Nikon A1000 Review

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A1000 Overview
Specifications
Prices

Basic Specifications
Full model name:	Nikon Coolpix A1000
Resolution:	16.00 Megapixels
Sensor size:	1/2.3 inch (6.2mm x 4.6mm)
Lens:	35.00x zoom (24-840mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	EVF / LCD
Native ISO:	100 - 6400
Extended ISO:	100 - 6400
Shutter:	1/4000 - 8 sec
Max Aperture:	3.4
Dimensions:	4.5 x 2.8 x 1.6 in. (114 x 72 x 41 mm)
Weight:	11.6 oz (330 g) includes batteries
Availability:	03/2019
Manufacturer:	Nikon
Full specs:	Nikon A1000 specifications

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16.00 Megapixels	35.00x zoom	1/2.3 inch size sensor

Nikon A1000 Preview

by Zig Weidelich
Posted: 02/27/2019

In the run-up to the CP+ 2019 tradeshow in Japan, Nikon USA has announced the Coolpix A1000, successor to 2016's A900 model. The new Nikon A1000 still features a 35x optical zoom in a compact, travel-zoom form factor, but offers a number of additional features and improvements over its predecessor in a slightly larger and heavier package.

Probably the most obvious upgrade from the A900 is the inclusion of an electronic viewfinder, a very handy feature for a long-zoom camera, providing additional stability when shooting while avoiding glare and reflections in bright conditions. The A1000's EVF uses a 0.2-inch LCD panel with 1,166K-dot equivalent resolution, which means it's likely a field-sequential display (each pixel cycles through red, green and blue colors in turn, rather than using adjacent subpixels of different primary colors to provide a full-color image). Frame coverage is specified at 98%, but magnification was not disclosed at the time of writing. The EVF has an eye sensor on the left, and the diopter can be adjusted from -4 to +4m^-1 using a dial to the right of the EVF.

The Nikon A1000's rear monitor gets upgrades too. Not only is it now touch sensitive, but it tilts down 180 degrees to face forward for selfies as well as tilts up 90 degrees providing more flexibility for shooting at difficult angles. The A900's screen on the other hand was not touch sensitive and could only tilt up, to 180 degrees. While still a 3-inch TFT LCD panel, the aspect ratio has changed from 4:3 to 3:2, and resolution has increased as well, from 921K-dots to 1,036K-dots.

The Nikon A1000's 35x zoom lens remains the same as the A900's, offering a 35mm-equivalent optical zoom range of 24-840mm, a maximum aperture of f/3.5-6.9 and employing 13 elements in 11 groups with 4 ED lens elements. However, the A1000 adds a second zoom toggle control around the barrel of the lens and moves the Snap Back Zoom button there from the back to make it easier to zoom and acquire your subject while using the EVF. The lens still features Nikon's VR (Vibration Reduction) optical image stabilization, and can focus as close as 1cm (0.4 in.) at wide angle in macro mode. The A1000 offers up to 4x digital zoom, as well as 2x Dynamic Fine Zoom which helps preserve fine detail better than traditional digital zoom.

Behind that lens is a 16-megapixel, 1/2.3" backside-illuminated CMOS sensor. While pixel count is down from the 20-megapixel A900, we think that's probably a good thing, as the A1000's new sensor will likely provide better image quality, but of course that remains to be seen until we can test the A1000 in our lab. In addition, the A1000's maximum ISO has been boosted from 3200 to 6400, which also bodes well for improved high ISO performance. The Coolpix A1000 now also supports RAW still capture mode in Nikon's .NRW format, whereas the A900 only shot JPEG stills.

Speaking of performance, the A1000's fastest full-res Continuous H mode can now shoot at up to 10 frames per second for 10 shots, versus the A900's 7 fps for 7 shots. Likely another benefit of the lower resolution sensor. There are Continuous H 60 and Continuous H 120 modes that shoot at 60 and 120 fps respectively, but at unspecified lower resolutions. The A1000 also offers a pre-shooting cache mode which will save images from just before you press the shutter, though we don't have details such as the number of images yet.

Like the A900, the A1000 can shoot 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) video at up to 30p, Full HD (1920 x 1080) at up to 60p, and HD (1280 x 720) video at up to 60p, recorded in MP4 files using H.264/MPEG-4 AVC encoding with AAC stereo audio. There are also high speed modes (Full HD at 2x and HD at 4x), though no audio is recorded. Hybrid VR (optical plus digital image stabilization) is available when recording videos.

As mentioned previously, the A1000 is a little larger and heavier than its predecessor, thanks mostly to the added EVF and more complex LCD tilting mechanism. Dimensions are about 4.5 x 2.8 x 1.6 inches (114.2 x 71.7 x 40.5mm) excluding projections, and weight is 11.7 oz (330g) with battery and card. In comparison, the A900 was about 4.4 x 2.6 x 1.6 inches (113 x 66.5 x 39.9mm) and 10.2 oz (298g). Additional controls on the A900 are a Fn (Function) button on the front of the camera, and an AE/AF Lock button on the rear where the Snap Back Zoom button used to reside. The A1000 also features a deeper grip and more angular styling.

Like the A900, the A1000 features built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity that makes sharing easy when using the Nikon SnapBridge app and a compatible mobile device. Photographers can also geotag images as well as operate the A1000 remotely using the SnapBridge app. Unlike the A900, though, the A1000 does not include NFC (Near Field Communication) support.

Wired connectivity includes USB 2.0 High Speed data and Type-D Micro HDMI for high-def video. Images and movies are stored on SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards, and the A1000 includes 81MB of internal flash memory available for storage.

The A1000 uses the same Nikon EN-EL12 lithium-ion battery pack as the A900, which can be recharged in-camera via the USB port. CIPA battery life is rated at 250 shots per charge (Nikon doesn't state whether that's with the EVF or LCD), however that's down from 270 shots for the A900.

Nikon A1000 price and availability

The Nikon Coolpix A1000 will be available from March 2019 in the U.S. for a suggested retail price of about US$480, which is roughly an $80 premium over the A900. And unlike the A900 which was available in black or silver, the A1000 comes in black only.