Nikon Adds Three Digital Cameras to Coolpix Lineup
September 10, 2010 By Christina Warren On Mashable
The latest set of Coolpix cameras has a strong focus on quality over quantity. Instead of just pushing the megapixel count as high as it can go, Nikon is focusing on better sensors, lenses with optical stabilization, higher resolution LCD screens and faster processors. Nikon has also embraced video, with all three cameras supporting at least 720p HD video and stereo sound.
All three will be available this fall.
Coolpix S80
It might be the baby of the group, but the S80 is a 14.1-megapixel beast in a 16.5mm sliding frame. The successor the the Nikon Coolpix S70, the S80 is the latest in Nikon’s series of touchscreen pocket cameras.The 3.5-inch OLED screen has 819,000 dot pixels — almost three times as many as last year’s model. The megapixel count is also up just slightly and the performance has been increased. The touch panel is now faster and more intuitive and the user interface has been overhauled.
Despite its slender frame, the S80 includes a 5x optical zoom. It can also record video in 720p HD (1280×720) with stereo sound and includes an HDMI-out for playback on your HDTV.
The S80 will retail for an MSRP of $329.95.
Coolpix P7000
The Coolpix P7000 is Nikon’s latest play at the high-end enthusiast compact market. The P7000 looks much more similar to the competing Canon Powershot G11 than its predecessor, the P6000, and the feature set better resembles the Canon model as well.
Nikon has traded megapixel count for better quality, dropping the P7000 to 10.1 megapixels while still adding a number of features to put it in a higher bracket. Its wide-angle lens has a 7.1x zoom and is capable of shooting images equivalent to 35mm. The P7000 also features a 5-way VR image stabilization system that includes optical stabilization by lens shift, electronic vibration reduction and motion detection.
The P7000 includes a number of automatic and manual settings that allow photogs to grow with the camera. It features a much improved ISO (up to 6400), meaning you can take great looking photos even in low light.
The P7000 also records 720p HD video with stereo sound. The P7000 will retail for an MSRP of $499.95
Coolpix S8100
The Nikon Coolpix S8100 looks a lot like its predecessor, the S8000, but Nikon has overhauled the hardware. With the S8100, Nikon has swapped the old model’s 14 megapixel CCD image sensor for a 12.1 megapixel backside illumination CMOS sensor. That should help the camera do well in low light. It also makes the camera super fast, with 10fps shooting and the ability to record 1080p HD video.
The S8100 sports a 10x optical zoom (which can be used while taking video) and a brand new night portrait mode, plus a new backlighting HDR mode that takes advantage of the camera’s new backlit sensor.
Like the P7000, the S8100 features lens-shift and electronic vibration, as well as motion detection. This will enable the unit to shoot competent images in low light settings without the use of an ambiance ruining flash.
The S8100 has an MSRP of $299.95.
