Nikon Coolpix B700 Ergonomic score

B700, Noisy Miner take-off

The B700  represents a very appealing concept let down by sub optimal implementation of the operating system and user interface.

This ergonomic appraisal and score follows my usualschedule which you can read about here.

Setup phase

This is decently managed although models from Panasonic and Sony typically have many more options from which to select.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this limited option set. It makes the setup process easier for beginners but locks out many options available in other cameras.

Menus are easy to access, navigate and read with a good graphical user interface.

Menu resume operates so it is reasonably easy to re enter the last used menu item.

Unfortunately there is no My Menu and no Quick Menu.

In addition there are some oddities.

For instance Vibration Reduction is in the Setup Menu which seems to me an odd place to put it.

Fortunately it can be allocated to a Fn button.

Noise Reduction is not in the Picture Control panel where logic says it should be.

Setup score 9/15

Prepare phase

We see much the same theme in the Prepare Phase of use. The available controls are easy enough to use, there just aren’t all that many of them. The camera is large enough to accommodate a more comprehensive suite of direct controls.

There is no Quick Menu and only two Function buttons although the Delete button sits there doing nothing in prepare and Capture Phases of use.

There is one User Settings mode on the Mode Dial which does go some way towards making up for the lack of direct access control points.

I find when using the camera that I have to go into the main menus more often than I think is reasonable.

The buttons on the 4 way controller and the Fn buttons are easy to operate.

Prepare score 9/15

Nikon B700 rear

Capture  phase

Holding

The handle and thumb support are well shaped and positioned.

The camera a pleasure to hold.

I might prefer a slightly fatter handle and a slightly deeper thumb support but that would be quibbling.

Holding score 18/20

Viewing

There is a good quality EVF and a good quality monitor which is of the optimal fully articulated type.

There are limited options for the user to adjust the style and parameters of the panels but I find the default settings are good anyway.

There is a long (about half a second) blackout after each shot, an unwanted feature which reminds me of mirrorless cameras of five or more years ago.

There are limited options for guidelines and other on screen displays.

The actual focal length and ISO settings are not displayed in many Modes of use.

There is peaking but no level gauge and no zebras.

Viewing score 11/20

Operating

The camera is decently user friendly in one of the automatic modes (Auto or P), less so in the S, A and M modes.

The command dial is nicely positioned and easy to turn.

There are several quirks and foibles in the operating system and user interface.

There is no AF Continuous but no AF lock either for presetting focus on a moving subject expected at a particular location, such as a race car coming around a corner.

Aperture and shutter speed controls are on different dials. They cannot both be assigned to the command dial as is the usual practice on a DSLR.

The self timer infuriatingly self cancels after every shot.

Zooming with Zoom Memory operation is tediously slow.

The procedure for changing position of the active AF area is un-necessarily slow, requiring multiple clicks with no one-click return to center.

Changing size of the active AF area is via a completely separate portal to that used for changing AF area position.

The camera’s operational limitations  mean that the user who wants to take control of the camera (as opposed to point-and-shoot) has to make many more actions than is the case with cameras having a more evolved ergonomic design.

Operating score 15/25

Review

I could not find any way to scroll from one enlarged frame to the next. If I am photographing, say, a person I might make 20 exposures and want to look at the face in detail in each frame.

But to do that on the B700 I have to press the OK button to zoom back to ‘fit on monitor’ size, scroll to the next frame then pull the zoom lever repeatedly to return to the required zoom level then repeat the whole process on every frame.

This tedious procedure has unfortunately been inherited from the P900 and was one the things which annoyed me about that camera.

Review score 2/5

Total score 64/100

Comment

The B700 has RAW capture, a good lens, very good VR and good picture quality. It will attract the interest of enthusiast and expert photographers as well as the snapshooters who traditionally have used this type of small sensor bridge style camera.

There is a mis- match between the imaging capabilities which now have RAW output and the operating system which is largely inherited from the  JPG-only P610 and P900.

Summary

A score of 64 is not terrible for this type of camera. 

It is better than the P900 which I found less enjoyable to use and which I gave an ergonomic score of 50.

However the Panasonic FZ300 which is another small sensor bridge style model, scores  better on all measures for a total of 79.

Nikon can do better.

Let me put that a little more strongly:  I believe that if Nikon is to survive as a camera maker it  MUST do better.