Nikon's Coolpix S60, S710, S610 and P6000 with GPS get outed

Well, well. What have we here? A few new Nikon's in the run-up to Photokina, based on looks alone. Up first is the previously rumored Coolpix P6000 (pictured front, £429; $835 $500), a high-end point-and-shoot with a patently absurd 13.5-megapixel sensor, a 4x optical zoom, 2.7-inch touchscreen monitor, built-in GPS for geotagging pics, full manual mode and the ability to capture in RAW. If that's a bit much for you, you can check out the ultrathin Coolpix S60 (pictured back, £299; $581 $350), which packs a 3.5-inch 16:9 touchscreen that controls just about everything, a 10-megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom and an HDMI output. Next up is the S710, which unfortunately gets the aforementioned 14-megapixel sensor, a 3-inch LCD and a 3.6x optical zoom. Bringing up the rear is the 10-megapixel S560 (£179; $348 $250) and the S610 / S610c (£249; $484 $280), the latter of which includes WiFi for instant uploading. Look for most, if not all, of these to show up on shelves next month.

Update: The whole gang just got official. Check out the details here.

Gallery: Nikon's Coolpix S60, S710, S610 and P6000 get outed

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Read - Nikon's Coolpix P6000
Read - The rest of Nikon's stable

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 8:50PM]

Poor camera was outed. What will its parents think?

[Tim @ Aug 6th 2008 9:07PM]

well, it explains the rollerblading . . .

[Jeff @ Aug 6th 2008 9:18PM]

'That's what you get for selling yourself for money?'

[jawn @ Aug 6th 2008 9:04PM]

Why not just get a Dslr...

[ElMafu69 @ Aug 6th 2008 9:52PM]

Why not get a dslr? Simple, I want a camera that is small enough to fit in my pocket (and yes, my p5000 does fit in my pocket) so I can take it around on hiking trips, camping trips, skiing, etc etc... I also have a dslr but I don't tend to take it on trips where the camera just becomes cumbersome. The cameras complement each other perfectly.

[LloydChiro @ Aug 6th 2008 9:51PM]

Everyone should have a DSLR.

[Lazerface @ Aug 6th 2008 10:16PM]

Just because you have a DSLR doesn't mean its the right camera for you.
I see alot of people still buying compact and superzoom digicams because they find DSLRs too pricey/confusing. Also, a lot of people still have their entry-mid level DSLRs on full automatic most of the time. They could have honestly saved some money and bulk/weight by just getting a compact or superzoom digicam that will do the exact same thing.

[Josh Warner @ Aug 7th 2008 12:48AM]

For anything over $400 people should be getting DSLRs. After that point, if you want something tiny to put in your pocket and get random people shots, get a discounted model from last year on closeout for way less than these (my digital ELPH cost less than $250 - two years ago! - and it has 7.1 Mpxl).

For this money you should be thinking DSLR. For about half this price point (around $200, for the math challenged) you should be considering a robust discontinued point 'n shoot on closeout. Why? Because the shots you are going to take with the tiny point 'n shoot don't need to be good; they're memories that probably will never be printed larger than 4x6. Heck, cell phone cameras are getting close to this good nowadays.

DSLRs bring a completely different game to the table with far less noise and infinitely more versatility. All entry level models these days shoot great on automatic; many have 'scene modes' where you don't have to do anything different than a crappy point 'n shoot - but the results are light-years ahead. Then, you also have the ability to learn more about photography and experiment.

I like Nikon, but they're pandering to a disappearing market here. If it's not a disappearing market, it should be.

[RobJ @ Aug 7th 2008 1:28PM]

"I like Nikon, but they're pandering to a disappearing market here. If it's not a disappearing market, it should be."

I disagree. The market for this type of camera is actually quite strong. It consists of 1) amateur photographers who want more control over their photos, but don't want the size and weight of a DSLR, and 2) amateurs and pros who already own a DSLR and want something smaller for those occasions where it's not appropriate or the DSLR is just too heavy to lug around.

The problem with this camera is that Nikon has used the same, small format sensor that they use in all their compact cameras, and they've stuffed way too many pixels onto that sensor. Meaning, even though you have more control over the photo taking process, the end results will be just as noisy as everything else.

Also, the price point is a little too high.

[Jim D @ Aug 6th 2008 9:20PM]

Anyone reminded of the Canon G9?? I call (less-than) inspired design.

[snapa @ Aug 6th 2008 10:09PM]

Actually it reminds me on the Nikon P5000. Or even the P5100.

[GlassyEyedGuppy @ Aug 7th 2008 12:53AM]

erm, duhh...why, because it has a hot shoe and it looks like a brick? Any manufacturer that wants to compete with the feature set that the G9 has would be hard pressed to pull a different design outta their ***. Now, if the camera were to have a FF sensor, that would be remarkable; otherwise, meh. There are too few choices in that particular segment, all of which aren't terribly compelling.

[wodheila @ Aug 7th 2008 7:26AM]

G9 was my first thought too. As for the dslr comments above, the G9 as well as this are nice as they fit in pockets as oposed to requiring luggage.

Looking at the specs on this one seems to indicate that the RAW feature is a bit proprietary at this point.

[nDee @ Aug 6th 2008 9:46PM]

I still see no use of Wi-Fi instant upload,
say how many hotspot is free to use without sign in?

[Jubal Hamrin @ Aug 6th 2008 9:54PM]

You guys gotta' quit calling 10 and 14 M-pixels absurd.

1. 24 inch photo printers from HP are now under $1,000, and 10 MP is a minimum for 24 x 36 " prints.

2. Megapixels are a fine substitute for a zoom lens.

[Josh H @ Aug 6th 2008 10:07PM]

The absurdity with the megapixels is the negative impact it has on PnS cameras' image quality. What does it matter I can print extremely large photos if the image quality is only getting worse in these cameras?

The increasingly MP is primarily driven by marketing with the assumptions the buyers don't know any better nor understand the important of MP vs. image sensor size.

Why does Nikons top end dSLR, the D3, only have 12MP sensor (which is physically much larger than the senor in a PnS)? It's all about light sensitivity and image quality.

[Lazerface @ Aug 6th 2008 10:21PM]

@Jubal
Where (or who) does it say that I need a 10MP cam to make a 24" x 36" print? I've made a 10" x 56" panoramic with a 5MP sony cybershot PnS and it looks great. (hand stitched too, there wasn't much in the way of automatic tools back then, just photoshop 5.5!)

@Josh H
Agreed. Compare a shot at ISO 800 taken on a little PnS vs one from a DSLR and you'll see a huge difference.
(unless your an artsy type person that likes digital noise for some reason....)

[phanbouy @ Aug 6th 2008 10:35PM]

so what's the best PnS image quality for the money right now?

[dave @ Aug 7th 2008 9:43AM]

Well, in regards to the 14 MP vs IQ (image quality) vs small camera vs dslr...what really matters here is that we don't know the sensor size. The reason why compact cameras suck in the IQ dept is because the damn sensor is a 5th the size of a dslr camera, thus reducing overall IQ. We can assume that the Nikkor glass is of high quality in most cases.

What's the best bang for your buck on compact P&S cameras? In my opinion, the Sigma DP1 (they actually were able to cram a dslr sensor in it) and the Ricoh GR-1 and GR-2. They are seriously bad ass camera's with tons of pro ergonomics and customization...and most of all, excellent IQ. They also shoot in RAW (the Sigma is slow...so beware, but it's small).

Check them out if you're serious.

[Al @ Aug 7th 2008 3:49PM]

Some could say this is easily the best point and shoot in terms of picture quality, but the picture speed, and such is kind of slow. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sigma/sigma_dp1.asp

[Minilap @ Aug 6th 2008 9:59PM]

Micro 4/3 FTW.

[bebop @ Aug 6th 2008 11:45PM]

Lens spec on the P6000 please!

[Richard @ Aug 6th 2008 11:53PM]

The lens on the P6000 better be top-quality because 4x is pretty bad, unless it started off at something like 24mm (35mm-equiv.). Many point and shoots are already boasting 5x zoom from a 28mm starting point, so the P6000 really has to differentiate itself from the Canon G9, which one of its few downers is that it starts at 35mm or 36mm.

[Knives_Out @ Aug 7th 2008 12:00AM]

I hope the manual controls are on the camera ... I've been looking for a nice full manual compact. I think there's a good market for it.

[Tyler Willis @ Aug 7th 2008 1:43AM]

I don't see dedicated buttons for adjusting Aperture, Exposure, or Shutter speed, so I'm skeptical how useful this will be in Manual mode. They may handle it via the touch screen in a manner similar to the D40's status screen (which I like better than the top mounted LCD's except that it shines in your eye when its still lit and you put your face to the viewfinder. If you combined that with touch screen it would be pretty slick... fast enough for me, probably still to slow for guys that actually know what they are doing.

[Tyler Willis @ Aug 7th 2008 1:43AM]

I love the GPS. I've always wanted to go through and document my town... not sure why.

I'm also curious about the touchscreen LCD. I've always thought that an Ipod touch fused to a DigiCam would be super cool (and probably useful) If you could pinch and zoom, you wouldn't need to waste a button on magnify and you could use it for some other purpose. I suspect, though, that it probably doesn't work near as well and would be inferior to actual buttons... we'll see.

Who cares about the megapixel count. I shoot a 6mp DSLR and it seems to do just fine, even blown up on a 24 inch screen.

Then of course there is the price... I don't know who in their right mind would pay more than $500 for a point and shoot. I guess if you have loads of money, then knock yourself out, but at that price you can a much better DSLR. Only reason not to is if you don't want to look like a dork tourist. But lets face it. You read engadget that probably isn't a huge concern.

[H Jordan High @ Aug 7th 2008 10:13AM]

So it sounds like it's not real or even fake cell-tower GPS but just a feature on their website:

"New GPS capability will automatically geo-tag your photos with the exact location of where you shot that picture. Upload pictures directly to my Picturetown, then conduct searches based on the location of where your pictures were taken. You can also view them all at once. A great way to have instant organization of your photos!"

Personally, I'd wait until I had a camera with a GPS chipset until I advertized it with a feature... but that's me.

[IowaSuby @ Aug 7th 2008 2:01AM]

Did I do my conversion right, the P6000 is $835 U.S.?

[arfster @ Aug 7th 2008 3:29AM]

Arrrrgh! 14mp on a 1/1.7" sensor? Insane. 430 quid and the pic quality will be mediocre.at best.

[Yem @ Aug 7th 2008 4:09AM]

Wow, the UK really gets SCREWED on pricing.

£429 / $500 for the P6000.

500 USD = 256 GBP, not 429. Sure you expect a margin but that is ridiculous.

At some point it will actually be cheaper to book a return flight to the East Coast and pick up the camera to take back.

[RizThon @ Aug 7th 2008 5:43AM]

Don't worry, it's the same in France...hum wait, would it be the reason why I only buy things from the US or Honk Kong???

[Bad Beaver @ Aug 7th 2008 5:00AM]

P6000 - Now that's what I call an interesting compact. I very much like the fact that it actually looks like a real camera instead of some sucked-on chrome-candy. In my very humble and insignificant opinion, such a well-specced compact is much more satisfying than entry-level DSLR. Entry-level DSLRs will constantly annoy you with their lack of features and cheap build. If you have ever used a real camera, that is. They are designed to make you want a bigger model. On the contrary, a high-end compact will always wow you with all the things it can actually do, be built well and fit your pocket. I would take this over a D40 or other entry-level whatnot every day. Plus $500 is a steal, it will likely be €500 here :/

[Eric @ Aug 7th 2008 12:26PM]

All you Mac and Windows XP (and earlier) users should be quite miffed their new proprietary RAW format only works with Vista.

What is Nikon smoking?

[amit @ Aug 9th 2008 2:26AM]

I too heard all the criticizm regarding the 'new' raw format, but i don't quite understand it. It's not like the 'good and old' NEF format was a native OS image format. NEF too is a Nikon propriatary format that required Nikon's software (or 3rd party, not free) for processing.
Could someone please explain?

http://www.dprguru.com/?model=P6000

[Criss.AC @ Sep 20th 2008 4:54PM]

So, after all, it seems that the P6000 will not have Wi-Fi as I have known up until today. This is such a big dissapointment. I know it has the wired feature over Ethernet, but Wi-Fi would have been so great. I really wanted to get this camera, I have been waiting for long... I wonder, in any future models, will they add Wi-Fi? What do you people think? Are there any chances for that? Big thanks

[Criss.AC @ Sep 20th 2008 5:09PM]

So, after all, it seems that the P6000 will not have Wi-Fi as I have
known up until today. This is such a big dissapointment. I know it
has the wired feature over Ethernet, but Wi-Fi would have been so
great. I really wanted to get this camera, I have been waiting for
long... I wonder, in any future models, will they add Wi-Fi? What do
you people think? Are there any chances for that? Big thanks