Nikon Coolpix P340 

The 'P' in Nikon's Coolpix P-series of cameras stands for 'performance' and true to their name they are really powerful. Last year's Coolpix P330 had a compact body and a fast f/1.8 lens and this year, the company has introduced a slightly faster f/1.7 lens and a new control ring with the upgraded Coolpix P340. The P340 has the same slim chassis and 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor as its predecessor.  

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Look and Feel
Nikon hasn't strayed too much from the tried-and-tested design of its predecessor. The only physical addition to the body is in the form of a control ring around the lens. Otherwise, it still features the same sleek matte black body with dimensions of 103.0x58.3x32.0mm

Specifications and Software :The high aperture speed of f/1.8 at wide angle is definitely a plus. The F-number extends up to f/5.6. However, the lens doesn't go very wide - it can go from 24mm to 120mm on the telephoto end. Users who want better zoom capabilities are advised to look elsewhere.

The Coolpix P340 has a ton of shooting modes including Auto, Scene (Scene auto selector, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach, Snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, Night landscape, Close-up, Food, Museum , Fireworks show, Black and white copy, Backlighting, Easy panorama, Pet portrait), Special Effects, Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority and Manual. Nikon also gives users the flexibility of creating their own modes in 'User settings'. The camera can take pictures in the ISO range of 80-6400 and moreover, the Coolpix P340 can go up to Hi 1 (equivalent to ISO 12800) when used in Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority or Manual modes. In a special High ISO Monochrome mode available as a special effects feature, the camera can go up to Hi 2 (equivalent to ISO 25600).

Performance
 After testing it under various conditions we found that this camera is a competent and fast shooter. In our ISO test, the Coolpix P340 started to lose details only at ISO 1600, which is good. Take a look at the small dot on the top left of each image to notice the deteriorating levels.  

Price: Rs. 18,950