The Nikon Coolpix P950 ($799.95) is the company's second take on an 83x zoom camera. It's got the same basic bones as the first, the P900—the lens, sensor, and design philosophy hasn't changed. Upgrades include 4K recording, Raw image capture, and a hot shoe so you can mount an external mic, flash, or other accessory. The zoom is definitely overkill for most people, but birders, wildlife specialists, and other photographers who struggle to get physically close to their subjects should take a look.So Much Zoom It's easy to mistake the P900 for an SLR when viewed from a distance—it's bigger than some. At 4.3 by 5.5 by 5.9 inches (HWD) and 2.2 pounds, it's a camera that you're going to want to carry on a strap or in a bag, not one that will get anywhere close to fitting in a pocket. The big zoom lens, and the body to support it, make that an unavoidable fact. We've seen some smartphones promise to zoom farther, but while we describe the 100x zoom power of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultr...

The Nikon Coolpix P950 is an appealing camera for wildlife specialists, but most won't need its exceptional zoom power.

83x zoom lens; Strong image stabilization; Manual controls; Raw imaging and 4K video; EVF and vari-angle LCD; Mic input and accessory shoe; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Autofocus struggles with small and fast-moving subjects; LCD doesn't support touch; Larger and heavier than competitors

83 times the zoom is not to be missed, but it comes with some challenges.

Extreme zoom with good brightness and relatively good sharpness. Large and sharp viewfinder, good image stabilization. 4K video without cropping.

Not very fast, lacks touch screen and zoom ring. Lots of high noise image noise. Moderate battery life.

As point-and-shoot camera announcements grow scarce, the Nikon P950 sits in one remaining category that smartphones can’t touch: the super zoom. With an 83X, 24-2,000mm equivalent lens, the P950 can capture subjects you simply can’t see with the naked eye. An update to the P900, the P950 adds 4K video and RAW photos, two new features that more advanced photographers will appreciate. Despite those updates, the P950 still does well in automated modes for less experienced shooters, and a new exposure compensation control on the lens barrel allows for basic brightness adjustments that anyone can use, even without understanding how exposure works. Not everyone needs an 83x zoom, but for those who do, the P950 delivers an affordable, if imperfect, solution. The Nikon P950’s body is unsurprisingly dominated by that 83x zoom lens. The lens is so big, you can feel the weight of the camera shift forward in your hands as it extends. At 35.5 ounces, the P950 has the weight of a DSLR (but with a mu...

83x zoom lens; Bright f/2.8 aperture wide-angle; Macro mode; Exposure compensation dial; Easy-to-use auto modes;

Slow buffer; Ocassional autofocus misses; Annoying battery life indicator;

Introduction; An epiphany; Limitations of a huge zoom; Handling; Image quality; Battery life and startup time; Raw capture; Image stabilization; Flare control; Framing challenges; Electronic viewfinder (EVF); Macro; Low light issues; Versus the P1000; The obligatory moon photo; Video capabilities; Chris needs a science intervention; Who's it for?;

Introduction; An epiphany; Limitations of a huge zoom; Handling; Image quality; Battery life and startup time; Raw capture; Image stabilization; Flare control; Framing challenges; Electronic viewfinder (EVF); Macro; Low light issues; Versus the P1000; The obligatory moon photo; Video capabilities; Chris needs a science intervention; Who's it for?;

We were looking for a camera with a better zoom and wow that’s exactly what we got .... the zoom is amazing and picture quality fantastic We’re not professional photographers we take pictures for pleasure and as lovers of bird watching wanted clearer bird pictures.

I was skeptical about this camera due to the smaller sensor. I purchased it for bird and wildlife photography. I was surprised at how capable the camera is at full 2000mm zoom hand held. I get sharp pictures in good light and acceptable ones in low light.

This camera was exactly what I expected, good for birding with some limitations such as limited aperture range and somewhat difficult menus. It does help to have a monopod to stabilize at long focal length. Better than a scope though.

Absolute satisfaction. This is the easiest and most intuitive mirror camera to own. Within days you'll be posting pro-photo quality images be it of bees, birds, or the Golden Gate Bridge.

This camera comes with an outstanding optical zoom of 25x, making it a great choice for shooting sports such as soccer that require both longer and shorter focal lengths to zoom out and capture the entire field and zoom in to capture individual players.

The huge zoom capabilities makes it an ideal choice for wildlife and landscape photography as you can zoom in to capture more details, It is among the most versatile cameras, thanks to the bright f/2.8 aperture that allows you to shoot portraits with a pleasing background blur and landscapes with a...

Unlike wide-angle prime lenses, the zoom lens produces some optical distortions when shooting at shorter focal lengths, Although this camera has a minimum focus distance of 0.4 inches, it doesn’t shoot clear and sharp closeups, making it unsuitable for shooting tiny subjects

The Nikon COOLPIX P950 isn't bad for sport and wildlife photography. Its extremely long max focal length lets you capture very far-off subjects. However, its autofocus system performs badly, so it struggles to keep moving subjects in focus.

Extremely long zoom lens., Good overall image quality., Great shutter speed range.

Awful autofocus performance., Very bulky., Small buffer size for continuous shooting.