New camera for Bird Watchers

Nikon will be releasing by the end of February a new camera specially designed for bird watchers: the Coolpix P1100. According to news posted at PetaPixel: 'Nikon announced the Coolpix P1100, the latest member of its series of super-zoom bridge cameras. It features a massive 125x optical zoom lens that the company describes as the “gold standard” of its class.'

This camera offers an impressive 3000mm equivalent optical zoom and up to 12,000mm digital zoom. For those unfamiliar with the difference, optical zoom is achieved through the physical movement of the lens elements, while digital zoom is created by processing or cropping the image within the camera.

Naturally, the image quality at 12,000mm will be significantly degraded due to the limitations of digital zoom. Photos captured using optical zoom will be sharper, but even then, don't expect miracles. Once you exceed 1000mm, additional factors such as atmospheric haze can further impact image quality.

The camera is priced at $1,099.95.

For birders who prefer a convenient, all-in-one setup without the hassle of changing lenses and aren't concerned with top-tier image quality, this camera is a viable option. However, for photographers who are passionate about capturing high-quality bird images, this may not be the right choice.