Nikon’s Sleeper Camera Is A Hidden GEM!

Just keep you guys in the loop with our latest video and it’s about a camera a lot of people may not have heard of, or remember. It is a humble but feature packed compact camera that is currently still a bargain.

The camera is a Nikon Coolpix P300. Introduced in 2011, this camera sports a 12.2mp BSI 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor.

The tactile feel and controls of an old digicam is something modern cell phone cameras still cannot fully duplicate.

Now in today’s world why would anyone choose to shoot with a 14 year old digicam instead of your modern iPhone or Android? Beats me! πŸ˜‚

Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who still enjoy using old digicams. As many of you guys know old digicams have become more popular than ever thanks to YouTube and social media.

It seems to me there are many factors going on. One, the audience for these older cameras are generally young people, primarily Gen Z. There’s a nostalgia factor going on. A longing to experience a time when they were very young or even a time before they were born. It’s a generational thing. I cannot blame them. I’ve been there before. We all have.

The Nikon Coolpix P300 produces rich color and tonality.

There’s also the hipsters who once caught on to film and drove the film camera prices up but have abandoned film due to rising prices and difficulties in getting the film developed.

But there’s also a real physical factor involved too. The fact that most modern cell phone cameras still lack the dials and buttons. It’s the tactile feel and experience that the youngsters crave to experience.

Check out the video for details, but the Nikon Coolpix P300 fits the bill perfectly. And it was largely overlooked by critics and hipsters alike who unfairly compared the camera to cameras like the amazing but at one time, cheap, Canon PowerShot S95 which did go on to become one of those cameras embraced by YouTube hipsters, thus raising the prices significantly.

This camera creates images with rich color and tones reminiscent of Nikon digital slrs. However, its ace of spades is the remarkable ability to create dramatic and beautiful black and white files, in-camera. It’s so good, I think it can easily rival my old favorite Ricoh GRD original which I’ve done many articles on. That’s not easy for me to admit because I’ve been a champion of the Ricoh GRD for years.

The camera creates rich b&w images with surprising depth and tones, especially for a small sensor. A friend said it looked like I cut and pasted this lady onto the picture. I said, well then this is what you might call “pop” in a pic! 😍
Dark, dramatic, tones reminiscent of the original Ricoh GRD, one of my all time favorite b&w cameras.

Check out the video and let me know what you think! And if you become interested in the Nikon it’s probably best to pick it up sooner rather than later before some bigger YouTubers make it hip but remember you found out how good it was on Camera Legend 😍

Thanks for reading and have an awesome rest of the weekend you guys! πŸ˜ŽπŸ“Έβ€οΈπŸ‘

4 thoughts on “Nikon’s Sleeper Camera Is A Hidden GEM!

    1. Thanks Jim! Yes, absolutely right. It surprised me that most of the reviews for this camera go back as far as 14 years. This Nikon was dismissed by critics who rather unfairly compared it to cameras like the Canon S95 and the Panasonic LX5, and was criticized for lacking a Raw mode. However they missed the point of this camera, which is to create beautiful color and b&w images easily, in camera. If I recall correctly, the Canon S90 or S95 is one of your go to digicams and it remains a true digicam Camera Legend of this era. Thanks for dropping a comment!

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    1. I agree! I have the P7800 which is basically a 7700 with a viewfinder and I think it’s one of best Coolpix cameras Nikon ever made. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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