This morning at the PMA 2010 Convention and Trade Show, held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, Nikon introduced seven Coolpix compacts that marry “performance and design for an enhanced user experience.” Among them is Nikon’s Performance series flagship, the Coolpix P100, which has the line’s first CMOS sensor and 26x optical zoom lens.
Nikon equipped five the new Coolpixs with HD movie capabilities, and vibrant colors are sported throughout the line. Coolpix features include Nikkor lenses and Nikon’s Expeed image-processing concept. An enhancement in select models is “advanced flash control,” developed to create a more natural-looking appearance in low light. Other shared functions include vibration reduction (VR) image stabilization, to minimize blurring in low-light or unsteady shooting conditions, and scene auto selector, which automatically recognizes the conditions and adjusts settings.
Coolpix P100. This impressive-looking all-in-one long-zoom camera features a back-illuminated 10.3 megapixel CMOS sensor coupled to a 26x (26-678mm equivalent) Nikkor ED optical zoom. Other features include five-way VR image stabilization, a 3.0-inch 460,000-dot vari-angle LCD, ISOs to 3200 and a high-res eye-level EVF. It can shoot full-res images at 10 fps, 1.1MP images at 120 fps in sport continuous mode, to capture the action from the stands or sidelines, and 1080p video with stereo sound. Movie capabilities include autofocus and zoom during shooting plus slow-mo. $399.95.
The marriage of form and function is exemplified in Nikon’s new Style “S” cameras.
Nikon Coolpix S8000. The slim 14.2MP S8000 boasts a 10x (30-300mm) telephoto optical zoom Nikkor ED glass lens. It records 720p HD movies at 30 fps with built-in stereo sound recording and has a 3.0-inch 921,000-dot LCD. It also debuts a creative slider, “a fun new way to apply effects when shooting in auto mode.” Brightness, saturation/hue can be adjusted using its rotary multi selector while watching a real-time preview on the LCD. Other features include: new functions to enhance image quality in dark settings, including advanced flash control; ISO 3200; four-way VR; 3-fps sport continuous mode for 45 frames (3MP); subject tracking; Nikon’s smart portrait; and a choice of black, red, bronze and champagne silver. $299.95.
Nikon Coolpix S6000. With 14.2MP this slim model offers a 7x wide-angle Nikkor ED glass lens, a 2.7-inch LCD, 720p 30-fps HD movie recording, ISO 3200, four-way VR, 0.75-sec start-up, HDMI connectivity, sport continuous mode, advanced flash control, subject tracking, and smart portrait. It comes in champagne, black, red and bronze. $249.95.
Nikon Coolpix S4000. This 12MP Coolpix provides: a 4x Nikkor lens; 3.0-inch 460,000-dot touch-panel LCD; ISO 3200; HD movie (720p); four-way VR; and smart portrait. Its LCD employs touch shutter, which lets users select their subject with a touch on the screen to adjust focus and exposure and release the shutter, as well as subject tracking. It’s offered in plum, champagne, pink, red and black. $199.95.
Nikon Coolpix S3000. With a body that’s 0.8 inch in depth and comes in orange, green, blue, plum, black and champagne, the 12MP S3000 features: a 4x wide-angle Nikkor lens; ISO 3200; four-way VR; subject tracking; and smart portrait. $149.95.
Also debuting are two L-series (Life) models.
Nikon Coolpix L110. Optimized for action shots, high-powered zoom and simple operation, the L110 boasts a 15x optical zoom Nikkor glass lens that covers focal lengths from wide 28mm to 420mm super-telephoto. It features 12.1 megapixels, sport continuous mode, a 3.0-inch 460,000-dot LCD, HD movie (720p) with optical zoom and autofocus while recording video, a built-in stereo microphone, five-way VR, smart portrait and scene auto selector, which automatically recognizes the shooting situation and adjusts settings accordingly. The L110 is offered in black or red. $279.95.
Nikon Coolpix L22. This entry-level model provides 12MP, a 3.6x Zoom-Nikkor lens, a 3.0-inch 230,000-dot LCD, three-way VR, smart portrait and easy auto mode. It is powered by two AA batteries or Nikon EN-MH2 Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (optional). It comes in black, red, blue and champagne silver. $129.95. Booths 2200, 2221. nikonusa.com