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Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Comparison

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Nikon P500

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

Nikon P500
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Nikon L820

16 MP | 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon L820
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Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing P500 and L820, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras by Nikon. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon P500 has a 12.0 MP and Nikon L820 has a 16.0 MP resolution. Nikon P500 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Nikon L820 was launched in January 2013. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than L820. 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 Nikon L820 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

Nikon L820 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-01-29
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 3200
  • 23-675 mm F3.0-5.8 Zoom Lens
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 8 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 470g. 111 x 76 x 85 mm
  • Replaced Nikon Coolpix L810 Compare

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 Nikon Coolpix L820

Nikon L820 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix L830. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix L830 vs Nikon Coolpix L820
Nikon Coolpix L830 vs Nikon Coolpix P500

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Nikon Coolpix L820
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Electronic vs None Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 675mm 135 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
36× vs 30× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.80 faster lens at tele


Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix L820 over Nikon Coolpix P500
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
8.0fps vs 1.0fps 7 fps faster
Battery Life
320 shots vs 220 shots 100 more frames with a single charge
Weight
470 g vs 494 g 24 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide
3.00 vs 3.40 faster lens at wide

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Nikon Coolpix L820
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 921k dots High resolution screens
Focal Length - Wide
23mm vs 23mm Very good wide angle coverage
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 675mm Very good Telezoom
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Nikon Coolpix L820
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 5.80 Slow lenses at tele
New4
Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820: 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 Nikon L820 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). Nikon L820 has external dimensions of 111 x 76 x 85 mm (4.37 x 2.99 x 3.35″) and weighs 470 g (1.04 lb / 16.58 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820. Nikon L820 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 5mm narrower, 8mm shorter and 18mm thinner than Nikon P500.

Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820.

Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820.
Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon L820 is 24g lighter than the Nikon P500 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P500
L820
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P500
L820
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Nikon Coolpix L820 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 Nikon L820'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 Nikon L820 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820: 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, Nikon L820 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.16 x 4.62 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the P500 and L820 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 Cameras


Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Nikon L820 features a 23-675 mm F3.0-5.8 30× zoom lens.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 23mm. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f3.00, Nikon L820 is faster than Nikon P500 at this focal length. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 135mm longer reach than the Nikon L820. At f5.70, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
L820
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
L820
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
L820
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
L820
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Nikon L820 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

Nikon L820 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
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Nikon L820 for Street Photography

POOR
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
Live-view
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon L820 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
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
675 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Environmental Sealings
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.80
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Nikon L820 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
29.3X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
470g
Body Thickness 85mm
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Nikon L820 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
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3″ (6.16 x 4.62 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Nikon L820: 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 Nikon L820, 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 Nikon L820 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
Nikon L820
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #112 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #1121 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Nikon P500 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon L820 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Nikon L820
Nikon L820
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Nikon L820 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Nikon Coolpix L820
Brand Nikon Nikon
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-01-29
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 6.16 x 4.62 mm
Area 28.07mm2 28.46mm2
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 125 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×) 23-675 mm (30×)
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 F3.0-5.8
Macro Focus Range 1cm n/a
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 8.0 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 n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 470g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 111 x 76 x 85mm
Battery Life 220 shots 320 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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