The Nikon COOLPIX P1100 captures SWISS airlines Boeing 777-300 at 37,000 ft
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I was finally able to take out the new Nikon COOLPIX P1100 for a test ride at high altitude plane spotting, one of my favorite uses of Nikon’s super telephoto cameras. The SWISS airliner ( flight SWR38K) that was flying high overhead Idaho was traveling from Zurich to San Francisco.
As you can imagine, the plane at 37,000 feet was a tiny spec in the clear blue sky. At 3000mm, I was able to pull it in for a closer inspection by utilizing the P1100 continues auto focus to follow the plane. Even with stabilization enabled, the image in the EVF was bouncing around as if I was on a ship in a storm. Despite the erratic view, I was able to capture several photos that were sharp and clear. I think what helped was that I used shutter priority at a high shutter speed to help eliminate blurring from camera shake.
Overall, for my first plane spotting adventure with the Nikon COOLPIX P1100, I’m pleased with the results but this is only the beginning. I have many other test to run and will eventually post a full review of the P1100.
Let me know in the comment section below if you have the P1100 and if so, what your thoughts are on the camera and if you have any questions for me.
On there website today, they posted the following message:
It is with great disappointment that on May 2, 2026, Spirit Airlines started an orderly wind-down of our operations, effective immediately. To our Guests: all flights have been cancelled, and customer service is no longer available. We are proud of the impact of our ultra-low-cost model on the industry over the last 33 years and had hoped to serve our Guests for many years to come.