Some of you may have been following me on my journey using and being around the Nikon P1100. Numerous wildlife and birding photographers that I know in person, and I know from online communities have been moving across from their interchangeable lens systems (be it micro four thirds, aps-c or full frame) and either moving completely to the Nikon P1100 (and similar) or having it as a dedicated wildlife and birding camera.
The question for me has been “can it replace my Tamron 150-500mm lens?“. Ideally I could sell the Tamron lens and purchase the Nikon P1100. With this change, there would be some advantages and disadvantages, which I have been experiencing in real shooting situations over the last couple of weeks.
Advantages:
There are a couple of advantages that make this camera very tempting, and they are real advantages that when you use them, you can notice and feel instantly.
• Most notably, on paper, the huge zoom range from 24mm wide end at F/2.8 through to 3000mm F/8 at the long end. Reaching 3000mm is genuinely game changing and impressive!
• The weight of the Nikon P1100 is considerably less than the weight of the Tamron Z150-500mm lens. Add to that the attached camera, and the Nikon P1100 has a clear advantage.
Disadvantages:
The longer I used the camera, the more I looked at the output, the more disadvantages I found over the Tamron 150-500mm lens and Nikon full frame set-up.
• The image quality, while good enough for most people, most of the time (especially if you’re only posting to social media) is just so far behind the Nikon Z6ii/ZF and the Tamron lens. There is a supreme beauty in the output of the Z6ii and ZF that simply doesn’t exist in the Nikon P1100’s 1/2.3″ sensor.
• Recovery in raw files is simply not acceptable. If you accidently shoot a subject with the full frame Nikons and you get a black (or very dark) image because there was not enough light due to the weather or an incorrect camera setting, you can recover the image by raising the exposure in editing. This is particularly difficult or not possible with the Nikon P1100 (as we found out numerous times)
• Low light performance, at both F/2.8 and F/8 is what you would expect from a tiny sensor. Yes, the exposure will be the same as larger sensors, but the noise levels are intolerable. Use ISO values of over 400 at your peril (as a note, even at ISO400 on the P1100, an image taken at ISO12000 on the full frame Nikons will still be much cleaner and useable).
• Autofocus on the P1100 is generally ok, but if the subject is at the longer end it can struggle in a way I’ve never seen the full frame cameras struggle.
• The back screen and viewfinder, while adequate, are just not the quality I am used to.
• Talking of quality, the camera just does not feel “premium” like the Z series cameras, and I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but it is just so ugly aesthetically.
All below images taken with the Nikon ZF/Z6ii and Tamron Z150-500mm
For images taken from the Nikon P1100 visit the previous P110 write-up here.
Conclusion
After all that is said, I CAN see the appeal of the Nikon P1100. It is a solid, all-in-one solution that allows you to take images that you just can’t take with other cameras. It is relatively small and light and can be carried by anyone very easily.
I’m not worried that it’s “only” 16mp, because honestly, that’s more than big enough as you don’t have to crop into the images, and even if you do, it’s still more than enough to play with.
I’ve seen stunning moon shots with it, but then I look at the moon images I take with my Z150-500mm, and they are just as detailed, if not more-so. Ok, I can’t get as close, but how many times would it be before the novelty wears off?
It’s a camera with a purpose, and that purpose is wasted on me. At first, the zoom capabilities really impressed me, but scratch the surface, and there are just too many negatives for me to consider buying it. If I have to choose between image quality and weight, then image quality will win every time (for the amount that I use it).
If you are following my decision and choice on this, and I know a few of you are waiting for my verdict with anticipation, then if any of the negatives do not phase you in any way, this is a great camera and it is for you. Alternatively, if you want a small set-up that easily out-performs the P1100 in almost every way (except that 3000mm, but by cropping you can get damn close!) check out micro four thirds. Micro four thirds cameras are very popular with many wildlife and bird photographers who want the smallest kit with the best performance, I suggest you check out my friends blog over at Open Source Photography (also check out his excellent La Gallerie where he shows off almost exclusive micro four thirds images!) where you can discover the benefits of micro four third cameras.
For me, I conclude by once again saying, through all the temptation of that huge zoom range, the Nikon P1100 is not for me. I just can not give up the beauty that the Nikon Z series and Z glass gives me for birds, wildlife and even distant landscapes.
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography.
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
One Camera One Lens Photography 
Mark, really well written review, clear, honest, and grounded in real use rather than specs alone, that always makes a difference when reading something like this.
I think you also make it pretty clear, even between the lines, that most people coming from full frame setups like the Nikon Z6 II are not going to switch over anytime soon. The image quality gap is simply too large, not because the Nikon Coolpix P1100 is bad, the samples show it’s perfectly capable, but the difference in sensor size compared to the more common formats makes it hard for it to compete on that level.
That said, you also highlight its real strength, that extreme reach and all-in-one convenience, which for some people will absolutely outweigh those downsides. Budget will also play a role, the Nikon Coolpix P1100 is roughly about three times cheaper than a Nikon Z6 II with a 150–500mm setup, which for many people can be a deciding factor, like you said, it just depends on what you value most in your photography.
Great review.
And thanks as well for the mention of my sites, much appreciated.
Have a great day !
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Thank you Marc, I have really enjoyed my time with the camera. It is genuinely fun, and I can see why others love using it. I can’t knock it really, but as I have told many people who have contacted me, a micro four thirds sensor makes sense if you want to go smaller and have longer reach (and better optical performance, better autofocus and so-on).
Have a good day, chat soon.
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I was following and comparing your recent posts out of curiosity and found myself with a similar impression. While the Coolpix is impressive for what it is and may even excel in extreme test chart scenarios, it’s especially valuable to see its performance on real subjects and the results it produces.
Whether it’s a good option depends largely on whether someone prioritizes the process of being outdoors and capturing photos or prefers polished, refined images. For the first group, avoiding the need to carry >=2 kg of glass might far outweigh the benefits of the larger gear. As for me, I focus on viewing bird and wildlife images for the moment, problem solved! 😀
Thanks for your effort in collecting the images and sharing your personal impressions!
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Thank you very much, it was a great experience. I know we all have different needs, and I can understand why people like this camera, but it’s just not for me.
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Great write-up. I wanted to ask how you got those bird shots with that tiny sensor, but then I read your caption. 🙂 I still have an old Sony HX200V, and my son took some nice photos with it in good light. But like you said, they only look good on a phone screen. You can’t crop them at all. Where these cameras do work well is video – my Sony’s 1080p footage at max zoom looks pretty good. But replace my full-frame setup with one? No way.
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The photos from the P1100 are in the previous article when I was out testing it with birds here https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/04/22/wwt-llanelli-bird-sanctuary-pt2-nikon-p1100/
Yes, for video it’s great. Honestly, for a lot of people it’s more than good enough for photos, but it’s just not for me.
Thank you Mike.
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