The Nikon Coolpix P600 ($499.95) features an ambitious 60x zoom lens married to a 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor. It includes a sharp vari-angle rear display, an integrated EVF and Wi-Fi, and manual controls, but it's hindered by slow focus when utilizing its telephoto reach, noisy images at moderate ISO sensitivities, and a few other quirks. Its specifications are promising, but it disappoints in reality; at its asking price the P600 should be a better camera. Most photographers can live without the zoom power that the P600's lens provides, and for them we recommend either our Editors' Choice Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 or the premium Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10, both of which have constant-aperture f/2.8 lenses. But if you do need that extra reach (such as for wildlife photography) consider the 50x Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 as a better, less expensive alternative.
Design and Features
Like its bridge-style brethren, the P600 is shaped like a scaled-down D-SLR. It measures 3.4 by 5 by 4.2 inches (HWD) and is a bit heavy at 1.2 pounds. That's not out of line for this class; the 50x Fuji SL1000 is 3.4 by 4.8 by 4.8 inches and weighs a bit more, 1.5 pounds. Most cameras of this class are available only in black, but Nikon also offers this one in a dark red finish.
The 60x zoom lens covers a 24-1,440mm (35mm equivalent) field of view with an f/3.3-6.5 aperture. The more you zoom in, the less light is captured, so the camera will move up to a higher ISO in order to capture a sharp shot. The image stabilization system does a good job in steadying shots; I was able to get sharp, handheld results at as short as 1/50-second when zoomed in, but image stabilization won't help if you're trying to freeze motion when photographing a bird or fox. There are a few cameras in this class that offer f/2.8 fixed apertures throughout the zoom range—that's more light than the P600 can capture at any focal length. None of them can zoom anywhere near as far as the P600; they include the Panasonic FZ200 (25-600mm), the Olympus Stylus 1 (28-300mm), and the Sony RX10 (24-200mm).
It's easy to lose track of your subject when zoomed in, so many cameras now offer what's called a framing assist system. It's usually a button that widens the field of view of the lens, lets you reacquire your subject, and then automatically goes back to the previous zoom position. You can configure Snap Back Focus on the P600 (it's an alternate function of the zoom lever that's on the left side of the lens barrel), but it acts a little bit differently. Pressing the lever down pulls the lens back, but you'll need to push it back up to go back to the original zoom position. If you happen to tap another control on the camera before doing so, you're forced to manually readjust the lens to its previous focal length.
Nikon has put a number of shooting controls on the P600, taking advantage of its bulky body. There's a mode dial on the top plate, along with a standard zoom rocker and shutter release, the programmable Fn button, and the power button. An EVF/LCD toggle button, the Display control, a movie record button, and a control wheel run along the top of the rear, to the right of the EVF. Below the thumb rest there's a flat command dial with a center OK button and four directional controls. They adjust the flash settings, exposure compensation, macro focusing mode, and the self-timer. You'll also find the playback and delete controls, and the menu button on the rear.
The rear LCD has a vari-angle design; it's mounted on a hinge and can swing out and away from the camera, and twists all the way around so you can view it from the front, above, or below. It's a 3-inch panel with a 921k-dot resolution, so there are no complaints about its quality. The P600 does have an eye-level EVF; it's a good thing for a camera like this to have, as holding the camera to your eye will help you get steadier handheld shots at telephoto distances. The EVF is on the small side, but it's plenty sharp thanks to a 201k-dot resolution.
Compared with others, Nikon has been slow to integrate Wi-Fi into its cameras. The P600 has it, so you can copy images to your iOS or Android device using the free Wireless Mobile Utility application. The implementation is identical to that of the Coolpix S9700, a pocketable compact with a 30x lens, but the P600 lacks the S9700's GPS capability. In addition to direct transfer to your device, the P600 supports wireless remote control. Its capabilities are limited; you can adjust the zoom, activate the self-timer, and fire the shutter, but that's it—there's no way to select a focus point or to access more advanced shooting controls via remote. You also can't post directly from the P600 to social networks, as you can with the Samsung WB350F.
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