Nikon P500 vs Fujifilm S8500 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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Fujifilm S8500

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

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Nikon P500 vs Fujifilm S8500 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing P500 and S8500, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Fujifilm. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon P500 has a 12.0 MP and Fujifilm S8500 has a 16.0 MP resolution. Nikon P500 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Fujifilm S8500 was launched in January 2013. There is 23 months difference between P500 and S8500 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger S8500, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 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

Fujifilm S8500 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-01-07

16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 64 - 12800

24-1104 mm F2.9-6.5 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

200k dot Electronic viewfinder

10 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

480fps High-Speed Video

670g. 123 x 87 x 116 mm 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 Fujifilm FinePix S8500

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Fujifilm FinePix S8500

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 460k dots	100% higher resolution screen
Weight	494 g vs 670 g	176 g lighter
Focal Length - Wide	23mm vs 24mm	1 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Tele	5.70 vs 6.50	faster lens at tele

Reasons to choose Fujifilm FinePix S8500 over Nikon Coolpix P500

Max Sensor Resolution	16 MP vs 12 MP	33% more pixels
Max ISO	12.800 vs 3.200	300% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter	1/7000s vs 1/1500s	faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting	10.0fps vs 1.0fps	9 fps faster
Focal Length - Tele	1104mm vs 810mm	294 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	46× vs 36×	more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Wide	2.90 vs 3.40	faster lens at wide

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Fujifilm FinePix S8500

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Optical	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Viewfinder	Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic)	Better framing and control
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide	23mm vs 24mm	Very good wide angle coverage
Focal Length - Tele	810mm vs 1104mm	Very good Telezoom

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Fujifilm FinePix S8500

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 6.50	Slow lenses at tele

Nikon P500 vs Fujifilm S8500: 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 Fujifilm S8500 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). Fujifilm S8500 has external dimensions of and weighs 670 g (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500. Nikon P500 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 7mm narrower, 3mm shorter and 13mm thinner than Fujifilm S8500.

Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500.

Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon P500 is significantly lighter (176g ) than the Fujifilm S8500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P500

S8500

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P500

S8500

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Fujifilm FinePix S8500 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500'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 Fujifilm S8500 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.

Nikon P500 vs Fujifilm S8500: 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, Fujifilm S8500 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the P500 and S8500 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 Cameras

Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon P500 vs Fujifilm S8500 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Fujifilm S8500 features a 24-1104 mm F2.9-6.5 46× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 1mm wider coverage than the Fujifilm S8500. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f2.90, Fujifilm S8500 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Fujifilm S8500 has 294mm longer telezoom reach than the Nikon P500. However, with a max aperture of f5.70, Nikon P500 is faster at widest end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500

S8500

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500

S8500

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500

S8500

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500

S8500

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Fujifilm S8500 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

Fujifilm S8500 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
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
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Fujifilm S8500 for Street Photography

AVERAGE

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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Fujifilm S8500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/7000s
1104 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Fujifilm S8500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

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

46.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
670g
Body Thickness 116mm
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Fujifilm S8500 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 Exposure Mode
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 Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Fujifilm S8500: 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 Fujifilm S8500, 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 Fujifilm S8500 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

Fujifilm S8500

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #87 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #708 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon P500 has a higher Overall Score than the Fujifilm S8500. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that P500 trails behind the S8500: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Fujifilm S8500. If not, we recommend the Nikon P500.

Fujifilm S8500 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix P500	Fujifilm FinePix S8500
Brand	Nikon	Fujifilm
Announced	2011-02-09	2013-01-07
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)	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	12,800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	160 ISO	64 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×)	24-1104 mm (46×)
Max Aperture	F3.4-5.7	F2.9-6.5
Macro Focus Range	1cm	0cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	n/a	200k dots
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1500s	1/7000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	8.00 m	n/a
Max Flash Sync	n/a	s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	10.0 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	Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	494g	670g
Dimensions	116 x 84 x 103mm	123 x 87 x 116 mmmm
Battery Life	220 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction