Nikon Coolpix P1100 Review – 125x zoom in a bridge camera – but is it any good?

The Nikon Coolpix P1100 follows on from the P1000, which was discontinued in 2024 but sits neatly in our list of best bridge cameras. In most respects, certainly the crucial ones, the newer model is the same camera, but now has the addition of a USB-C port for charging, as per new EU mandates for all new cameras sold.

Nikon P1100: At a glance

• Price as reviewed: $1100/£1049
• 16MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
• 125x optical zoom, 24-3000mm f/2.8-8 equivalent
• USB-C in-camera charging
• 4K 30p video recording
• 3.2-inch, 921k-dot vari-angle TFT LCD (not touch sensitive)
• 0.39-inch, 2359k-dot OLED, 99% coverage
• Single SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot

The P1100 sits at the top of Nikon’s bridge camera range, and boasts a whopping 125x zoom lens – the longest you’ll find on any bridge camera. For that, you’ll pay a high asking price – it retails for over $1000/£1000, but with plenty of potential versatility, it could well be worth it.

Nikon Coolpix P1100 – Features

Bridge cameras remain a popular genre of a camera a time when the best smartphones have all but killed off other types of “compact” camera. Note that “compact” is the category here because the lens is fixed and can’t be removed – the camera itself is far from small.

Inside the P1100 is a 16MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. That’s smaller than the sensors found in many smartphones these days, but it means that you can also fit in an enormous lens for photographing far away subjects – something a smartphone can’t yet do quite as well.

Cameras like this can be popular with wildlife and travel photographers. They give you the ability to shoot distant subjects, without having to carry a bag full of heavy and expensive lenses. And while it’s not a cheap camera, if you were to look at the P1100’s RRP next to one of the best mirrorless cameras and an accompanying set of mirrorless lenses too, you’d see that it’s actually a much cheaper option.

As it stands, there’s still quite a few bridge cameras out there available to buy, but the P1100 stands alone in terms of its lengthy reach. The 125x zoom is a 35mm equivalent of 24-3000mm. The equivalent DSLR or mirrorless lenses you’d need to cover that range would likely require a suitcase to transport. The maximum aperture of the P1100’s lens is f/2.8 at the wide angle ends, but this drops quite quickly once you start zooming, reaching f/8 by the time you’re at the 3000mm end.

If you feel you need even more reach – I’m not sure what for – then you can also zoom digitally. If you’d like to record video with the P1100, up to 4K 30p shooting is available.

The P1100 charges in camera, using the new USB-C port. Note, a USB-cable is supplied in the box, but a charging plug is not so if you don’t already have one of these you’ll need to buy one separately.

Other features of note include built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – which have been upgraded to the latest versions for maximum stability, a 3.5mm jack for using an external microphone, and the ability to record in raw format.

Nikon Coolpix P1100 – Build and Handling

There really is no getting away from the fact that this is one chunky camera.

It is shaped like a DSLR camera, with a very chunky hand grip, and plenty of dials and controls across the body. The big lens – even when fully retracted – also helps to add to the heft. Now, it should be noted again that the equivalent lens for a DSLR or mirrorless camera – not that it exists – would be absolutely enormous.

There are two ways to extend the camera’s lens. You can either use the zoom rocker around the shutter release, or you can use another rocker on the side of the lens itself. It doesn’t extend too quickly, which can be useful for helping to keep track of the subject you’re following. Further to that, another button on the side of the lens can be held down to temporarily retract the lens should your subject exit the frame – once you’ve relocated them, you can release the button and the zoom will return to whatever focal length you had it at.

You will almost certainly require your other hand to steady the lens while shooting handheld, or you can attach the P1100 to a tripod using the socket on the bottom of the camera unit.

All of the P1100’s buttons and dials are grouped on the right-hand side of the camera. There’s a mode dial on the top plate, giving you quick access to shooting modes such as PASM, as well as fully auto and scene modes. There’s a dial for adjusting shutter speed (in manual / shutter priority mode).

On the back of the camera, there’s another dial which can be used for adjusting aperture (in manual / aperture priority mode), as well as other buttons for accessing the menu, playing back images, changing the AF mode and so on. You can switch on macro focusing from a button at the back too. A dedicated video record button is found above the playback button

Nikon Coolpix P1100 – Viewfinder and Screen

I’d have liked to have seen Nikon use this opportunity of bringing out a new model to refresh the screen offering for the P1100. Using the same 921k-dot device as the P1000 is fine – the screen is perfectly usable – but it’s a little bit old by modern standards.

Better news is the fact that it fully articulates. This is useful for both framing from an awkward angle, as well as for video – particularly if you want to shoot pieces to camera. Also, it’s handy that you can fold the screen away on itself to protect it when out and about. In fact, I found myself shooting very often using only the viewfinder and having the screen packed away permanently – a bit like shooting with an old film camera really.

The viewfinder is also the same 0.39-inch, 2359k-dot device as in the P1000, too. It automatically switches on as you bring the camera to your eye – this functionality can be switched off if you prefer. This auto switching is sometimes missing from cheaper bridge cameras such as the Panasonic Lumix FZ82D, but I’d expect it from something at this price point. Again, although this isn’t particularly exceptional by today’s viewfinder standards, it’s perfectly usable and a good way to frame your images – I find it’s helpful for steadying the camera when shooting at very long focal lengths, too.

You can also use the viewfinder for quickly checking back images in playback, and for scrolling through menus – this can be useful in bright light where the screen suffers from glare. Or, if you just don’t want to take the camera away from your eye while shooting, but just want to quickly adjust a setting or check a shot.

The “snap back zoom” feature also works both through the viewfinder and on the screen.

Nikon Coolpix P1100 – Image Quality and Performance

Very high-zoom cameras like this will never give you the best-possible image quality, but it will give you the flexibility to record a variety of different scenarios without having to lug around huge amounts of kit.

In this case, we already know what to expect since the sensor and lens are the same as the predecessor. At the wide-angle end of the lens, while images are perfectly nice, they’re only about as good as you might expect from a mid-range smartphone.

But of course, again, it’s not really the point of this camera – if you’re someone who’s mainly going to be shooting from say between 24 and 100mm, it shouldn’t be on your shopping list as your phone will likely do a better job, and will also fit in your pocket.

However, what the P1100 can do that your smartphone absolutely can’t, is take reasonable shots at much longer focal lengths. I’d argue nobody really needs more than 2000mm, but, if you really do want to capture distant subjects, then it’s useful to have the reach.

At 2000-3000mm, you’re not going to get the sharpest images you’ve ever seen, but you do get a reasonable amount of detail considering the distance you’re likely to be standing away.  This can be useful for travelling where you might want the versatility.

Take a look at the above comparison, too. While the 3000mm equivalent image taken with the Nikon P1100 (on the left) isn’t super sharp, you can nevertheless read the writing on the sign. I took the same photo with a smartphone boasting 100x zoom (the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra), and it’s a blurry mess. Granted, you can’t fit the Nikon P1100 in your pocket, but it proves that the massive claims smartphone manufacturers make still need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

It’s also somewhat useful for wildlife, but, you will need to learn to work with the quirks of the autofocusing system first. For example, if you’re attempting to photograph anything fast-moving, you will be out of luck. But, for reasonably placid or predictable species, you can get some nicely detailed shots, especially with a bit of patience. At very long focal lengths, it’s likely you’ll find that the subject moving even just a few cm will completely alter your composition. In which case, the P1100 can be pretty slow to focus once you’ve recomposed, but over time you do get used to dealing with this. It’s not the best experience you could possibly have, but at the price point for this kind of closeness, it’s about what you should expect.

Of course, with completely static subjects, such as buildings, it’ll be easier to frame and compose – though you will need to watch out for haze and the like in certain situations. Just for fun, I decided to stand on Penarth Pier in South Wales, and photograph Weston Super Mare pier in South West England, across the Bristol Channel. This is a distance of roughly 11 miles as the crow flies. It’s not exactly the best picture you’ll ever see, but it’s quite remarkable that it’s recognisable – it’s certainly not something you can see with your eyes. You can also shoot the moon too, if you wish – but I’d definitely recommend a tripod for that.

On the whole, colours are nicely saturated, if perhaps a little on the dull side. Overall exposures are reasonably good, though you are likely to find that if there are any areas of bright light in a scene, you’ll get blown highlights. In this respect, modern smartphones with HDR processing as standard can often in fact do a better job than something like the P1100.

The macro mode comes in useful when photographing close-ups. You can get some good frame-filling shots when using it – the lens can be almost touching the subject and the lens will still focus, so it’s good for small subjects such as flowers.

Expectedly for something with a very small sensor, low light is where the P1100 struggles. Even in mildly dim conditions, having to up the ISO to 800 results in a lot of noise and some loss of detail. I’d avoid using this camera in any very dark situations, though there is a flash if that’s suitable for the subject.

I’ve found that generally speaking the battery will last a full day of moderate shooting. If you’re making a lot of video, or you’re at all concerned about running out of juice while travelling, it’s worth picking up an extra battery. As you can charge via USB, you could also charge the P1100 via a power bank, too.

Nikon Coolpix P1100 – Value for Money

At $1100/£1049, you may be thinking that this is a very expensive “compact” camera. Well, it is really, but when you think about what you get, it could also be considered reasonably good value for money.

However, I’d probably also argue that 3000mm is overkill for most photographers, and it also makes the camera very unwieldy. I’d probably recommend the Nikon Coolpix P950 over it – which is an older model (so no USB-C charging), and is considerably cheaper.

It has a still lengthy 83x zoom – probably still more than most people will need – but isn’t quite so cumbersome. 

If you’re determined that you need the additional length that the P1100 gives you, and you really are looking for a “do it all” camera and can live with the compromises, it’s not too badly priced overall.

That said, if you already have a P1000 and are considering upgrading, you should be warned that this is really no upgrade at all – unless you’re desperate for USB-C charging. You’d almost certainly be better off saving your money and keeping what you’ve got. You could also save money by buying a second-hand P1000, too, and still end up with the same image quality.

Nikon Coolpix P1100 – Verdict

The tech inside the Nikon P1100 is a bit old-hat by modern standards. While Nikon has given it a very mild refresh compared to its predecessor, I’d probably have liked to have seen a bit more oomph for an upgrade in 2025.

If you already have a P1000, this is barely any upgrade at all. This has been upgraded with new EU regulations that all new cameras must have a USB-C port available, so unfortunately that means that key specifications such as the sensor, lens, screen and viewfinder are all the same.

That means that image quality is the same as from a camera that was first released in 2018. It’s not bad image quality, it just hasn’t moved on. If you already have a P1000, keep it, or perhaps even consider buying a second-hand one if you’re in the market for a very long-zoom bridge camera.

Putting that aside for a moment and judging the P1100 in its own right, it does deliver some good shots – especially for those with the patience to get them – and it certainly does things your smartphone can’t do – so if this is something you’re particularly keen on, it’s still a very good camera.

Be prepared to handle a weighty and cumbersome bit of kit if you buy the P1100 – but it’s still a lot lighter and smaller than if you wanted the same from a DSLR/Mirrorless, and a heck of a lot cheaper, too.

Overall, the P1100 is still a good buy for those that want a hefty and long-distance bridge camera. It’s one of the best bridge cameras you can buy, but it’s disappointing not to see more of an upgrade compared with its predecessor.

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