Nikon COOLPIX B500

The camera also features Wi-Fi for efficient transfer of movies to a computer or mobile device, and Wi-Fi connections can also be established quickly with NFC if you have an android device. Similar to most of its competitors in this price range, the camera can connect to a smart device via Wi-Fi or you can also use a wired connection via the HDMI port for connection to an external display, and a USB port for connecting to a computer. The USB port can also function as a connection to a display with the right USB-A/V cable. 

The Nikon B500 has a dedicated 'DC in' socket that can be used to power the device off mains electricity. You will, of course, need the right power adapter that is sold separately by Nikon (generic cheaper versions also exist although we cannot confirm their reliability).  A lot of vlogging activities happen in the home and having the ability to have permanent power to the camera is a big plus.

Although battery life when shooting video can be anywhere from approximately 1.5 hrs to 4.5hrs depending on the battery type used, there is a limit of 29 mins (or 4 Gb) for any one movie.  However, it is not common to want to make a single youtube video for anything longer than half an hour, and for most vloggers, off-camera editing usually ends up combing multiple small recordings to make up the final published video anyway. 

One of the standout features for a camera of this price is the massive 40x optical zoom. Unfortunately, as  a vlogging camera, this is most often not a sought-after feature unless your vlogging niche calls for it. Another defining characteristic of the B500 is its flip out screen that allows viewing of shot with the camera held at extreme angles. For example, if your vlog calls for demonstrating something on a table, you can position the camera facing downwards above the table and flip the screen up so that you can still view the shot. Unfortunately, the screen has a limited degree of rotation preventing it from being used as a 'selfie screen'.

Once again as with other cameras in its price bracket, manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings are not possible when making videos with the Nikon B500.

Overall, this is one of our favourite cameras in this price category fulfilling most of the requirements a newly-minted vlogger will need in their main vlogging camera.

Can you connect an external microphone to the camera?

No, there is no port to connect an external microphone to the camera. However, the camera itself has a reasonable microphone.

Yes it can. Using a wired connection via either HDMI or USB. Of course you need to have the right cable to make the connection. Here is an excerpt from the Nikon B500 Reference Manual:

To see the camera in action as a vlogging camera, check out MinecraftInfinitey's vlog with the Nikon B500:

Technical Specifications