My Nikon P7700 Revisited

Nikon P7000

Last weekend I was in Red Bluff and brought my Nikon P7000 in case I wanted to make some "snaps". I liked it for its ability to synchronize flash at nearly all shutter speeds, a convenient but indifferent zoom lens, and its compact form factor. When stored, the lens retracts into the body and metal blinds close to protect the lens, a definite advantage for a camera destined to be carried in a pocket. It also has an eye-level view finder of sorts, something I always considered a plus. Add to this image stabilization, and the camera should be something quite useful.

My P7000 was a customer return from a major big-box electronics chain and sold at a deeply discounted price. I soon discovered that its internal battery, the one that keeps the clock going and the custom settings saved, had apparently died, and now I must reset the date and all of my shooting preferences whenever I change the battery. It also appears that the default setting is "No Flash", which means some additional adjustments whenever I want to use an external speedlight. Using the camera can quickly become a study in frustration. But for the price I paid, it was a great deal - of grief.

Nikon P7700

Rather than looking for a used Fujifilm X10 to buy, I decided to see if my Nikon P7700 could overcome some of the quirks of my older P7000. Its form factor is a little deeper than the P7000, as additional features such as a reticulating LCD screen added to the bulk. The camera was carried as a backup for my Nikon DSLR system when I thought I might need to take advantage of its ability to synchronize flash at nearly all speeds. It made several photos that I later submitted for publication, but those images were better known for their "darkness defying" lighting qualities. I decided to stuff this camera in my pocket and take it for a test drive. In addition, it took up far less space than a D70 and provided greater resolution to boot. So for old time's sake, it went into my pocket for my morning walk.

The built-in flash was used to brighten the fire hydrant slightly. I was intrigued by the strength of the morning shadows and the texture provided by the rust.

Morning light, funneled through the gaps in the cityscape, often acts like a spotlight, isolating any objects caught in its path. The colors are a little flat when the light strikes the subject head on, as it did here. Had I not cropped the image as I did, my own shadow would have appeared in the foreground.

This is the only shot that could not have been made with the P7000. The articulated LCD allowed me to compose the image while the camera was held overhead in the "Hail Mary" position, and the zoom lens allowed me to alter the subject to background perspective with a longer focal length lens and a longer shooting distance. I don't think it's my imagination, but this camera's lens seems to be sharper than the one on the older P7000.

I had to crop this image because the barrel distortion of the lens was too distracting. There may be a distortion correction feature hiding in the camera's shooting menu - I just haven't looked. Incidentally, the building is actually white, but warmed by the morning light.

I've walked past this fence on 9th Avenue dozens of times, but this morning is the first time I noticed it, along with the Santa Hat sitting neatly on one of the slats.

I'll play with the camera a while longer. It probably deserves a neck strap.