Nikon P950 – Major Launch or Major Disappointment?
The P950 arrives as a modernised P900. From what we can figure, to fit with the current expectations of today’s cameras and from Nikon’s systems. In this video, we explore the P950 and try to figure whether it’s worth your money as a major upgrade over the P900, or even a major saving over the P1000.
Released in January of 2020, the P950 has left many photographers scratching their heads. Why? Well, Nikon released the P900 in March of 2015, then the P1000 in September of 2018. We’ve been told the P950 is the direct upgrade of the P900 and the P1000 is a different model but in the same category. Filling the same purpose, but better in a number of ways. Still, confused? Yeah, so were we, so we tested it and it performed exactly as we expected. Better than the P900 but not as good as the P1000.
So what specs does the P950 boast?
Summary of Key Features
- 83x optical zoom [24–2000 mm] – Same as the P900
- 16 MP backlit CMOS sensor, fast EXPEED image processor, and Dual Detect Optical Vibration Reduction – Same as the P900
- Uncompressed RAW [NRW] images – This is new
- 4K Video – This is new too
- Vari-angle LCD monitor – Same as the P900
- Viewfinder – P900 has it
- Full-size Hot Shoe – This is new to the P950
- Connectivity – Wifi, USB and Bluetooth – Nothing new here
So, we were not blown away by the specs, but still saw an improvement in some areas. That’s the problem, really. We can’t figure out why Nikon would release a camera that isn’t stretching the cutting edge of bridge camera technology. We tried hard to find areas that won us over but sadly, it sits as another super-zoom bridge camera with a handful of mediocre bells and whistles.
The P900 was a statement and a jewel in the crown of Nikon’s technological capabilities. They were untouchable for many years in the bridge market and won many users over to their system. Now they seemed to have put the anchors on any real innovation and unfortunately, we just don’t feel that the P950 is a viable upgrade when you can pick up a P1000 for less than the cost of the new P950.
To find out more about the Nikon P950 check out our video below and let us know what you think. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with all the latest reviews from #TheMeasure series and other videos on the channel.
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