How to Use Nikon Coolpix P510
The Nikon Coolpix P510 is a superzoom bridge camera with a 42x optical zoom lens covering 24mm to 1000mm (35mm equivalent). That’s enough reach to photograph birds, the moon, distant wildlife, and sports action from the far side of a field. The 16.1-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers solid image quality for the class, and the built-in GPS tags your photos with location data automatically.
Add full PASM manual controls, 1080p video, a vari-angle LCD, and Vibration Reduction, and you’ve got a versatile camera that handles a wide range of situations. This guide covers the settings and techniques that help you get the best results.
Getting Started
Battery and Memory Card
The P510 uses the EN-EL5 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which delivers about 230 shots per charge. That’s modest, so a spare battery is worth carrying. Charge fully before your first session.
Insert an SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory card. A Class 10 card with at least 16 GB handles a full day of photos and video clips.
Initial Setup
Turn on the camera and follow the prompts to set the language, time zone, date, and daylight saving time. If you enable GPS (more on that below), the clock syncs automatically with satellite data.
Shooting Modes
The mode dial on top of the camera gives you full control over how the P510 handles exposure.
Auto Mode: Camera handles everything. Good for casual snapshots.
Scene Auto Selector: The camera detects the scene type (portrait, landscape, night, etc.) and applies the right preset automatically. Works well as a smarter version of full auto.
Scene Modes: Manual selection of presets including Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Landscape, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Close-up, Food, Museum, Fireworks, Black and White Copy, Backlighting, Easy Panorama, and Pet Portrait.
P (Program): Camera sets aperture and shutter speed. You can shift the combination and control ISO and white balance.
A (Aperture Priority): You set the aperture (f/3 at wide to f/5.9 at full zoom). Camera picks shutter speed.
S (Shutter Priority): You set shutter speed. Use 1/500+ to freeze action. Use slower speeds for motion blur or low-light situations.
M (Manual): Full control over both aperture and shutter speed. The exposure meter on screen guides your settings.
User Settings (U): Save your favorite shooting configuration and recall it instantly by turning the dial to U. Useful for switching quickly between a landscape setup and a wildlife setup.
The 42x Zoom
The P510’s 42x zoom covers 24mm to 1000mm. At the wide end, the lens captures wide landscapes and architecture. At 1000mm, distant subjects fill the frame.
Use the side zoom control for smooth, variable-speed zooming. At the telephoto end, the field of view is extremely narrow, so even small movements send your subject flying out of frame. The built-in Vibration Reduction helps, but bracing the camera on a fence, ledge, or tripod produces the sharpest results at full zoom.
Digital Zoom
Beyond 42x optical, the P510 offers Dynamic Fine Zoom up to 84x. Image quality drops compared to optical zoom, but for web-sized photos the results are acceptable. The camera indicates when you’ve crossed from optical to digital zoom.
Built-In GPS
The P510 has a built-in GPS receiver that logs your location and embeds latitude, longitude, and altitude data into each photo’s EXIF. This is useful for travel photography and organizing images by location. Enable or disable GPS in the Setup menu. Keep in mind that GPS uses battery power continuously when active, so disable it when you don’t need location tagging.
Autofocus
The P510 uses contrast-detection AF. Half-press the shutter button and a green indicator confirms focus lock. AF area options include Face Priority (detects and focuses on faces), Manual (move the point yourself), Center, and Subject Tracking (follows a moving subject across the frame).
For distant wildlife at full zoom, Center AF is the most reliable. For people, Face Priority handles focus automatically. Subject Tracking works well for animals and action at medium zoom ranges.
Macro mode lets the camera focus as close as about 1 cm at the wide end, which is great for flowers, insects, and detail shots.
Video Recording
The P510 records Full HD 1080p at 30 fps and 720p at 30 fps. Press the dedicated movie record button to start and stop. The full 42x optical zoom is available during recording, with reduced zoom speed to minimize motor noise.
VR works during video. The built-in stereo microphone captures ambient sound. There’s no external mic input, so audio quality depends on the internal mic. Wind noise reduction can be enabled for outdoor shooting.
The Vari-Angle LCD
The 3-inch, 921K-dot LCD flips out and rotates in any direction. This is a real advantage for low-angle macro shots, high-angle shooting over crowds, and video recording from unusual positions. The screen folds inward to protect the glass during transport.
ISO and Image Quality
The P510’s ISO range runs from 100 to 3200 in standard mode, expandable to 6400. The 1/2.3-inch sensor produces clean images at ISO 100 to 400. ISO 800 shows mild grain. ISO 1600 and above introduces noticeable noise. For the best quality, shoot at ISO 100 or 200 whenever possible and use VR and a tripod instead of pushing ISO higher.
Image quality options include Fine and Normal JPEG. RAW is not available on this model. Use Fine for the best compression and detail retention.
Tips for Better Results
Moon: M mode, 1000mm, ISO 100, f/5.9, 1/250 shutter speed. Tripod required. The P510 can capture clear craters and maria on the lunar surface.
Birds and Wildlife: S mode at 1/500+, Subject Tracking AF, continuous shooting. Brace the camera on a solid surface at full zoom. Shoot in bright light for the fastest AF response.
Landscapes: Wide end (24mm), A mode at f/5 to f/8, ISO 100, tripod. Use panorama mode for ultra-wide scenic shots.
Portraits: Zoom to 50-100mm for a flattering perspective. Portrait scene mode softens the background and warms skin tones.
Travel: Enable GPS to tag every photo with its location. Use Scene Auto Selector for quick, reliable results when you don’t have time to adjust settings. The vari-angle LCD helps with creative compositions at unusual angles.
Final Thoughts
The Nikon Coolpix P510 gives you 42x zoom, built-in GPS, full manual controls, and a vari-angle screen in one portable package. The zoom range opens up photography opportunities that would cost thousands in interchangeable lenses on a DSLR. Learn the zoom stabilization techniques, explore the PASM modes, and take advantage of the GPS for travel documentation. This camera does a lot with a little.