Nikon Coolpix P330 review

Those looking for a compact camera boasting some excellent specifications that still fits snugly into a pocket will be pleased with the size and weight of the Nikon P330. It's significantly svelter than the Nikon P770 while remaining weighty enough to give it a nice quality feel.

Although the camera is pretty flat, and there's no pronounced thumb grip, a small strip of rubber on the front of the camera and a rubberised thumb rest on the back of the Nikon P330 helps to give purchase, especially when shooting one-handed.

Owing to size restraints, there are fewer direct access buttons and dials on the Nikon Coolpix P330 than on the Nikon Coolpix P770, but there still remains a good amount of direct control for those looking for it.

A fairly large dial sits just below the shutter release on the top plate of the camera. This is used for altering shutter speed when using the camera in fully manual mode, while in other modes it has no function - which seems a bit of a waste.

Aperture (or shutter speed if you're shooting in shutter priority mode) is altered via the scrolling dial placed around the OK button at the back of the camera.

For quickly changing between the various modes available on the camera, a dedicated dial can be found on the top plate. Here you'll find fully automatic mode, scene mode, P/A/S/M, and handily, one space for a user defined group of settings - which is handy if you often shoot in one type of scenario (for example low light).

The scrolling dial at the back of the camera doubles up as a four-way control pad, giving access to exposure compensation, drive mode self-timer, flash modes and autofocus functions, such as macro focusing.

In a slightly unusual position is a function button, which is found next to the lens. This can be easily reached by a finger when gripping the camera in the usual manner. From here you can access commonly used settings such as ISO, white balance and metering. The function of the button can be set via the button itself - making it almost akin to a quick menu, albeit a more convoluted way of using one than on other models.

Unlike other cameras on the market, perhaps most notably the Canon PowerShot S110, the Nikon P330 doesn't feature a ring around the lens for altering any settings, such as aperture. This is a shame, since it's a nice little extra touch on other cameras that really appeals to the enthusiast user.

Nikon has managed to include an inbuilt flash inside the diminutive body of the Nikon P330, which is raised via a small switch at the side of the camera. This feels fairly sturdy, and has a satisfying click when you push it back into place.

The Nikon P330 includes GPS functionality, which is switched off as standard. To activate it, you need to delve into the menu. It's a shame there's no LED light to let you know that it's switched on, which would act as a handy reminder to switch it off when you don't need it to conserve energy.