Coolpix B700 (1 Viewer)

[Tero]

The only discusiion I've found is here.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=333557&highlight=Nikon+B700

I have 15 days to decide if I keep it. I am leaning on yes, as the P900 is big and will turn my birding trips to mostly bird photography trips. Of course, I could leave the bigger item home and take my old Canoin 30x, also in the picture.

 

[Tero]

Just have had a few hours with it. First 20 pictures were useless till I found the 5000 pixel wide setting. The autofocus works most of the time. It picks out a number of gulls in a group photo. I'm just showing one. My 30x Canon would give terrible CA around the edges of the white. This is across a small lake. You stil can't see the eye much.

 

[Tero]

Found some jays to look at. One took off and this is what I got (auto shutter at 1/400 sec). There were some more jays in a tree and the focus on branches ruined a part of the shots. One of the jays blown up from the group photo.

 

[Tero]

The focus frames available are in a menu, but on the auto setting it brings up various frames, or multiple frames, depending on what it sees. This gull near the edge of a lake came out like this on AUTO. I then found the spot setting (see pic of back of camera). It was either under U or P on the settings knob at the top of the camera. Each setting gives you a new option menu. I don't think any of them are usable as default. Another menu gave the three settings of near, middle and mountain icons. There were some options there. I never understood the SPORT setting and forget where I got it. Manual focus is available, I think the same as in P600. A bit of trouble to set up, but I guess you memorize the sequence soon enough.

 

[Tero]

I've reduced all these to 600 pixels wide. This may show some more detail of the gulls taking off. Hmm, I fguess not.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2650/32939582275_6e73b9d484_z.jpg
maybe this link of the same?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/94329603@N07/32939582275/in/dateposted-public/

I've only looked at jpg pics, but it does take RAW as well.

 

[Tero]

Some ducks, pushing the zoom to 60x. My 60x shots will be mostly for ID but maybe I will get some hawks in flight shots worth saving.

 

[Tero]

One thing I would put onnthe minus side. The battery and Sd card cover is a bit wimpy. I guess since you can plug your camera into the computer they think you use that or the wifi. I prefer to take the SD card out.

 

[Tero]

Tried some back yard work with just trees and scenes behind them. The spot foucs works reasonably. A flock of geese was a bit too much, it never focused in the 10 seconds of flyover and I never got even blurry Canada geese in the screen to make the shot. They fly low and the autofocus should have found them. When they were far away I used a tree for capturing focus and got very tiny geese. Still pictuers are coming out well. Back yard merlin.

 

[Tero]

I had actually planned to go birding today, but now I am not terribly excited with the focus on things moving. So I may go back to the store and exchange for Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, but the store was a bit crappy with display models. They may not have one to show. I may have to go on my experience with the 30x Canon which has worked well so far but of course is no match to 60x zoom.

 

[Tero]

Well, it's gone. Have the Sx60 in order, much the same. Main improvement to my 30x will be 65x zoom and digital view finder. On bright days here in the prairie I can't see the rear screens.
Today on my old 30x Canon. Snow geese
https://www.flickr.com/photos/94329603@N07/32918162226/in/dateposted-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/94329603@N07/32834221411/in/dateposted-public/

 

[Bird_Huszar]

Currently using the Canon SX50. In fact I started off with the very same SX50 back in 2013. Upgraded very very briefly to the SX60 but could not stand the shake at max zoom so I returned almost instantly. This was a while ago though so they might have fixed that, I'm not sure.

Then I moved over to the Nikon P900 and stayed with it for about 1 year at which point I sold it and went back to my trusty old SX50. The P900 was just too big, heavy and expensive. Also I realized that 50 x zoom was all I ever really needed for 95% of birding situations. The last 5% did not warrant a $700 hike and nearly double the weight. This was in the summer of last year and I haven't regretted my move since but I have been looking for a more logical upgrade.

So that's why I'm posting in this thread. I am considering the Nikon P610 / B700 which to me seem like very similar cameras if not nearly identical. The zoom is higher than the SX50 but the weight is also lower. The only problems are that in the case of the P610 it is hard to find and in the case of B700 it is still somewhat too expensive (based on features that aren't really essential to photography) so I'm kinda stuck waiting for either the next generation of superzoom upgrades or prices to fall on current generation.

But since you got rid of your B700 I'm not so sure anymore on that camera. Maybe I'll just wait to see what's next and get whatever mileage is left out of my SX50.

 

[ceasar]

This book might help.

http://whiteknightpress.com/camera-...hotographers-guide-to-the-nikon-coolpix-b700/

I bought the one on the Coolpix P500 when I purchased one years ago and it was a big help in learning how to use that camera. There are also books on the P600/610 and P900.

Bob

 

[Tero]

Thanks Ceasar. I now have the Canon SX60: Much of it is similar to the Coolpix. There is also a manual mode, manual focus. I use the P setting where I have more control but still autofocus with a single frame in the middle. I won't be using it much. But the camera is fine and I am used to a Canon. The Coolpix 900 is just going to be one I only tried in the store. It is big int he hand. I think more like that will appear as people get used to point and zooms.

I am really enjoying the view finder, even though it is digital. Helped me find some bald eagles in flight today. and in summer, I just can't see the back screen in sunlight. Even now, I covered the area around my eye as I use glasses. An optical view finder would be ideal.

Also, when I am somewhere away from home, I do not mind the Canon battery charger left charging if I carry the camera. The Coolpix B700 charges inside the camera. You have to buy a battery and charger to charge externally.