Nikon P500 vs Casio EX-ZR800 Comparison

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Nikon P500

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

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Casio EX-ZR800

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

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Nikon P500 vs Casio EX-ZR800 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing P500 and EX-ZR800, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Casio. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon P500 has a 12.0 MP and Casio EX-ZR800 has a 16.0 MP resolution. Nikon P500 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Casio EX-ZR800 was launched in August 2013. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than EX-ZR800. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2011-02-09

12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 160 - 3200

23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

Electronic viewfinder

1 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Casio EX-ZR800 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-08-07

16MP - 1/2.3-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 80 - 3200

25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

3 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

1000fps High-Speed Video

222g. 108 x 60 x 31 mm

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Casio Exilim EX-ZR800

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Casio Exilim EX-ZR800

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
Focal Length - Wide	23mm vs 25mm	2 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	810mm vs 450mm	360 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	36× vs 18×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	3.40 vs 3.50	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	5.70 vs 5.90	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	8.0m vs 4.7m	3.3m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	2.34µm² vs 1.76µm²	32% larger pixel area

Reasons to choose Casio Exilim EX-ZR800 over Nikon Coolpix P500

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 12 MP	33% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter	1/2000s vs 1/1500s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	3.0fps vs 1.0fps	2 fps faster
Battery Life	470 shots vs 220 shots	250 more frames with a single charge
Weight	222 g vs 494 g	272 g lighter
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Casio Exilim EX-ZR800

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	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	921k dots vs 922k dots	High resolution screens
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele	810mm vs 450mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Casio Exilim EX-ZR800

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
Max Aperture - Tele	5.70 vs 5.90	Slow lenses at tele

Nikon P500 vs Casio EX-ZR800: 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 P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Casio EX-ZR800 has external dimensions of 108 x 60 x 31 mm (4.25 x 2.36 x 1.22″) and weighs 222 g (0.49 lb / 7.83 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800. Casio EX-ZR800 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 8mm narrower, 24mm shorter and 72mm thinner than Nikon P500.

Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800.

Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 Size and Weight - Back View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Casio EX-ZR800 is significantly lighter (272g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500

EX-ZR800

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500

EX-ZR800

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Casio Exilim EX-ZR800 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 Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

On the other hand, Nikon P500 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 Casio EX-ZR800 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.

Nikon P500 vs Casio EX-ZR800: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 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, Casio EX-ZR800 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features EXILIM Engine HS 3 processor.

Below you can see the P500 and EX-ZR800 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 Cameras

Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 have 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 P500 has 32% larger pixel area compared to Casio EX-ZR800, it has potential to collect more light on pixel level hence have less noise in low light / High ISO images.

Nikon P500 vs Casio EX-ZR800 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Casio EX-ZR800 features a 25-450 mm F3.5-5.9 18× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 2mm wider coverage than the Casio EX-ZR800. At f3.40, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 360mm longer reach than the Casio EX-ZR800. At f5.70, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500

EX-ZR800

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

P500

EX-ZR800

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

P500

EX-ZR800

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

P500

EX-ZR800

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 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 P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Casio EX-ZR800 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
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

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

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Casio EX-ZR800 for Street Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 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

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Casio EX-ZR800 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
450 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Casio EX-ZR800 for Daily Photography

GOOD

35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details

Compact Body
222g
18.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Casio EX-ZR800 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
23 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 Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
25 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 P500 vs Casio EX-ZR800: 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 P500 and Casio EX-ZR800, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 P500 and Casio EX-ZR800 scores compare:

Nikon P500

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Casio EX-ZR800

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #63 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #496 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Casio EX-ZR800 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon P500 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Casio EX-ZR800 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix P500	Casio Exilim EX-ZR800
Brand	Nikon	Casio
Announced	2011-02-09	2013-08-07
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	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	80 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	23-810 mm (36×)	25-450 mm (18×)
Max Aperture	F3.4-5.7	F3.5-5.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	4cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	922k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1500s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	8.00 m	4.70 m
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	1920 x 1080	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	494g	222g
Dimensions	116 x 84 x 103mm	108 x 60 x 31mm
Battery Life	220 shots	470 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction