I can't imagine a more versatile camera to take on long hikes, or as a travel camera. In a relatively compact and lightweight package, it combines the ability to shoot wide enough to get a good context shot of a large building, yet with enough zooming capability to zero-in on an architectural detail...

Even with its impressive focal range of 24mm to 3,000mm (35mm equivalent), this camera is a lot for the average photographer to handle. But, with patience, practice and a very steady hand, you may be able to capture unique pictures of wildlife - and even the craters on the moon.

125x 24-3,000mm (equivalent) lens; Excellent image stabilization; Fully articulating LCD; 4K UHD video; RAW capabilities

Bulky; Variable image quality; No touch screen; Short battery life

The Coolpix P1000 is certainly an achievement, and the ability to capture reasonably good images at the 3000mm end marks it as unique. Its key positive attributes include very good handling, effective Vibration Reduction and a clear menu system, but in order to be able to deliver a camera with such...

Unique 125x optical zoom; Effective VR system; Sharp shots at 3000mm possible (though difficult; Very good handling; Raw shooting option

Camera can lock up after bursts; Autofocus struggles at times; Below-average LCD; No weather-sealing; General image quality

Camera optical and image quality is all they say it is. The 125 zoom works very well and the stabilzation is amazing so pictures at full zoom are possible handheld. There is also digital zoom taking the effective zoom to 500x !!

the bottom line, i didn't like the images it produced. they don't stand up to close scrutiny under any conditions. nikon needs to step up the game on the sensor and processing front before this type of system will be worth the 1k price

These alternatives are better fits for most photographers. But not everyone falls into the bucket of most. If the P1000's lens speaks to you, and you understand the camera's limitations and quirks, it could serve you very well.

Incredible 125x (24-3,000mm) zoom range; 7fps burst; Vari-angle LCD; EVF; Raw support; 4K video; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Image quality suffers at maximum zoom; Unresponsive after bursts; No weather protection; Pricey; Bulky; Screen omits touch support

Some glitches with the App connectivity but the zoom is amazing

It's been a while since Nikon introduced a new 'ultra-zoom' to its line-up, 3 years to be precise, so the arrival of the Nikon Coolpix P1000 Bridge Camera has got people talking. The new Nikon Coolpix P1000, quite literally, reaches for the stars with a huge zoom lens that's equivalent to 24-3000mm...

125x optical zoom lens; 4K video recording; RAW; and manual modes; Large rubberised grip; Large electronic viewfinder; Good connectivity

Heavy and Huge; Poor battery life; Tripod recommended for anything over 2000mm; Image quality beyond 2000mm deteriorates

Bridge cameras are loved by many and hated by others They offer a way to give you a little bit of everything all in one package – but perhaps the P1000 is trying to do just a bit too much. Now, if we were to judge the P1000 on its ability to deliver a market-leading zoom just “because” then it’d be very highly rated. However, as it is, it’s probably not a very practical camera for 99% of the photographer population – and therefore it’s kind of hard to recommend it to many people. Image quality is decent, in bright light and at wider focal lengths, but what you can capture at 3000mm is hardly likely to win any awards for sharpness, clarity – and with how difficult it is to frame at this length. If you want a travel camera that’s not quite so ridiculous, and offers better image quality, take a look at the Panasonic FZ2000, or the Sony RX10 IV – both sporting a one-inch sensor, you’re sacrificing a heck of a lot of zoom, but more than making up for it in image quality. Still, it’s a remarkable achievement and shows exactly the sort of clever tech Nikon are capable of producing. The next thing they need to do is shrink it all down into a much more manageable size. Right now though? It's a work in progress...

Huge zoom; RAW format shooting; 4K video;

Massively bulky and weighty; Very small sensor; Screen not touch-sensitive; Very expensive;

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 ($999.95) is beyond an audacious idea for a camera. It marries a small 16MP image sensor—about the same dimensions as what you find in a top-end smartphone—to an absurdly big, long 125x zoom lens. The result is a bit of a Frankenstein device, with a body as big as an SLR, and a large, permanently attached lens. It's not the right camera for every photographer or situation, and it requires a good deal of skill to use effectively at maximum zoom. But it does succeed in filling a niche, and will find a place in the heart and bag of some photographers, especially for use in capturing images of distant wildlife. That said, for most photographers we recommend the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS as our Editors' Choice for cameras that exceed a 50x zoom ratio. It costs about half as much as the P1000, seems to be about half the size, and is a better all-arounder. But if you laugh at a zoom with a "mere" 1,365mm reach, the 3,000mm zoom of the P1000 may lure you in with its...

The Nikon Coolpix P1000 has the longest zoom of any fixed lens camera yet, but it takes a good deal of skill to master.

Incredible 125x (24-3,000mm) zoom range; 7fps burst; Vari-angle LCD; EVF; Raw support; 4K video; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Image quality suffers at maximum zoom; Unresponsive after bursts; No weather protection; Pricey; Bulky; Screen omits touch support