I’m a huge Nikon fan, that’s why all my gear is Nikon and has always been so, and will always be (since I probably couldn’t afford to switch even if I wanted to). One area, I’ve been disappointed with Nikon is in their Coolpix line of cameras. I’ve owned 3 different ones in the last 4 years. They’ve all developed funny quirks about them after about a year or so. The first one, the lens cover won’t open, and the second one the flash won’t pop open. You would think I would learn from my lesson when I bought my wife her new point & shoot camera, but I again choose Nikon.

I have not been disappointed so far. I ordered the new Nikon P300 from B&H and like always great service and fast shipping. I had it on my desk within 24 hours of ordering it! The P300 boasts of it’s f/1.8 lens and ability to shoot in low light situations. As seen below in a shot my wife took at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville TN, the P300 has a great processor. The camera did a fantastic job of interpreting the scene, the blacks are pure with little to no artifacts or noise. The next image taken at B.B. Kings in Memphis TN, shows again the quality of the P300 in low light situations. I think there are multiple factors involved in the ability for the P300 to create stunning low light shots. The first is obviously the f/1.8 maximum aperture lens. The second may not be so obvious, but I believe it’s the fact that this lens is only rated for a 4.2x zoom [24-100mm]. With this known fact, you can shoot at 24mm with an aperture of f/1.8 and have your shutter speed as low as 1/24 and come away with a sharp image! Now that’s shooting in some low light. So many people when looking to buy a point & shoot camera, look for 2 things: MegaPixels and Zoom. That’s the scheme the marketing department wants you believe. ** The higher the MP, the larger the zoom, does not mean the better the photos! ** With a 24mm lens, this makes you move closer to your subject which helps you produce sharper images in lower light.

The P300 also has a nice macro setting. I find macro fascinating, I’ve haven’t been able to justify investing in a macro lens for my DSLR’s, but it’s fun to play with the macro on the P300. The image of my watch below was taken at my desk, all ambient light (ugly florescent), and a sheet of printer paper. The last image below was shot outside in the shade of a BMW GS.

Overall I’ve been very impressed with this camera. In fact so much so, I hardly carried my DSLR while on vacation. I don’t normally trust a point & shoot, but I have confidence in the P300 that I could create great images while on the go. The battery life is pretty respectable. We went several days without feeling a need to charge. ** Note: I’m the kind of person that is a little crazy when it comes to having things charged. ** One feature that I like, but some may not, is that the flash does not automatically pop-up, you have to release the flash manually. I believe Nikon picked this design because the camera specializes in low-light ambient shooting.

Summary: Good low-light camera, high quality image processing, fun macro mode