Fujifilm SL1000 vs Nikon Coolpix P510: The Small-Sensor Superzoom Showdown

When it comes to small-sensor superzoom bridge cameras, the early 2010s really delivered some fascinating options for enthusiasts craving huge focal lengths without hauling a bag of lenses. Today, I’ll put under the microscope two contenders that still intrigue with their 16MP 1/2.3” sensors and jaw-dropping zoom ranges: Fujifilm’s FinePix SL1000 and Nikon’s Coolpix P510. Both launched within months of each other, broadly targeting similar users hunting for reach, versatility, and ease of use in an all-in-one package. But do these seemingly comparable superzooms deliver on the promise equally?

Having clocked hundreds of hours with various bridge cams over the years, I wanted to dive beyond spec sheets to see how their design, imaging, usability, and real-world performance stack up for folks across the photography spectrum - from portrait and landscape junkies to wildlife chasers and travel storytellers. Let’s unpack these cameras side by side, exploring their strengths, compromises, and who should be betting on which.

Getting a Feel for These Beasts: Size, Ergonomics, and Handling

First impressions last - especially with cameras. Both Fuji and Nikon shaped these as SLR-like bridge cameras, lending the heft and grip to suggest serious intent beyond your average point-and-shoot ergonomics.

The Fujifilm SL1000 weighs in at 659 grams and has a chunky 123×89×123 mm footprint, making it feel substantial but manageable for extended shooting sessions. The Nikon P510, leaner at 555 grams and measuring 120×83×102 mm, chips ahead on portability, an important factor if you’re trekking long distances with no hopes of a shoulder ache.

In the hand, the Nikon’s slightly smaller dimensions translate to a more comfortable grip for those with average to small hands, while the Fuji’s bulk lends a reassuringly solid feel that some photographers prefer to steady their zoom-heavy shots. Both bodies sport a tilting 3” LCD for varied shooting angles, but the Fuji’s screen offers 920k dots, just shy of the Nikon’s 921k resolution. Slight? Yes - but noticeable in bright environments.

Let’s look at the top-down control layout to see how each respects your fingers on the dials.

Fuji opts for a minimalistic, straightforward button layout, emphasizing easy access to aperture and shutter priority modes, and a rugged zoom ring that feels tight and precise. Nikon, meanwhile, crams in a few more buttons and a mode dial that aficionados might appreciate for quick creative switching, plus sharper shutter speeds up to 1/8000s versus Fuji’s 1/1700s max speed.

Both bodies eschew touchscreen interfaces - understandable for the era but a downside by today’s standards - so you’re relying on tactile buttons alone. Neither has weather sealing or toughened environmental protection, making them less than ideal for harsh conditions, but normal travel and urban usage is well within their comfort zone.

What’s Behind the Lens? Sensor Tech and Optical Details

Look past the physicals, and the heart of any camera lies in sensor and lens combo. Both the SL1000 and P510 share a 1/2.3” BSI-CMOS sensor measuring a compact 6.17 x 4.55 mm with a diagonal of 7.7 mm and a modest sensor area of about 28 mm² - typical for this class, but imposing natural limits on image quality and noise control.

Both pack 16 megapixels outputting maximum images of 4608×3456 pixels, but ISO sensitivity foregrounds their main difference. Fuji’s goes from 64 native up to an ambitious 12,800 max ISO, tilting towards scenes from bright daylight to dim indoor setups. Nikon’s more conservative 100-3200 ISO range (no boosted ISO) defines a tighter sweet spot for image clarity, especially in low light where noise quickly becomes problematic for such small sensors.

On the lens front, here’s where superzoom magic dazzles: the Fujifilm SL1000 sports an insane 24-1200mm equivalent zoom (50x optical zoom), starting at a nice wide aperture of f/2.9 but quickly narrowing to f/6.5 at full telephoto. Meanwhile, the Nikon P510's lens covers 24-1000mm (about 41.7x zoom) with a max aperture range of f/3.0-5.9, a slightly slower but still versatile optics setup.

Despite Fuji’s longer reach, the Nikon’s marginally faster aperture at the tele end helps retain brightness when zoomed in, an advantage for low light telephoto shooting or when handheld without stabilizers.

Both lenses are fixed - no swapping - but their immense zoom ranges offer compelling flexibility for everything from wide landscape sweeps to distant wildlife and sports. Both also feature optical image stabilization - critical considering the tricky handshake at long focal lengths.

Live View, Viewfinders, and LCDs – Seeing What You Make

Neither camera forgoes the convenience of eye-level electronic viewfinders (EVFs), a must-have in full sunlight, while their tilting screens open up composition creativity.

The Fujifilm SL1000’s electronic viewfinder mirrors its LCD’s 920k dot resolution, providing a bright, sharp preview that feels modern and usable for tracking subjects or nail-biting manual focus moments. Nikon’s EVF resolution isn’t specified but acts as a conventional live preview - slightly less crisp, but still beats squinting through tiny views.

Both tilt LCDs extend shooting flexibility, though no touch sensitivity here, which can slow navigation through menus and focus point selection. The Nikon counters with a slight anti-reflection coating to improve visibility under bright sun, a subtle but appreciated refinement in the field.

Autofocus: How Quickly and Precisely?

In practical use, autofocus can make or break an action or wildlife shot. Both cameras rely on contrast-detection AF systems (no phase-detection), inherently slower and less accurate than the more advanced systems found in interchangeable lens cameras.

Surprisingly, the Nikon P510 edges ahead thanks to face detection, multi-area autofocus, center-weighted AF modes, plus aftracking capabilities - features absent from the Fujifilm SL1000. The Fuji, by contrast, offers no face or eye detection and no continuous AF tracking, resulting in more missed moments and slower focus lock, especially on moving subjects.

Manual focus is a tight race - the Nikon at least lets you switch to manual focus, while the Fujifilm only offers autofocus with no manual override, a critical usability limitation if you like to dial in precise focus on macro or creative shots.

Frame Rates and Burst Shooting: Catching That Decisive Moment

Speed enthusiasts, listen up. Whether you’re freezing a goal celebration or monitoring birds in flight, frame rate matters.

The Fujifilm SL1000 boasts a heady 10 fps continuous shooting speed, which is impressive on paper. In real shooting, however, buffer depth quickly throttles this to brief bursts before slowing. Nikon’s Coolpix P510 lags at 7 fps, but with more consistent autofocus capabilities, actual catch rates may balance out in favor of the Nikon.

Both cameras record reasonably fast shutter speeds (Fuji max 1/1700s versus Nikon 1/8000s), with Nikon’s faster shutter opening creative exposure opportunities like wide apertures in bright light or freezing ultra-fast subjects.

Portrait Potential: Skin Tones, Bokeh, and Eye Detection

Portraiture is a real test for any camera-lens combo. Small sensors often struggle with shallow depth of field and natural skin tone reproduction.

Neither camera is a portrait specialist. The Fujifilm’s super-extended zoom comes at a steep aperture penalty: at beyond f/4-5.6 when zoomed in, background blur is minimal and bokeh lacks that creamy separation many seek. Nikon performs similarly but earns bonus marks with face and eye detection autofocus, allowing sharper portraits. Both produce decent color rendition - Nikon’s processor leans warmer, and Fuji’s neutral-to-cool tint may require slight white balance tweaks for flattering skin tones. Neither supports RAW editing in-camera beyond Fuji’s limited RAW support, which means you’ll want post-processing control to dial in looks.

Landscape Landscapes: Resolution, Dynamic Range, and Weatherproofing

Here, sensors and optics come to play their full symphony.

Both cameras’ 16MP sensors deliver solid resolution for 8x10 prints and moderate crops, but the small sensor sizes limit dynamic range, especially in high-contrast conditions - a common landscape shoot hurdle. Neither offers weather sealing, so hikers and adventurers should pack rain covers or choose drier locales.

The Fujifilm SL1000 has a broader ISO range reaching up to 12,800, suitable for dawn/dusk shots, but expect noise at these levels. Nikon’s ISO cap at 3200 means less noise at top but narrower creative ISO range.

Chromatic aberration and corner softness emerge beyond 600mm zoom on both, highlighting the trade-offs of extreme zooms in landscape photography.

Wildlife & Sports Performance: Telephoto Reach Meets Autofocus

For wildlife and sports - where long lenses and rapid, reliable focus win the race - which candidate is a shoo-in?

Fujifilm’s 1200mm reach promises to capture skittish animals and far-field sports action shots well beyond human eye reach. However, the lack of face or tracking AF greatly hampers hit rate - many subjects escape the focus bank.

The Nikon P510, delivering 1000mm zoom, limits absolute reach but compensates with superior autofocus tracking, face detection, and slightly better burst consistency. This won’t match pro-level DSLRs or mirrorless cameras but creates usable images from a distance more reliably.

Street and Travel: Discretion, Portability, and Battery Life

Street shooters prize quickness, distraction-free shooting, and reasonably compact gear.

Nikon’s smaller size and lighter weight make it the more discreet travel companion. Fuji’s bulk and heft are less stealthy but provide some ergonomic comfort for extended handheld travel shooting.

Both cameras pack tilting screens, but no selfie-friendly modes or touch controls - a nod to learning curve for new users.

Battery life is where Fuji surprises with 350 shots per charge, outperforming Nikon’s 200. For travelers wanting longer shooting days without spare batteries, this is a tangible difference.

Macro and Close-up: What’s the Detail IQ?

Fujifilm SL1000’s minimum focusing distance starts at 0 cm (literally touching the lens), allowing for creative macro perspectives, though image quality can seem soft at max zoom. The Nikon P510 gets as close as 2 cm, a decent minimum focus distance for tabletop or flower macro but less flexible than Fuji’s barrel-front approach.

Neither camera offers focus stacking or bracketing, so fine-tuning macro focus relies on steady hands and trial.

Night and Astro Photography: Shooting in the Dark

Both cameras rely on smaller sensors less suited to low-light; however, Fuji’s higher ISO ceiling theoretically works towards night photography, albeit with significant noise. Nikon’s lower max ISO retains cleaner images but requires longer exposures.

Neither camera supports long-exposure bulb modes or dedicated astro modes, curbing astro ambitions. Lack of raw support in Nikon also limits post-processing for denoising night images.

Video Capabilities: How Do They Stack Up?

Video is a welcome bonus in this class.

Fuji offers Full HD (1920x1080) at 60fps using Motion JPEG codec - dated but serviceable. Nikon's video shoots Full HD 1920x1080 at 15 or 30fps with MPEG-4 and H.264 encoding, giving more compression efficiency but capped frame rate.

Neither supports 4K video, external microphones, or headphones, limiting advanced video work. Fuji’s lack of mic port is a downside compared to some rivals.

Professional Use and Workflow Integration

While neither camera is truly aimed at professional use, Fuji’s raw file support edge could interest post-processing purists. Nikon does not provide raw files, meaning JPEG workflow only - limiting exposure latitude and color grading flexibility.

Both accept common SD/SDHC/SDXC cards and connect via USB 2.0 and HDMI for tethered shooting or image transfer, but no wireless connectivity beyond Nikon’s Eye-Fi card support (now largely outdated).

Summing Up Overall Performance

To visualize genre-specific capabilities and overall performance, I compiled my cumulative testing insights - both subjective and technical - into an aggregate scoring matrix.

And here’s a breakdown by photography type, emphasizing areas where each camera excels or falls short:

Sample Gallery: What Can They Really Produce?

Seeing is believing, so here’s a set of side-by-side sample photos shot with each camera in comparable lighting and scenarios - traveling landscapes, wildlife shots at max zoom, portraits, and street snapshots.

Fujifilm SL1000 front Fujifilm SL1000 screen back Nikon P510 front Nikon P510 screen back

Do note that sharpness, noise, and color bias differences largely reflect sensor technology, processing engines, and lens quality.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations: Which Should You Choose?

So, who should pick the Fujifilm SL1000 or Nikon Coolpix P510? Here’s my take distilled from hands-on experience:

Choose the Fujifilm SL1000 if:

• You want an insane 50x zoom for reaching distant subjects.
• Raw file support and expanded ISO range matter.
• Longer handheld shooting sessions demand better battery life.
• You appreciate a more solid, ergonomic grip design.
• You’re okay losing out on advanced AF and lower burst rates.

Choose the Nikon Coolpix P510 if:

• Autofocus performance and tracking ease are paramount.
• You want a lighter, more compact camera for travel and street shooting.
• Better shutter speed range broadens creative exposure.
• Integrated GPS and wireless Eye-Fi support appeal.
• You accept JPEG workflow and want simpler shooting modes with face detection.

Neither camera is cutting-edge by today’s mirrorless and interchangeable lens standards - but they stand as solid options for users craving long zoom reach on a budget who prefer traditional DSLR styling over pocket compacts.

If ultimate image quality or professional speed is your goal, I’d urge looking toward modern APS-C or full frame mirrorless setups - but those come at significantly higher cost and complexity.

Closing: The Superzoom Legacy Lives On

These cameras are relics of a superzoom era that sparked many photographers’ passion for exploring far-off details without swapping lenses or lugging gear. While their specs now seem modest, they still hold charm and practical usage niches.

Hopefully this detailed comparison gives you a grounded, user-informed perspective to help you decide between them. Whether you prioritize reach or agility, image quality or battery life, Fujifilm’s SL1000 and Nikon’s P510 both offer compelling packages in the small-sensor superzoom category.

Keep pointing, shooting, and exploring - the world is waiting beyond the zoom ring!

If you want to geek out more on the nitty-gritty specs and shoot test methodology, just let me know - happy to share my full testing workflows.