Nikon did a great job when they designed the ultra-zoom bridge camera they call the Nikon Coolpix B700. This feature-packed camera comes with 4K video recording and 60x optical zoom. Yet, despite all of the power you find in its neat little package, the camera falls neatly within the Nikon’s mid-range. So, it’s not an entry-level camera, but it’s also not on the higher-end of the spectrum, inaccessible to novice photographers.
If you’re reading this article, you probably already know a lot about the key features this camera offers. Still, let’s go over just a few of the most essential. Other than the points mentioned earlier, the camera has Nikon’s dual-detect Optical Vibration Reduction (VR), which does a fantastic job at image stabilisation. On top of that, the camera also allows you to shoot Raw photos. With that, you have a lot more flexibility if you decide to edit the pictures at home or in your studio later on.
All in all, the Nikon B700 offers you an exceptional photography experience while making it super easy to transfer data to and from the camera. Plus, you could use that connectivity to operate the camera remotely. That’s a crucial feature to have for when you’re trying to get yourself in the picture, perhaps with a lovely landscape in the background.
Despite all the power in this impressive camera, you’ll still need a few tips and tricks to get the most of it. With that in mind, here are five tips that you can use to get every bit of value out of the Nikon B700.
Get Involved Online
Want to become an expert at handling your Nikon B700? Well, here’s a tip that any teacher or mentor will tell you: human beings learn much more efficiently from their peers. In this context, that means that you should get involved with online photography communities and find fellow B700 users just like you.
When you connect with your peers this way, you’ll be able to cut down the amount of time you spend learning about your camera. You’ll minimise time spent on trial and error because you’ll learn from other people’s mistakes and follow their guidance.
So, where can you go to connect with other Nikon B700 photographers? The most accessible place to start would be Youtube. Look for videos about the B700, then look at the comments of those videos. You’ll find that the comment section is typically very active with people like you who are trying to learn, and experienced photographers sharing their knowledge.
Other than that, you can also sign up for online forums where people discuss photography. There is an endless list of photography forums you can find with just a simple Google search. You could narrow them down by brand, searching for Nikon forums in particular. Once there, the odds of you finding people with experience using the B700 are much higher.
Don’t just take knowledge from the people you connect with online. That is also an excellent opportunity for you to share some of your personal experiences with the camera, too! As any mentor will tell you, you understand your knowledge and skills much better when you teach them to others.
Invest In A Lens Protector
Now, let’s look at the camera itself. One of the first things you should buy once you have the Nikon B700 is a lens protector. If you haven’t bought the camera yet, a smart thing to do would be to buy the lens protector alongside the B700.
But are camera lens protectors necessary? The answer is YES. Think of it as a form of insurance on your B700’s lenses. These small items add an extra layer between your lens and the air. One of their most important functions is to protect your lens from scratches that happen whenever you bump your camera into a hard object. Even if a scratch seems insignificant, it’ll leave a significant mark on whatever photo you take using that lens.
Aside from that, lens protectors also keep dust out. Remember: to get the best photos out of your B700, the lens must be clean and free from any debris that might affect your photos. Instead of having to wipe down that lens all the time, it’s easier to just get a lens protector as an added layer blocking out dust.
Lens protectors also offer your B700 another useful feature: weather sealing. You see, many lenses that you’ll eventually buy aren’t weather-sealed. That means there’s a risk that moisture might seep into the lenses, causing all sorts of headaches for you. The easiest way to fix that? You guessed it. Invest in a lens protector that offers you additional weather-sealing. With that, you can take the Nikon B700 for outdoor photoshoots with no worries!
Get To Know The Settings
Be honest with yourself. Have you used all of the settings on the B700, or do you just stick to the ones you’re comfortable with? Don’t worry, nobody is here to judge you! Still, the fact remains that if you are only snapping photos while using the camera’s default settings, you’re holding yourself back.
Instead, what you should do is sit down and spend ten minutes playing around with the settings. Go through the different menus and explore whatever options you may find. Play around with the dials and buttons you see on the camera body. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes, either! After all, you can just restore the camera to factory settings if anything goes wrong!
Once you’re familiar with the settings of the Nikon B700, it’s time to start optimizing them. The B700 comes with a wide range of video shooting options. Head over to the ‘Movie Options’ menu and have a look around to see what options are available. Here, you can set your default video resolution and frame rates easily. That way, whenever you’re ready to capture video with this camera, you won’t have to fumble around selecting the ideal video settings. You would’ve already done them in advance!
Next, consider the Autofocus Mode settings as well. You’ll have Single AF and Full-Time AF options available. Single AF means that your camera’s focus remains fixed. With Full-Time AF, however, the B700’s autofocus will continually adjust itself.
Which settings are best? Well, that depends on you. It’s your camera, so change all the settings to make it ideal for you!
Play Around With Shutter Speeds
The Nikon B700 comes with a mechanical and CMOS electronic shutter, and it offers you shutter speeds of 1/4000*-1 s. With a little know-how, you can take full advantage of the camera’s shutter speeds to capture some very impressive snapshots.
As you play around with the shutter speeds on the B700, it’s important to remember what that term means. The ‘shutter speed’ is a measurement of how long you expose your camera’s sensor to the light. As a result, your chosen shutter speed will determine the brightness of your photo. But if you learn to play around with it, you can use the shutter speed to create dramatic effects like freezing something in action or making a moving person look blurred for added effect.
With that in mind, you already know what shutter speed range the Nikon B700 has. Play around with the settings whenever you practice and get a sense of the different results you get.
If you’re like most photographers, you may already have a fixed range of shutter speeds that you feel comfortable using. You may even stick to those shutter speeds as if it were a personal ‘rule’ that you must follow at all times.
Well, if you were waiting for a sign to start experimenting, this is it. The next time you use your Nikon B700, try and mess around with the shutter speeds. Above all, don’t be afraid to make mistakes! The only way you’ll become a better photographer is if you take more risks and try new things.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Last but not least, we’ve come to the most important tip or trick of them all: practice. Sure, this may not be the sexiest piece of photography advice that you’ll get. Still, it is a timeless piece of wisdom that any expert photographer will give to you if you ever asked them for guidance.
But what does ‘practice’ actually mean? Does it just mean you should take thousands of photographs endlessly? No, there’s actually much more to it than that.
When it comes to practicing with your Nikon B700, it’s best to use the camera for different forms of photography. Remember: this is a highly versatile camera by Nikon, a leader in the camera industry. So, why are you limiting yourself by only shooting in one or two different genres?
Take your camera outside to photograph some wildlife, or to capture some landscape photography. Even better, get close to the ground and do some macro photography as well.
You see, each of these different photography genres requires a unique approach. So, when you use your B700 to practice with all of them, you’ll develop your photography skills more holistically. At the end of it all, you won’t just be an expert at handling the Nikon B700, you’ll be an expert photographer overall!
