The growth of the smartphone has all but stalled the once popular budget camera category, but the superzoom category continues to show signs of life thanks to optics that can’t fit in a phone. At about $330, the Nikon Coolpix B600 falls easily into the budget category, but brings with it a 60x zoom lens. However, to reach that low price, Nikon threw out several big features, like 4K video, manual exposure, and fast performance. What’s left is a dull, limiting camera that fails to make a strong case for itself. It’s easy to find a great camera when you have thousands of dollars to spend, so we can forgive the B600 for cutting corners to hit its low price. But the 60x zoom lens is the camera’s only hit, and with so many misses, that just isn’t enough. The grip of the Nikon B600 says DSLR, but the controls say point-and-shoot. It’s a comfortable camera to use for long periods, which is an advantage over a phone. The low weight — just a touch over a pound — builds on that comfort factor, a...
Easy to use; Comfortable to shoot with; Versatile zoom;
Tendency to blur in low light; Sluggish performance; Lack of manual modes and advanced features; Auto exposure keeps shutter speed too slow;