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Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Comparison

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Nikon P300

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P300
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Nikon P510

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P510
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Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Nikon cameras cameras with different body types: Nikon P300, which was introduced in May 2011 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Nikon P510, which was introduced in July 2012 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. There is 13 months difference between P300 and P510 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger P510, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P300 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-05-31
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 24-100 mm F1.8-4.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • 189g. 103 x 58 x 32 mm

Nikon P510 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-07-05
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • 24-1000 mm F3.0-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 120fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in GPS
  • 555g. 120 x 83 x 102 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix P500 Compare

Nikon P300 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P310. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P310 vs Nikon Coolpix P300
Nikon Coolpix P310 vs Nikon Coolpix P510

Nikon P510 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P520. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P520 vs Nikon Coolpix P510
Nikon Coolpix P520 vs Nikon Coolpix P300

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P300 over Nikon Coolpix P510
Internal Storage
90 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Battery Life
240 shots vs 200 shots 40 more frames with a single charge
Weight
189 g vs 555 g 366 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide
1.80 vs 3.00 faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele
4.90 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
2.34µm2 vs 1.76µm2 32% larger pixel area
CHECK P300 PRICE


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P510 over Nikon Coolpix P300
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Focal Length - Tele
1000mm vs 100mm 900 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
41.7× vs 4.2× more flexible focal coverage
CHECK P510 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P300 and Nikon Coolpix P510
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
922k dots vs 921k dots High resolution screens
Max Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 7.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide
24mm vs 24mm Very good wide angle coverage
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P300 and Nikon Coolpix P510
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P300 has external dimensions of 103 x 58 x 32 mm (4.06 x 2.28 x 1.26″) and weighs 189 g (0.42 lb / 6.67 oz) (including batteries). Nikon P510 has external dimensions of 120 x 83 x 102 mm (4.72 x 3.27 x 4.02″) and weighs 555 g (1.22 lb / 19.58 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510. Nikon P300 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 17mm narrower, 25mm shorter and 70mm thinner than Nikon P510.

Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510.

Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510.
Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon P300 is significantly lighter (366g ) than the Nikon P510 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P300
P510
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P300
P510
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P300 nor Nikon Coolpix P510 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P300 and Nikon P510's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Nikon P510 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Nikon P300 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P510.
Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P300 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Nikon P510 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor.

Below you can see the P300 and P510 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 Cameras


Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Nikon P300 has 32% larger pixel area compared to Nikon P510, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P300 features a 24-100 mm F1.8-4.9 4.2× zoom lens whereas Nikon P510 features a 24-1000 mm F3.0-5.9 41.7× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 24mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Nikon P300 is faster than Nikon P510 at this focal length. On the tele end, Nikon P510 has 900mm longer telezoom reach than the Nikon P300. However, with a max aperture of f4.90, Nikon P300 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

P300
P510
Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS
Average
Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

P300
P510
Longest - Canon SX520 HS
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

P300
P510
Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

P300
P510
Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon P300 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Nikon P510 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon P300 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon P510 for Street Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon P300 for Sports Photography

POOR

Nikon P510 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 240 shots
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
1000 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 200 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon P300 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon P510 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Compact Body
189g
4.2X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
41.7X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
555g
Body Thickness 102mm
Read the details

Nikon P300 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon P510 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Manual Exposure Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Built-in GPS
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P300 vs Nikon P510: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon P300 and Nikon P510, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon P300 and Nikon P510 scores compare:

Nikon P300
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #176 out of 477 in Compact cameras
Ranked #779 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Nikon P510
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #38 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #515 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Nikon P510 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon P300 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon P300. Otherwise, Nikon P510 is the better camera overall.

Nikon P300
Nikon P300
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Nikon P510
Nikon P510
CHECK PRICE

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Nikon P510 vs Nikon P300 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P300 Nikon Coolpix P510
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2011-05-31 2012-07-05
Body Type Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 28.07mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
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 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 24-100 mm (4.2×) 24-1000 mm (41.7×)
Max Aperture F1.8-4.9 F3.0-5.9
Macro Focus Range 3cm 2cm
Screen
Type Fixed type Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 922k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Electronic
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 6.50 m n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 7.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 189g 555g
Dimensions 103 x 58 x 32mm 120 x 83 x 102mm
Battery Life 240 shots 200 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
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