Nikon P520

Nikon P520 is Nikon's Small Sensor Superzoom camera originally released on January of 2013. The camera comes with a 18MP, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 4896 x 3672.

Nikon released this camera in an effort to replace the earlier Nikon P510 (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards released the updated Nikon P530 (Read Full Comparison) as a way to update this model.

The P520 comes in at #56 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and overall #522 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please look at our Smart camera filter to see camera rankings based on your customized requirements.

The following is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.

The Nikon P520 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can read the complete list underneath.

You can view the P520 from different angles in the gallery here.

Here is a list of pros and cons of the Nikon P520 based on features which are usually regarded as crucial in a camera.

The sensor spec in the Nikon P520 is 6.16mm x 4.62mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can capture 4896 x 3672 pixels . The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization as the latter may cause cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor boasts 18MP and gives a native ISO range of 80 - 3200. Unfortunately, RAW photos are not supported therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic underneath shows the P520's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The P520 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is pointed out in green.

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To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Nikon P520 weighs around 1.21 lb (550g or 19.40 oz) and the size of the camera is 125mm x 84mm x 102mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 4.0"). The weight of average Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g so the Nikon P520 is heavier compared to various competitors.

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Down below is a picture of the Nikon P520 with a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its size.

The top view just below will show you the button arrangement on the P520.

The P520 is equipped with an inbuilt lens giving a focal range of 24-1000mm making it a 41.7 x zoom which is exceptional and can allow you to zoom all the way in.

At it's widest 24mm, the lens will have an aperture of f3.0 making it very sluggish and not very good in low light conditions and you might find it difficult to capture a shallow depth of field. You might also need to increase your ISO producing noisy files. Towards the long end, 1000mm is amazing zoom and comes to f5.9 making it very sluggish and you will have to use slow shutter speeds.

The P520 has the following connectivity:

• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes
• GPS Yes

Digital cameras which have NFC and Bluetooth support can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily transfer photos and in some cases change camera settings with no need to connect directly with the camera.

Many apps also allow a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external display. A lot of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack using the USB socket.

The highest possible video quality in the Nikon P520 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in format. 1080p quality can provide a good balance for quality vs file size but 1080p will not leave you with much room to crop. The body does not offer a mic and headphone port which means that you have got zero control over your audio. It is probably best to purchase an alternative model if you need good audio in your video clips.

There is no environment proofing in the Nikon P520 so you have to be careful in wet or dusty conditions.

The Nikon P520 comes with a 3.2" fully articulated display with a resolution of 921k dots.

The display is selfie friendly to get self portraits as well as group photos when necessary. Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specifications regarding Nikon P520 are the following:

• ViewFinder Electronic

In those sunny outdoor conditions that make the camera displays washed out and tricky to view, viewfinders are very helpful.

Nikon P520 can shoot continuously at 7.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

Nikon P520 boasts just in-built flash with no external flash support.

Nikon P520 boasts only Contrast Detect AF and is missing Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster and exact compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.

The AF system comes with 9 focus points to pick from. Nikon P520 has manual focus if required for low light scenarios or you need more precise control on focus.

The battery life (EN-EL5) in the Nikon P520 is designed to last for 200 clicks with respect to the CIPA specifications making it less as compared to its rivals. The average Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR features the best (600) battery life for this class of cameras.

Following is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras having the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
P520 vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
P520 vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
P520 vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
P520 vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
P520 vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following illustration presents a outline of the Nikon P520 for varying styles of photography. To find out more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

The Nikon P520 gets a rating of 41 which is lousy, and means the camera is not suitable for portraits. Photographing portraits favors greatly towards sensor specs, RAW support together with the potential to utilize external lighting.

With a modest points tally of 51, the Nikon P520 is relatively suitable to use in street photography. A good street photography camera provides a good balance of picture quality and portability.

A average sports photography rating of 46 means the Nikon P520 is relatively acceptable for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs to have good focusing plus continuous shooting for sports photography.

Size is very crucial in picking a travel camera. On the whole, the Nikon P520 gets a modest 57 for a travel camera which makes it reasonably acceptable for your journeys.

In case you're looking to choose a camera for landscape photos, the most essential aspect will be image quality. The Nikon P520 with it's decent score of 46 as a landscape camera is fairly suited among it's rivals.

A camera for vlogging really should posses a moving display screen, mic input and if possible IBIS. Considering everything, the Nikon P520 is relatively appropriate as a vlog camera as it delivers a average rating of 57.

If you want replacements to the P520, below is a range of the top scored cameras which fall within the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram followed below provides you a summary of the P520 compared to it's highest rated rivals mentioned above.

Following are several cameras you might take into account as alternative options. To read a comprehensive comparison, go to the "compare" link.