the lens back to let you acquire a subject before returning the lens back to your zoomed position, but this all takes time.

And trying to zoom out as the aircraft approaches creates it own problems too; the P1100 is not designed to handle multiple camera inputs at the same time.

I discovered that if I wanted to zoom in or out, or adjust the exposure compensation I needed to do these actions but then give the camera a moment to catch up before I captured my next shot.

The P1100 does have various capture modes including Single Shot capture, a Continuos Low (1-fps) and Continuous High (7-fps) modes, Pre-Shooting Cache and 60-fps and 120-fps settings that record images as small JPEGs.

But none of these settings are really designed for true action photography.

In Continuous High mode the live image becomes very jilted, and in the 60-fps and 120-fps modes the viewfinder blacks out entirely during the capture.

Rather than rely on continuous shooting modes, I shot in single mode and sadly I soon discovered this camera was capable of capturing decisive moments. I was tracking a Pitts Special when suddenly it connected with the ground.

The photographers in the media space were in quiet shock, and then we started reviewing our images.

The P1100 had caught the moment of impact (we've chosen not to publish the shot - ed).

Fortunately the pilot did survive the crash and we hope he is on the mend.

The next day I went back to the airshow, but this time I was working for a different client, and my lens of choice was a borrowed 400mm f2.8 TC lens weighing twice that P1100 and with only 20 percent of the reach of the P1100. And it costs about $22,000 (without the camera body).

Results

Handling ★ ★ ★ ★

The P1100 feels great in the hands and is easy and reliable to use, but the electronics driving the camera do lack the processing power we now expect in Nikon’s more advanced cameras. Capture rates are also rather pedestrian, but this should not stop you capturing the important moments.

Features ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The 24-3000mm lens is the star feature of this camera, giving the photographer a chance to capture images that most of the time would be impossible. The solid build along with a great viewfinder make the camera easy and comfortable to use.

Exposure  ★ ★ ★ ★

The P1100 delivered reliable exposures in most lighting conditions, whether I was shooting directly into a sunset or shooting for the moon. Using the big collar around the lens to adjust the exposure compensation really did make exposure management easy, particularly when I was working in trickier lighting conditions.

Image quality ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Worth remembering is that the sensor on the P1100 is 1/30th that actual area of a full-frame sensor, and the image quality is never going to look as crisp as a 45MP full-frame sensor.

But all the images I captured were still good enough for the internet, the family album or even a newspaper story. The 3000mm (equiv.) focal length comes with compromises, but they are very acceptable compromises.  

Value for money ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Without doubt the P1100 is a great camera and lens combo, particularly if your major passion is photographing birds and other wildlife. It might not have the sharpness of an 800mm lens on a Nikon Z8, but for its price and size, this camera it still good enough to satisfy and even excite most keen photographers.

Final word

Overall, I was impressed with the P1100. It is not a professional camera, or a fine art camera but if your passion is for photographing wildlife or the moon, this camera will deliver images that most consumer cameras or smart phones could never deliver.

A 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor is never going to beat a decent full-frame sensor, but when you sit back and realise that this camera can capture images most of us might never normally achieve, you start to look at this camera in a different light.

If you are an amateur photographer and your big passion is photographing birds and wildlife, try this camera. It might be all the camera you ever need.

Specs

Sensor: 16.79-megapixel (16.00-megapixel effective) CMOS sensor.
Format: 1/2.3” (6.2 x 4.6mm) sensor.
Lens: Nikkor 4.3-539mm lens (equivalent to 24-3000mm lens in full-frame).
Construction: 17 elements in 12 groups. 5 ED lens elements and 1 super ED element.
Aperture: f2.8 - f8. 7-blade mechanical iris, adjustable in 10 steps of 1/3 steps.
Shutter: 1 - 1/4000th. Slow shutter speeds possible in M mode at ISO 100.
Exposure Comp: ± 2 stops in 1/3rd stop increments
ISO Range: 100 - 1600 (expandable to ISO 6400 when using P, S, A and M modes).
Metering: Matrix, Centre-weighted and Spot.
LCD: Fixed 3.2” 921K dot articulating TFT LCD screen
Viewfinder: 2359k-dot OLED with 99% frame coverage.       
Flash: Built in TTL flash plus a TTL hot-shoe (compatible with Nikon flashes).
Flash Sync: Syncs at all shutter speeds.
Stills format: JPEG, RAW and JPEG + RAW.
Movie formats: 2160/30p (4K UHD), 2160/25p (4K UHD), 1080/25p, 1080/30p, 1080/50p, 1080/60p and high speed options in both 720p and 480p. MP4 Output.
Storage Media: SD, SDHC and SDXC
WiFi: IEEE 802.11b/g
Bluetooth: Version 5.2
Battery / Life: Nikon EN-EL20a battery. Good for 260 photos before recharging.
Dimensions: 146 x 119 x 181 mm
Weight: 1410g including battery and SD card
Price: $1,595

For more information visit nikon.com.au