Nikon Coolpix P520 Review

Overall Score

44

Main Features

  • 18 MP 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • 24-1000 mm (41.7x) F3.0-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • 80 - 3200 ISO
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Articulated Screen
  • Electronic Viewfinder
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-In Wireless
  • Built-In GPS
  • 125 x 84 x 102 mm, 550g.
  • Price Category:
  • Replaced: Coolpix P510
  • Replaced by: Coolpix P530

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Nikon Coolpix P520 Overview


First introduced in January, 2013, Nikon Coolpix P520 is a 18 MP Compact with a 1/2.3 (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sized BSI-CMOS sensor. Nikon replaced the older Nikon P510 with Coolpix P520. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Nikon P520 with Nikon P510

Nikon replaced Coolpix P520 with Nikon P530. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Nikon P520 with Nikon P530


Nikon P520 comes with a 6.16 x 4.62 mm BSI-CMOS sensor, which has a diagonal of 7.7 mm (0.3").

- Full Frame
- Nikon Coolpix P520

Sensor resolution of Nikon P520 ~ 4892 x 3678 pixels.

Nikon P520 has Crop Factor: 5.62

The sensor has a surface area of 28.5 mm².

There are approximate 17,992,776 photosites (pixels) on this area.

Nikon P520 Series History
Model Year $ Sensor ISO Weight Dimensions
Nikon Coolpix P530 Nikon P530 2014 16MP 100 - 6400 494g 123 x 84 x 98mm
Nikon Coolpix P520 Nikon P520 2013 18MP 80 - 3200 550g 125 x 84 x 102mm
Nikon Coolpix P510 Nikon P510 2012 16MP 100 - 3200 555g 120 x 83 x 102mm
Nikon Coolpix P500 Nikon P500 2011 12MP 160 - 3200 494g 116 x 103 x 84mm

Proc and Cons of Nikon P520


Get to know this camera closer. Let's look at the features and characteristics of this model. Compare Nikon Coolpix P520 with competitors in small sensor superzoom cameras.

Pros
Built-in Wireless
Articulating Screen
7.0 fps Continuous Shooting
Manual Focus
9 Focus Points
±2 AE Bracketing Range
Optical Image Stabilization
921k dots Screen Resolution
1/4000s Max Shutter Speed
Manual Exposure Mode
5.9 Lens at Tele
24 mm Wide Angle Lens
Selfie Friendly Screen
Cons
No Bluetooth
No Touch Screen
No Environmental Sealing
Slow Lens at Wide: F3.0
Low Battery Life: 200 shots
No Articulating Screen
No AF Face Detection
No External Flash
Slow Lens at Tele: F5.9
Type Scores

Nikon Coolpix P520 has an Overall Score of 44/100 and ranked #270 out of 802 in Compact cameras, and ranked #667 out of 1222 in all cameras.

Nikon P520 Scores
Imaging score
22
Features score
49
Value for money score
61
Portability score
78
Overall score
44
Average Scores in Small Sensor Superzoom
Imaging Score
25
Features Score
51
Value For Money Score
61
Portability Score
85
Overall score
45

Physical Dimensions of Nikon P520


Nikon Coolpix P520 weighs 550g and has external dimensions of 125 x 84 x 102mm (4.92 x 3.31 x 4.02"). Considering that the average weight of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras is 392g, Nikon P520 is 158 grams more than the average weight of cameras in this category. Nikon P520 is more by 12mm more than the average length in Small Sensor Superzoom.

Weight Comparison
Small Sensor Superzoom Cameras


Nikon P520
550g
Average weight
392g
Min weight
136g
Max weight
1415g

Thickness Comparison
Small Sensor Superzoom Cameras


Nikon P520
102mm
Average Thickness
65mm
Min Thickness
0mm
Max Thickness
181mm

Here is the front and top view image of Nikon Coolpix P520 with the dimensions:

Nikon Coolpix P520

Size Compared to Major Competitors


Model Weight Coolpix P520 Dimensions Coolpix P520
Nikon Coolpix P530 Nikon P530 494 g 550 g 123 x 84 x 98 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix P510 Nikon P510 555 g 550 g 120 x 83 x 102 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix P610 Nikon P610 565 g 550 g 125 x 85 x 107 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix P900 Nikon P900 899 g 550 g 140 x 103 x 137 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix P600 Nikon P600 565 g 550 g 125 x 85 x 107 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix B500 Nikon B500 541 g 550 g 114 x 78 x 95 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix B700 Nikon B700 565 g 550 g 125 x 85 x 107 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Nikon Coolpix L840 Nikon L840 538 g 550 g 114 x 89 x 96 mm 125 x 84 x 102 mm

Specifications of Nikon Coolpix P520


General
Brand Nikon
Model Coolpix P520
Announced January, 2013
Body Type SLR-like (bridge)
Lens
Lens Mount fixed lens
Manual Focus
Focal Lens Multiplier
Number of Lenses 0
Macro Focus Range 1
Screen
Screen Size 3"
Screen Type Articulated
Screen Resolution 921k pixels
Touch Screen
Live View
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage n/a%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.0
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9
Number of Cross Focus Points 0
Photography Features
RAW Support
Min Shutter Speed 1/8 sec
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash
Flash Modes n/a
External Flash
AE Bracketing
AE Bracketing Range ±2 EV
WB Bracketing
Sensor
Sensor Size 1/2.3
Sensor Type BSI-CMOS
Sensor Dimensions 6.16 x 4.62 mm
Sensor Area 28.5 mm²
Sensor Resolution 18 MP
Max Image Resolution 4896 x 3672
Max Native ISO 3200
Min Native ISO 80
Max Boosted ISO 0
Min Boosted ISO 0
Video Features
4K
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
Video Formats
Timelapse Recording
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
Connectivity
GPS Built-In
Wireless Connectivity Built-In
Bluetooth
HDMI
USB none
Battery
Battery Life 200 shots
Battery Type Battery Pack
Battery Model EN-EL5
Physical
Weight 550 g
Physical Dimensions 125 x 84 x 102 mm
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Shock Proof
Storage
Storage Type SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage Slots 1
Other Features
Self Timer
Selfie Friendly

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