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The Bottom Line
When looking for a high-quality camera, it's easy to become distracted by a variety of features and specifications. The Nikon Coolpix P7700 isn't immune to offering some of those advanced features, as it has a very high quality articulated LCD screen, a hot shoe to add an external flash, and extra ports for adding various accessories.
While those are nice features, Nikon didn't forget to put together a camera that can create outstanding images.
The Coolpix P7700 is going to give you great image quality, thanks in part to a 1/1.7-inch image sensor, which is larger than what you're going to find in the majority of fixed-lens cameras.
Among cameras in the sub-$500 price range, the P7700 compares very favorably in terms of image quality and in the number of features and controls the camera offers. If you can afford the P7700 and if you don't want to upgrade to an interchangeable lens camera, you'll be very pleased if you choose this Coolpix model.
Specifications
Pros
Cons
Image Quality
Cameras in this price range sometimes will have larger image sensors -- not as large as what you'd find in a DSLR camera, but larger than point-and-shoot fixed-lens cameras -- and the P7700 is no exception. The good image quality with this model occurs in part because of its 1/1.7-inch CMOS image sensor.
Even though the Coolpix P7700 offers just 12.2 megapixels of resolution, which is quite a bit less than many point-and-shoot cameras currently on the market, the P7700's resolution is going to be of a much higher quality than those thin 16MP and 18MP cameras that have smaller image sensors than the P7700.
The P7700 has a very high quality lens as well, offering a maximum aperture of f/2.0 at the wide angle setting. This is an impressive option for a fixed lens camera.
HD video resolution up to 1080p is available with the P7700, and the overall movie quality is very good.
Performance
Although having only a 7.1X optical zoom lens is a bit of a disappointment, the reality is that the P7700's 7.1X zoom is larger than what you're going to find with many fixed lens cameras that have larger image sensors and that are in this price point.
One interesting feature that Nikon included with this Coolpix model is that you can set the zoom lens to a default magnification level, which means that each time you press the power button, the lens will automatically move to that zoom measurement. This can be a nice option if you commonly use the camera at the maximum zoom.
As you'd probably expect, the Coolpix P7700 is a fast performer. The autofocus works very quickly, and there's almost no shutter lag in any shooting situation. Shot to shot delays are minimal as well.
Another nice aspect of the P7700 is that you can shoot images in either RAW or JPEG formats, which will give you some flexibility in your images that you don't normally have with a fixed lens camera. However, Nikon chose to only include 1:1 and 16:9 aspect ratio options for still images with the P7700, which is a bit of a disappointment.
The P7700 has a popup flash unit, which is a nice option for achieving a better angle to the scene than what you'd have with a flash that's built into the camera body. You do have to open the popup flash manually; it would be a better feature if the flash automatically opened each time the camera sensed it was needed. With the hot shoe, you also can attach an external flash unit if desired.
Design
The Coolpix P7700 is not a small camera. "Chunky" is the best word I can come up with to describe this model. It's certainly not as thick or large as a DSLR model, but it's quite a bit larger than most fixed lens cameras currently on the market, other than those that offer extremely large zoom lenses.
Nikon has included a host of features, buttons, and dials with the P7700, which some beginning photographers may find a bit overwhelming. However, if you're willing to take the time required to learn how to use the intermediate and advanced features that are available on this camera, you're going to learn a lot about photography.
The P7700 has a mode dial, which is handy for selecting the exact shooting mode you want to use. Nikon included three customizable positions on the mode dial, which is great for creating a unique set of commands that you can call up whenever you want.
The four-way button is a spin dial, which makes it easy to move quickly through menu options or through the photos stored on the memory card. There's a Quick Menu dial, too, which gives you quick access to some commonly used features, which is important because the P7700's menus are pretty cluttered with a large number of options. Until you get used to figuring out all of the buttons and dials and menu options, be prepared to spend a bit of extra time searching for the features you want.
The best part about the design of the Coolpix P7700 is the articulated 3.0-inch LCD screen. This LCD offers 921,000 pixels of resolution, and it's a very bright and sharp screen. The articulated LCD makes it possible to shoot odd-angle photos and self-portraits. You also can connect the P7700 to a tripod and then use the articulated LCD to angle the LCD to make it easier to see without having to bend over.
The high-quality LCD is just another terrific feature on a terrific camera. The P7700 has a high price tag, but if your budget is high enough and you want a fixed lens camera rather than a DSLR, this Coolpix model is a great choice.