Alright, so today I’m digging into my memories about the Coolpix P90. It’s been a while, but that camera definitely left an impression, for better or worse, you know?
How I Ended Up With This Camera
I remember I was looking for something with a bit more oomph than my little point-and-shoot, especially for zoom. I wasn’t about to lug around a giant DSLR and a bag full of lenses, no way. So, I was poking around, reading stuff online, and the P90 popped up. The big sell was that massive zoom lens on a body that wasn’t too chunky. I thought, “Okay, let’s give this a shot.” So, I went out and bought one. Pulled it out of the box, and it felt pretty solid in my hands, not too heavy, but not flimsy either. The flip-out screen was a neat touch, I figured that would come in handy.
Figuring This Thing Out
So, the first thing I did, like most people, was charge the battery and then just start messing with it. Manual? Pfft, who reads manuals right away? I turned it on, and started pointing and shooting at whatever was around the house. The menu system wasn’t too crazy, I found my way around the basic settings pretty quick. Took a few blurry shots indoors at first, probably my shaky hands or the lighting. Then I took it outside.
- That zoom, man, that was the first thing I really pushed. Tried to see the leaves on the tree way down the street. It was kinda wild.
- Played with some of the scene modes. Portrait, landscape, the usual stuff. Some worked okay, others made pictures look a bit weird.
- The battery seemed to last a decent amount of time, at least for those first few sessions of just playing around.
I definitely fumbled a bit. Sometimes it would take a second to focus, especially if I was trying to zoom in on something far away super fast. But, hey, I was learning.
Taking the P90 Out for a Spin
I really got to know the P90 when I started taking it places. Took it on a weekend trip to the mountains. That’s where I really started to use that zoom. Trying to get shots of birds, distant peaks, that sort of thing. It was fun, I gotta admit, being able to pull things in that looked tiny to my naked eye. I wasn’t getting professional wildlife photographer results, don’t get me wrong, but for me, just messing around, it was pretty cool.
The Zoom, Seriously, That Zoom!
Okay, let’s talk about that zoom. It was the main reason I got the camera, right? And yeah, it could reach. Like, really reach. But here’s the thing: holding it steady at full zoom was a workout. Even with whatever image stabilization it had, you needed a tripod or nerves of steel, or just lean against something. I got some decent shots, but also a fair share of “what the heck is that blurry mess?” photos. It was a bit of a gimmick, a fun one, but you had to learn how to work with it. It wasn’t magic.
My Real Thoughts After Living With It
So after using it for a good while, what did I really think? It was a mixed bag, honestly. I liked the versatility. Having that zoom range without changing lenses was super convenient for a casual user like me. The flip screen was genuinely useful for taking shots at odd angles. Picture quality? It was… alright. Good enough for snapshots, for sharing online with friends and family. But if you started looking too close, or in tricky lighting, you’d see the limits. Photos could get a bit noisy, a bit soft. It wasn’t gonna win any awards for stunning image clarity, especially compared to cameras with bigger sensors.
- Carrying it around was fine. It wasn’t pocket-sized, but it fit in a small bag easy enough.
- The autofocus could be slow sometimes, especially in low light or at full zoom. I missed a few shots because of that, which was frustrating.
- It felt like a “bridge” camera, and that’s exactly what it was. Better than a basic snapper, but not quite a serious photography tool. It tried to do a lot, and mostly succeeded in being okay at most things.
So, the P90 and Me… Where We Stand
Looking back, the Coolpix P90 was an interesting camera for its time. It served its purpose for me back then. I wanted zoom, and I got zoom, lots of it. I learned a bit more about framing shots and dealing with camera limitations. Did I keep it forever? Nah. Eventually, phone cameras got way better, and for the kind of simple shooting I do most of the time now, my phone is just easier. But I don’t regret buying the P90. It was a fun gadget, and I got some memorable (and some hilariously bad) photos with it. It was a step on my journey, you know? Just one of those things you use for a while and then move on from. No hard feelings, P90, you did your thing.
