Introduction

Ease of Use

The Nikon Coolpix B600 is a mid-sized bridge camera - not the smallest in size on the market, but also far from being the largest. Measuring 121.6 x 81.5 x 99.2 mm, it's a little larger than the B500 model that it replaces in the Coolpix line-up, laregly because it now has a 60x rather than 40x zoom lens.

It has a large chunky hand grip that protrudes far from the body and makes it feel very secure in your hand. A large proportion of the hand grip is also textured which further adds to the ease of use when holding the camera, be that with one or two hands. The rest of the camera is finished in a smooth, slightly textured plastic coating.

Being reasonably lightweight at 500g, it’s certainly possible to hold the B600 one-handed to get the shot, but you'll probably find that using your other hand to hold the camera underneath and keep it steady feels more natural and comfortable.

On top of the Nikon Coolpix B600 you’ll find a dedicated dial for switching between the various shooting modes that the camera offers. There are no manual modes available here, but there are quite a few options placed on the dial for you to choose from. This includes fully automatic, scene mode, creative, movie mode and more.

Front of the Nikon Coolpix B600

Also located on the top of the Nikon Coolpix B600 is a zoom rocker switch which encircles the shutter release button. You can push the zoom rocker to move from wide angle to telephoto, but there’s also another way to change the zoom length if you prefer. On the side of the lens there’s another switch marked with T/W which you can push up and down to zoom in and out.

Next to this extra zoom switch is a button which is very useful for helping to frame shots when using longer focal lengths. If you press it, and keep it held down, the B600's lens will automatically zoom out, allowing you to find any subject that may have moved out of of the frame. When you’ve found the subject again, release the button and the zoom will move back in to the same focal length that you were previously using. This proves to be very handy when using the longer end of the camera's massive zoom range.

A built-in pop-up flash is also found on the top of the Nikon Coolpix B600. There’s no dedicated button to press to raise it, instead you have to manually lift it up, which you’ll need to do since it won’t pop up automatically. When you’re done using it, you simply push the flash back into place. Rudimentary but effective.

Moving to the back of the camera, all of the buttons are placed on the right hand side of the camera, meaning you have easy access with your right thumb, which especially useful if you're shooting one-handed.

Rear of the Nikon Coolpix B600

The control layout here is pretty traditional. There’s a four way navigation pad, with each button having its own particular function - up to control flash mode, down to switch on macro shooting, left to use the timer, and right to adjust exposure compensation. In the centre of the navigation pad is an OK button, which you can use for various menu functions and so on.

Around the navigation pad are four buttons, again each with a specific purpose. There’s a playback button, a display button, a menu button and a delete button. Just above the rear thumb rest is also a direct video record button, which is hidden away just enough to mean you shouldn’t accidentally press it when you don’t want to, but still within easy reach when you need it.

Unlike the previous model, the Coolpix B600 no longer has a tilting screen, which is a real shame. On the B500 the rear screen tilted up and down, pulling slightly away from the body on its bracket, which proved very useful for taking more awkwardly angled shots. On the B600, it's fixed into place, which is much less versatile. As on the B500, the B600's screen is still not touch sensitive.

Despite its name, the fully automatic shooting mode actually gives you the most amount of control over camera settings. While you can’t change the aperture or shutter speed, it is possible to change the white balance and ISO sensitivity. You can also leave both of these settings in automatic too, if you prefer.

Top of the Nikon Coolpix B600

If you want to, you can change the AF setting to allow you to set your own AF point. Alternatively you can have the Nikon Coolpix B600 decide one for you, track a subject, or always use the central point. Once you have selected “Manual” AF point, in normal shooting mode you can press OK, then use the navigational keys to move around the screen to the point you want to focus on.

Also available in this menu is the ability to change the image mode, continuous shooting, and more. You’ll also find some different movie options, such as frame rate and so on. You can change some settings such as date and time from this main menu too, as well as access the connection settings.

The Coolpix B600 continues to us Nikon’s Snapbridge technology, which means that you can set-up a low power Bluetooth connection with your smartphone that is constantly maintained. This means that images are sent across as you take them, ready for you to share online if you choose.

The camera also has Wi-Fi, which is quicker for sending larger size photos across to your phone than Bluetooth. If you’re using SnapBridge its best to set the images to be transferred at a smaller size than full resolution for better speed. Unlike the B500, though, the new B600 no longer has NFC connectivity.

A few of the other modes on the shooting mode dial are also quite interesting. If you select Creative Mode, you’ll be able to choose from a selection of different “sets”. Take the picture, and the camera will take one as normal, but also apply four different filters to the shot. You can choose between sets such as “Light”, “Memory”, “Classic”, “Noir” and so on.

The Nikon Coolpix B600 In-hand

The Short Movie Show option is also quite fun for events and so on. You can use it to create short clips of a couple of seconds, then amalgamate them all into one video - everything is done automatically in-camera, perfect for beginners wanting to get more creative.

The Nikon Coolpix B600 is no longer powered by AA batteries, as on the previous B500 model. Instead it uses an EN-EL12 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery which provides around 280 shot battery life according to the official CIPA rating.

In good light, the B600's focusing speeds are generally pretty quick, and usually accurate. With macro focusing, it can take a couple of attempts to get it right, so you should be careful when attempting to take close-up shots that the camera has correctly focused. That said, the B600 does allow you to get very close indeed, down to just 1cm, which can be useful.

When the light does drop, it takes a little longer for focus to be acquired, but the camera generally gets there in the end. Normal operational speeds are reasonable for everyday usage, but when you’re using something like Short Movie Show you may get frustrated with how long it takes the Nikon Coolpix B600 to process each clip.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 16 megapixel High JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 8Mb.

Noise

The Nikon Coolpix B600 has seven sensitivity settings ranging from ISO 125 to ISO 6400 at full resolution.

ISO 125 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Nikon Coolpix B600’s 60x zoom lens achieves a maximum wide-angle focal length equivalent to 24mm, and is capable of a telephoto reach of 1440mm (in 35mm-camera terms).

24mm

1440mm

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops - the right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images from the Nikon Coolpix B600 are slightly soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can alternatively change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes.

Chromatic Aberrations

Given the range of the zoom lens, the Nikon Coolpix B600 shows some obvious purple fringing in areas of high contrast, as shown in the examples below.

Macro

The Nikon Coolpix B600’s lens will focus as close as 1cm from a subject, however depth of field becomes very shallow at this extremely close distance.

Macro

Flash

The pop-up flash on the Nikon Coolpix B600 has four settings: Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill flash & Slow sync. Shooting a white surface from a distance of 1.5m, the flash provides even coverage with the lens zoomed in, though some vignetting is visible in the wide-angle shot.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (24mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (24mm)

Flash Off - Telephoto (1440mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (1440mm)

Whether the flash is set to standard Auto mode – or Auto with red-eye reduction – the camera successfully avoids any trace of red-eye.

Flash Off

Flash On

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon Coolpix B600 camera, which were all taken using the 16 megapixel High JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movies & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

Nikon have refreshed the two-year-old Coolpix B500 by adding an even bigger zoom lens, up from 40x to a whopping 60x on the new B600 model.

Other new features are harder to find, though - indeed, Nikon have actually taken away more features - most notably the tilting screen, NFC connectivity and AA batteries - whilst substantially raising the launch price, making the previous B500 a much more attractive proposition, if you can still find one.

The removal of the tilting LCD screen in particular is hard to swallow, as it reduces the versatility of the camera, making it more difficult to use when holding it overhead or low down. Most camera manufacturers have been quietly removing NFC connectivity from the recent launches, so Nikon certainly aren't alone here, while the switch from AA batteries to a rechargeable unit will likely please some, but annoy others.

Possibly even more galling than the reduction of features in order to cut manufacturing costs is an accompanying price hike. The Nikon Coolpix B500 retailed for $299 / £219 when it was launched in 2016 - now Nikon are asking $329 / £329 for a camera with fewer features, other than the bigger zoom lens, with the massive £100 increase being a particularly bitter pill to swallow for UK residents, Brexit or no Brexit.

All of which makes it hard to recommend the new Nikon Coolpix B600 - it's still an easy to use camera with a big zoom, but so was the previous B500 which had more features and a cheaper price tag...

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	3.5
Features	2.5
Ease-of-use	3.5
Image quality	3
Value for money	3

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Nikon Coolpix B600.

Specifications

News

Nikon have announced a new super-zoom camera, the Coolpix B600. The Nikon B600 offers a 60x optical zoom (24–1440mm), a 3 inch, 921k-dot monitor, Full HD video and a sturdy grip. It will be available from February 2019 in the UK priced at £329 and in March in the US at $329.95.

Nikon UK Press Release

MEET NIKON’S NEW COOLPIX SUPER-ZOOM THAT LOVES TO EXPLORE

RRP/Sales Start:

	UK(£)	IE(€)	On Sale
B600	329	379	February 2019

London, United Kingdom, 17^th January 2019: Nikon introduces two new COOLPIX super-zooms packed with powerful features and boasting NIKKOR optics for stunning images. From distant views to city streets, these lightweight, easy-to-use compact cameras deliver sharp wide-angle to super-telephoto images—even in low light.

The COOLPIX B600 bridge camera packs a 60x optical zoom, a large monitor, and a sturdy grip. Whether it’s a family trip to the park or a city break, this camera is a brilliant all-rounder. It shoots Full HD video in stereo sound. A host of in-camera creative modes make it simple to add an artistic touch to photos or movies.

Yoshihiro Katakami, Product Manager at Nikon UK, comments: “Both of these cameras are fantastic options for users who want to explore their creative side. The wide-angle to super-telephoto zoom range frees users to shoot almost any subject. Nikon’s 16 MP back-side illuminated CMOS sensor and Vibration Reduction help deliver superb results in low light. And SnapBridge makes it easy to share the best shots, or use a smart device to shoot remotely.”

Nikon COOLPIX B600 Key Features

NIKKOR 60x optical zoom lens. Focal length of 24–1440mm. Extends to approx. 2880 mm with Dynamic Fine Zoom.

Full HD movies. Simply press the dedicated movie button to begin recording Full HD (1080p/30p) with stereo sound.

Large monitor. 3 inch, 921k-dot LCD monitor with adjustable brightness. Treated with an anti-reflective coating.

Fast autofocus. Target finding AF ensures subjects snap into focus quickly, even in low light. 

Easy artistry. Creative Modes for photos and movies. Macro Mode for great shots of tiny wonders.

Image Gallery

Click on a thumbnail to see the full version.

Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample images taken with the new Nikon Coolpix B600 super-zoom camera. The Nikon Coolpix B600 is a bridge compact camera with a 60x zoom lens (24–1440mm), 16 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, tilting 920k-dot 3-inch LCD screen and 1080p video.

A gallery of sample JPEG images and videos taken with the Nikon Coolpix B600 compact camera.

Nikon Coolpix B600 Sample Images

Sample Movies & Video

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