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Nikon Coolpix B500 $256 @ The Good Guys

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Mrs C has been looking for a decent point-and-shoot camera and found the B500 to be highly recommended for what she'll be doing. Most places seem to be selling at $399, and when we first went into The Good Guys the ticket was $297. The sales guy said he was sure it was lower, and sure enough when he checked the computer it was another $40 less. So, we grabbed it.

After a quick look around I see that Officeworks carry the same model so you might get a 5% price beat. JB and Harvey's carry it so you could probably at least get a price match with them.

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closed Comments

  • +2

    Being advertised on the Nikon website as $259

  • +2

    Good for taking photos?

    • Good for the bin

      • +1

        I don't understand why anyone would take a photo of a bin but whatever.

    • its 16MP with 40x zoom.
      What else could you ask for?

      • +2

        Size of the sensor, quality of the glass

        • +1

          Agree. Most of these super zooms have tiny sensors. Sensor size has a much greater effect on image quality than does MP count. Actually higher MP counts reduce image quality in low light (high ISO). So I'd guess image quality isn't very good for the B500, & in low light it's going to be poor.

          The only super zoom with a decent sized sensor is the Panasonic TZ110 (SZ100/110). It has a 1" sensor (same size as other premium compacts like the RX100 & Panasonic LX10), & produces very good images, in a somewhat smaller package. But you'll pay for it, well over double the price of the B500.

        • im sure it is gorilla glass

        • +1

          @ddarroch: In bright sunlight it's fine.

      • -4

        Dont get fooled by the 40x zoom. Note the 40x zoom is a digital zoom and not an optical zoom. Digital zoom degrades image quality.

        • +2

          are you sure? it does say 40 optical zoom.

        • +2

          You're the only one getting fooled. It's a 22.5-900mm equiv zoom range. That's 40x. How is that digital?

        • @Orpheus:

          Ih ok. My bad. It is an optical zoom then. I stand corrected.

          All the more reason not to buy it. No way can you have that sort focal range without compromising image quality at this price.

        • @Hoobi: Yeah, no. A Tamron 18-400mm lens slapped on an APS-C DSLR isn't going to be drastically that much different than the lens used in this.

        • -1

          @Orpheus:

          Lol good luck. Yes my phone takes works of art too :)

        • +2

          @Hoobi: You must not know much about photography or optics if you don't understand that a superzoom will always have compromises. You can't have excellent DSLR performance in a superzoom lens and especially at this price. There is no alternative. Also I'm not sure what your comment on a phone and works of art has to do. The artistic side of a photograph is more so dependent on a persons ability to compose and frame the shot well and know how to do so. Also camera optics is phones now a days is excellent in daylight and you won't be able to tell much difference than a DSLR with a kit lens shot at f/8 anyway. It's not 2005 anymore lol.

        • +1

          @Hoobi:

          Point and clicks can get away with larger zoom ranges by having smaller sensors. I don't think the focal range is an issue here.

          For $256 I'm not going to complain too much. 40x zoom is probably going to need a tripod so you're already lugging that around making a SLR + zoom lens the better choice (but that's definitely not $256).

      • Can I have fries with that?

  • Not sure if this is a good point and shoot camera. Its quite bulky. A compact camera is probablyna better option. If you dont mind the size then alternatively get a proper compact dslr like a nikon d3400 and just shoot in auto. D3400 is not much more when on sale and will give you much better image quality.

    • A D3400 with a no brand 900mm f/8 mirror lens is going to give you far inferior quality than this, plus it won't AF, you're stuck at 900mm so you have no zoom range, you have to change lenses if you want to zoom out, it's bigger, heavier and way more expensive and just not worth the hassle. I couldn't think of a worse alternative recommendation to this camera.

      • -1

        Why on earth would you put a 900mm lens on a d3400?

        You do realise a 900mm focal length is a telephoto lens that an average person has no use for at all?? Just for reference i have a 35mm lens on my camera.

        • Because a person after a telephoto zoom range with a big range will want a telephoto lens? Why would they want an 18-55 kit lens that is max 85mm equiv?

        • -1

          @Orpheus:

          Because the glass in the 18-55 kit and the sensore in the d3400 are far superior to this. If you dont understand that then get this. Thats ok.

        • @Hoobi: So how do you take a 900mm equiv photo with an 18-55mm kit lens? It's not like you can crop that far either, it's only 24MP. Also kit lens having superior IQ? I don't think you know what a kit lens is lol. It would be on par with this, but with alot less zoom reach.

        • -3

          @Orpheus:

          The op was suggesting this as a 'decent point and shoot canera' . He wasnt asking to take photos at 900mm. Hence the reason i was suggesting the d3400. Its a great camera and the kit lens is better than the 22-900mm lens in this camera.

      • Orpheus- I think the point that Hoobi is trying to make (badly) is that OP doesn't seem to be concerned with zoom- he just wants a good point and click. He doesn't even mention the zoom in the post - and that's the whole sales gimmick for this camera. This means the D3400 with the kit lens would result in better images as OP won't be using the zoom (but this is a lot more than $256). A better option for OP would probably be something smaller, with waterproofing/etc, that only does the standard point/click zoom range.

        If OP does need the zoom then this is a decent deal, as the DSLR equivalent would be an absolute fortune (and be huge). I have a ~450mm lens and that thing isn't tiny.

        • Yes thank you for summarising so nicely - that was exactly what i was trying to say although i really made total a hash of that :(

        • Well if you don't need the zoom, then there's no reason to be looking at this camera in the first place. It would be like someone after a SUV for their family looking at a motorcycle. People like Hoobi mistakenly confuse that their own needs are the needs of everyone else. There is nothing wrong with wanting a mediocre 900mm zoom lens, but trying to get someone to buy a 85mm equiv zoom lens and a larger bulkier sensor size that they won't even take advantage of due to the crippled kit lens, makes zero sense.

  • My old Fujifilm JX550 compact probably takes better photos than this.

  • +1

    You're all missing its most important feature…from the product blurb on TGG site:

    "Plus, the Nikon Coolpix is black."

  • cough

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