Nikon launches D60, P60 and new Coolpix compacts

By Lori Grunin on 29 January 2008, 11:51am

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Nikon has unveiled a pack of pocketable point-and-shoot cameras for style-minded users. These new Nikon Coolpix cameras all feature ultracompact, all-metal bodies.

The Coolpix S210 presents the least expensive of the Coolpix S-cameras. It fits an 8-megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens into a 19mm-thick aluminium body, making it highly pocket-friendly. Its 64mm (2.5-inch) screen is smaller than the L18's (see page 4), but it makes up for its size with a high resolution and a 170-degree viewing angle. The Coolpix S210 also ships in March in black, blue, bronze and the tasty-sounding plum colours. The RRP is a whopping £180, which is frankly preposterous considering the US RRP of -- yes, you guessed it -- $180 (£90).

Optical image stabilisation sets the Coolpix S520 apart from Nikon's other new 8-megapixel point-and-shoots. It keeps the same 64mm LCD and 3x optical zoom magnification as the S210, but the addition of Nikon's Optical Vibration Reduction feature gives it an edge in low-light and high-speed shots. The Coolpix S520 launches in February, but Nikon has not yet announced a price.

Retailing for £200, the Coolpix S550 forgoes OIS for a larger lens and higher resolution. The S550 features a 10-megapixel sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens, though it only offers Nikon's Electronic Vibration Reduction image stabilisation. Instead of shifting the lens itself, electronic image stabilisation boosts ISO sensitivity and quickens the shutter to reduce shake, a far less effective method. This camera also incorporates Nikon's Smile Mode and Blink Warning, features that can automatically take photos when subjects smile, and warn users when subjects blink. The Coolpix S550 ships in February, and will be available in blue, red and black.

The Coolpix S600 is the most advanced member of Nikon's latest wave of Coolpix S-series cameras. The 10-megapixel S600 features a 28 to 112mm-equivalent 4x optical zoom that incorporates OIS to reduce shake. It sports a 69mm LCD screen, and can reach up to ISO 3,200 sensitivity, the highest of any of the new Coolpix S-cameras. Nikon claims that the S600 has the fastest start-up time of any camera in its class at 0.7 seconds, though we won't know until we test it for ourselves. The slate-black Nikon Coolpix S600 ships in March, with a suggested retail price of £250. -Will Greenwald