UK Digital Cameras Blog

A new entry into the Nikon Coolpix range is solidly made, easy-to-use and “is a likeable little camera”, a new article suggests.

According to the Trusted Reviews website, the manufacturer has added to its range with a ten-megapixel model that comes equipped with the kind of features one comes to expect from a compact digital camera.

It is reported that the Nikon Coolpix S550 is in many ways similar to its Nikon CoolPix S600 bigger brother, but adds that there are some significant differences.

Although the autofocus system “appears to be the same one as the S600″, the camera really comes into its own in terms of ease of use and battery life, the reviewer claims.

“Nikon claims a duration of 200 shots, but in fact I was able to shoot well over 200 photos, many of them with flash, over the course of a week before the battery indicator dropped to one bar,” he states.

A number of other models feature in the same range including the eight-megapixel
Nikon Coolpix S210, which comes in a number of colours.

Nikon’s range of “powerful” digital cameras has been praised in a recent review for thestreet. com.

The article states that very often the focus for buyers is getting the slimmest most compact digital cameras but for those that need a little more bang for their buck might want to look at the 10.2-megapixel Nikon D60.

It states that the Nikon D60, which offers a similar megapixel count to its Nikon P80 sibling, is a “smart camera for the road” that is equipped with a host of features.

“Of note here are the dust-reduction feature and the ability to shoot stop-motion video. As a result, you can create stop-motion animation from a sequence of images,” it states.

The Nikon D60’s automatic lighting is also praised as it offers assistance where light may be lower than required.

The 10.1-megapixel Nikon P80 also features 18x optical zoom and a 2.7-inch LCD screen.

BenQ is set to launch its latest compact camera this month that the manufacturer claims is currently the slimmest on the market.

According to pocket-lint. co. uk, the super-slim eight-megapixel BenQ T850 also comes equipped with a three-inch TFT touchscreen that appears to be inspired by Apple’s iPhone and controls zoom, focus and a number of other features.

The site’s Stuart Miles states that despite being 14mm thick, the BenQ T850 comes with a number of options including smile and face detection, Z Lighting, advanced photo art and “a feature called scribble and scrawl”.

A number of other eight-megapixel slimline digital cameras are currently available, including the Nikon Coolpix L18 and the Nikon Coolpix S210 - both of which are available in a range of colours.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 comes in black, red and blue. However the Nikon Coolpix S210 is an 8.1-megapixel model available in black, red, blue, pink and silver.

“Strong” sales of Nikon’s digital camera range helped the Japanese technology firm boost its profits by 37.7 per cent in the 12 months to March 2008, according to reports.

The Macau Daily Times says the firm, which stopped producing traditional film cameras in 2006, posted “record high” net profits of 75.48 billion yen (£371.94 million) for year ending in March, outdoing its own forecasts.

According to a company statement cited by the newspaper, operating profits were up 32.5 per cent to 135.17 billion yen, while revenue from sales was climbed 16.2 per cent to top 955.79 billion.

Total shipments of SLR digital cameras “soared” by 48 per cent to a total of 3.09 million units, the publication added, while 8.55 million compact models were shipped, up 44 per cent from the previous financial year.

Commenting on the results, Nikon’s chief financial officer Ichiro Terato told a press conference: “The strong growth of our imaging equipment division more than offset almost flat growth at the precision equipment division.”

Nikon’s range includes the Nikon Coolpix P80, the Nikon Coolpix S210 and the Nikon Coolpix L18.

The Nikon D300 is the company’s “most advanced” DX-format digital SLR model to date and includes a number of “brand new technologies” and “advanced features” inherited from the Nikon D3, a new review has said.

Website Steve’s Digicams said the 12.3-megapixel camera’s specifications give it “remarkable performance” even by the high standards of “serious photographers”.

It comes with a self-cleaning senor unit, which uses vibrations to clear particles and dust from the lens, as well as the Expeed image processing system - a feature the camera shares with the Nikon D3.

Another feature the camera shares with the Nikon D3 is its Scene Recognition system, a detection application that automatically assesses a scene or subject and adjusts the camera’s settings as necessary.

The Nikon D300 also includes a 51-point autofocus system and a 3D focus tracking application, plus two new LiveView modes for shooting using the model’s three-inch LCD monitor.

Other cameras in the Nikon range include the Nikon D3, the Nikon Coolpix P80 and the Nikon Coolpix S210.

A review of the Nikon Coolpix S600 compact has praised the camera for its “good quality images” and “excellent” image stabilisation.

Indeed, Infosyncworld. com says the camera’s “most immediate strength” is its VR Nikkor lens, which comes with built-in Vibration Reduction image stabilisation.

The site says this type of lens is “in the top echelon” of the models it has tested and “true to expectations”, the Nikon Coolpix S600 produces excellent shake-reduction even with shutter speeds in the single digits.

Furthermore, the review says, the ten-megapixel Nikon Coolpix S600 operates at a fast pace, taking “milliseconds” to start up, with virtually no delay between powering up and being able to take pictures.

The camera also includes in-camera red-eye correction, face detection technology and Nikon’s BSS feature, which takes a series of shots and automatically selects the sharpest image.

Other cameras in the Nikon Coolpix range include the Nikon Coolpix S510, the Nikon Coolpix P60 and the Nikon Coolpix D3.

The Nikon Coolpix P60, which replaces the Nikon Coolpix P50 in the manufacturer’s range, offers a number of “significant improvements” in terms of performance over its predecessor, a review of the model has said.

Among the camera’s features are an 8.1-megapixel resolution and a longer 5x Nikkor optical zoom lens.

It also comes with an senor shift anti-shake system, face priority autofocus and a menu dial that gives shortcut access to three shooting modes - landscape, portrait and night scene.

Another 15 shooting modes, including two to adjust the size of images, are also accessible through the camera’s main menu.

The Nikon Coolpix P60’s LCD monitor has been expanded from the Nikon Coolpix P50 to 2.5 inches and it provides an “excellent” display, the site says. There is also an electronic viewfinder, which can display all the information shown on the LCD.

In terms of image quality, the Nikon Coolpix P60 provides a “stunning level of detail” at top quality or low ISO settings.

The site adds that the performance of the camera’s processor has been improved to reduce noise while retaining detail.

The Nikon Coolpix P60 is available in the UK from around £166.99.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 has been described as “simply a great camera” in a recent technology review.

Digital Camera HQ said the camera is a small, point-and-click style model that nevertheless has the capacity and features to produce “SLR quality images”.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 comes with an 8.0 megapixel resolution together with a 3x optical zoom lens.

It also features in-camera red eye correction, anti-shake mode to reduce blurring and image noise, and enhanced face-priority auto-focus, the site says.

These features combine to produce a “clear, crisp image every time”, it adds.

A D Light function can also be used to compensate for insufficient flash or underexposure by adding light and detail to shots.

Images can be reviewed on the camera’s three-inch high-resolution LCD monitor, which comes with high-contrast so that its images remain visible in direct sunlight.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 is available in the UK from around £89.99.

The “credit card-sized” sized Nikon Coolpix S210 is the thinnest camera ever produced by the Japanese technology manufacturer, according to reports.

Measuring just 0.7 inches wide, the 8.1-megapixel camera can nevertheless produce images sharp enough to be blown up as large as 16 inches by 20 inches, the company said.

With a 3x optical zoom lens equivalent to a 38mm to 114mm on a 35mm model and Nikon’s new Expeed image processor, the Nikon Coolpix S210 can also handle quick shooting while still producing “natural looking” shots, it added.

Other features include electronic VR image stabilisation, auto-ISO up to 2000 for shooting in low light conditions and a 2.5-inch LCD display, which has an anti-reflection coating to enable clear viewing in all conditions, including direct sunlight.

In a recent preview of the camera, technology site CNet. com praised the Nikon Coolpix S210 for its easy of use, adding that it “ticks the size and price boxes” as an affordable compact.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 aims to be an easy-to-use point-and-shoot model for people
who want to “capture life’s memories at an affordable price”, it has been said.

Commenting on the release of its new Life series model, Nikon said the camera was designed for customers looking for a “full-featured but affordable” digital compact, according to photographyblog. com.

The Nikon Coolpix L18 features eight megapixel resolution, a 3x optical zoom
Nikkor lens and a new Easy Auto application that allows users to compose shot
without having to manually access controls or settings.

Available in a number of colours, the Nikon Coolpix L18 also comes with enhanced face priority autofocus, in-camera red-eye detection and correction, and D-Lighting, which compensates for excessive backlight or inadequate flash in pictures.

On the rear the model has a three-inch LCD viewfinder and review panel, together with 32mb of internal memory. It is compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards.

Other models in the Coolpix range include the Nikon Coolpix S210, the Nikon Coolpix P50 and the Wi-Fi enabled Nikon Coolpix S51c.