- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Nikon D5100
- Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR
- Nikon D3100
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V
- Canon Powershot SX40
Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)It also offers SLR-like handling, manual exposure and focus, an eye-level viewfinder, an articulated and high-resolution LCD screen, built-in GPS and full HD movies with stereo sound, full-time AF and optical zoom as well.
Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The P500 is a very well rounded package that is surprisingly compact and lightweight and will more than satisfy the needs of many users.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Nikon Coolpix P510 compared to the Nikon Coolpix P500
MP15.9
1/2.5"
Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)The Nikon Coolpix P510 is a new super-zoom compact camera that features an incredible 42x zoom lens with a massive focal range of 24-1000mm.
12 MP
1/2.5"
Rated 80% by by John-Foote (May, 2011)While the length of the telephoto is remarkable, the wide angle is even more amazing.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 15.9 MP   | 20 MP |
Coolpix P510 by GSFixit--GSFixit (Jul, 2012)With the 16 megapixel capability, you still get great pictures even when you have to crop heavily.
Coolpix P500 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)Depress the button fully to take the shot and a full 12 megapixel highest quality JPEG is committed to memory in just under two seconds, which is fast by compact camera standards.
sensor size
Coolpix P510 by Crosswire--Crosswire (May, 2012)I knew that a super zoom would have a small sensor, it had to, because of the size of the lens.
Coolpix P500 by bruce-porterColor rendering seems to pretty good, though I have seen others photos where there were pretty obvious issues when compared to similar full size sensor DSLR photos.
wide angle lens
Coolpix P510 by pugged (May, 2012)A DSLR would provide more options for wide angle shots, but this camera is perfect for me.
aperture size
Coolpix P510 by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)For its size, the P510's lens is also respectably fast, with maximum apertures of f/3 at 24mm and f/5.9 at 1000mm.
Coolpix P500 by Adrian (Mar, 2011)If you are a pure point and shoot person using little compact cameras, you might find the functions available a bit daunting and you'll need to look up both the manual, and a FAQ section of photography terms and functions to know how to alter things like shutter speed and aperture.
zoom range
| 0x | 41.7x | 50x |
Coolpix P510 by Vishui got this cam recently, no doubt it has amazing zoom capacity and can take great pictures HANDHELD at full zoom.
Coolpix P500 by Dani (Feb, 2012)AWESOME!!!!! Several hundred feet away from splashing water on reefs and I managed to get the full zoom to its peak and the pictures that it took were clear.
body size
120 x 83 x 102 mm
116 x 84 x 103 mm
Coolpix P510 by c|net (Mar, 2012)And the lens is really the bulk of the weight, which makes the rest of the body feel lightweight and cheaply constructed.
Coolpix P500 by B.-ELKINS (Sep, 2011)Camera is great Takes sharp pictures and is light weight It was a gift for my wife and she loves it.
Performance Real world tests of Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
battery life
200 photos
220 photos
Coolpix P510 by Edward (Mar, 2012)Overall, this camera is very fun to use, and it's weakest points are bareable and are most regarding to battery life.
Coolpix P500 by edan (Dec, 2011)The zoom is fantastic, easy to use all features, and the quality of pictures is awesome but battery life could be better.
max continuous shooting
Coolpix P510 by DPReview (Jul, 2012)The P510's maximum framerate of 7 frames per second is unlikely to get much use, but it's nice to have, although the maximum 5 frames per burst greatly limits its usefulness.
Coolpix P500 by middleton (Jul, 2011)If you use the continuous shooting mode (L) you can hold the shoot button and take 5-10 pictures in less then 1 second.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Coolpix P500
| Much faster lens | f/3.0 | vs | f/3.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 10% faster aperture; Better in low light | |||
| Larger zoom range | 41.7x | vs | 36x |
| Around 20% larger zoom; Great for sports or nature when your subject is further away | |||
| Much higher resolution | 15.9 MP | vs | 12 MP |
| More than 30% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| Create realistic 3D images | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV | |||
| Includes a GPS | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Records the location of your photos automatically | |||
| Automatic panorama | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view | |||
| Supports HDR | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Combines multiple photos together to capture both bright and dark areas | |||
| Faster benchmarked shot to shot times | 7.77 s | vs | 1,300 s |
| 167.3x faster shot to shot; Take multiple consecutive photos quickly | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Feb, 2012 | vs | Feb, 2011 |
| Announced date 11 months later | |||
| More highly reviewed by consumers | 83.36% | vs | 79.1% |
| Around 10% more highly reviewed by consumers | |||
| Significantly faster max shutter speed | 1/4000 s | vs | 1/2000 s |
| 2x faster max shutter speed; capture fast action | |||
Advantages compared to the Coolpix P510
| Wider lens | 23 mm | vs | 24 mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almost the same | |||
| Faster rapid fire | 10 fps | vs | 7 fps |
| More than 40% faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| Better macro lens | 10 mm | vs | 20 mm |
| 2x closer macro focus; Take great close-up photos | |||
| Lighter | 481 g | vs | 555 g |
| More than 10% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Nikon Coolpix P500 | ||
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|---|---|---|---|
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 | Rated by 266 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by SG (Jul, 2012) Rated 100% by by Steven-J.-Streitfeld--SJS (May, 2012) Rated 80% by by Arkansas-Traveler (Apr, 2012) | Rated by 204 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Karina (Mar, 2011) Rated 100% by by JP (Apr, 2011) | |
lens
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 100% by by ohitsyoubob (Sep, 2012)I have a Nikon D80 with AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm, 55-200mm, and 70-300mm lenses that takes excellent photos, but for everyday outdoor photography, it's very difficult to beat the little COOLPIX P510 because you don't have to change lenses to get that great telephoto shot.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)Considering that with an SLR, you would need at least 3-4 lenses to cover the same focal range, the single, fixed-mount lens of the Nikon P510 can be described as remarkably compact, even if it does extend quite a bit when zoomed to full telephoto.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)The Nikon Coolpix P510's 42x zoom lens provides an astonishing focal range of 24-1000mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.
zoom
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 78% by by c|net (Mar, 2012)But, regardless, the Nikon Coopix P510 is overall a very good full-size megazoom even if you never use the full zoom range.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 75% by by DPReview (Jul, 2012)The 16 megapixel Nikon Coolpix P510 is a compact camera in the superzoom class, that sports a 42X optical zoom, covering a currently unmatched focal range of 24-1000mm (equivalent), compared to 38X (23-810mm) from its predecessor the P500.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 100% by by CR (Apr, 2012)I researched DSLR's and other similar ultra zoom cameras, and I am happy with my choice of the Nikon P510.
image stabilization
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 75% by by DPReview (Jul, 2012)Unlike its predecessor, which used a combination of sensor-shift and electronic VR, the P510's lens is optically stabilized.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 75% by by DPReview (Jul, 2012)As well as an extended zoom range, the new model also features a new 16MP CMOS sensor, the same as that used in the recently-reviewed Coolpix P310, and a handful of new features and enhancements, including GPS with logging and (according to Nikon) improved image stabilization compared to the P500.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)Vibration reduction is a compulsory feature on a camera like this and one that that works very well when hand-holding the P510 in low-light conditions or using the telephoto end of the amazing zoom range.
controls
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 78% by by c|net (Mar, 2012)The P510's controls are spaced and laid out well.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)The familiar multi-selector with its centred OK button is similar to the P500, with the same individual functions that are mapped onto the Up, Down, Left and Right buttons.
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Mar, 2012)The layout and number of external controls haven't changed much from the P500.
ergonomics
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 78% by by c|net (Mar, 2012)The rest of the controls haven't changed from the P500 (it's a pretty standard digital camera control layout).
Nikon Coolpix P510 | Rated 100% by by Luigi"feels" better when it comes to grip, but the P510 has so many more buttons and functions than the SP800-UZ.
Nikon Coolpix P500 | Rated 100% by by M.-Dobyns--Rabid-Reader (May, 2011)The controls on the P500 are very similar to Nikon SLR's and so I was good to go right out of the box.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D5100 Largest sensor |
 | 3 | Nikon D3100 Fastest to start up |
 | 4 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V Most detailed video recording mode |
 | 5 | Canon Powershot SX40 Fastest rapid fire mode |
 | 6 | Nikon Coolpix P7700 Fastest lens |
 | 7 | Nikon Coolpix L810 2-way tie: OK lens |
Popular Questions
June 7, 2012
Should I buy the p500 or p510 or something else
I am a novice photographer parent of young athletes. I need a camera where I can take rapid shots from a longer distance while my kids are moving with minimal blur (preferably non). I don't want...
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Answers May 29, 2012
Taking Photos with a professional quality
I want to take photos with high quality, That has a good capture, fast to take photos, Recording in HD
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Answers May 30, 2012
Sharp, lowlight, wide, cheap
I'm just newbi, hobbyist . I wanna take some picture on full taste and sharp quality in lowlight,WIDE MEETING ROOM, outside "wild world" for my adventure .. with great zoom (both great zoom,...
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Answers Nikon Coolpix P510
Philip-Davis 
Expert III
These two cameras are very similar but I have to give a slight edge to the P510 because it has a longer zoom range. Both cameras can shoot high-speed video (120 frames per second), which will be... View Philip-Davis's recommendation
- 0 comments
- April 10, 2012
- Reply to: Sports coaching slow motion feed back Archery and general family use
Nikon Coolpix P500
Gordon-Calhoun 
Beginner II
Great for what you want. I would say thats good... View Gordon-Calhoun's recommendation
- 0 comments
- November 27, 2012
- Reply to: Sharp, lowlight, wide, cheap
