Coolpix
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The Nikon Coolpix P5100 skipper and his P50 little buddy
Nikon just dropped a seasonal load of new Coolpix compact shooters so let's get to it. The P5100 represents Nikon's Coolpix flagship model: 12.1 megapixel 1/1.72-inch CCD with new EXPEED image processing engine; 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor lens with optical lens shift vibration reduction; ISO 3200 capability (for 5 megapixel or smaller images); manual and automatic shot modes; and optional expandability with 0.67x wide-angle and 3.0x tele-converter lenses. Expected to roll in Europe for €379/$516. The P50 scales things back to 8.1 megapixels, ISO 2000 max, electrical VR, with a 28-mm 3.6x optical zoom thrown in for about €229/$312. %Gallery-6580%[Via Impress] Read -- P5100 Read -- P50
Nikon's P5000 10 megapixel prosumer cam
If you're set on keeping it compact and fashionable, but still want to take some legitimate pictures, Nikon would like to tempt you with its new P5000 cam, which along with a 10 megapixel CCD, 3200 ISO and 3.5x zoom can accept add-on lenses or accessory shoe peripherals. We're pretty skeptical about that ISO 3200 mode, pictures at that ISO rarely look passable with a DSLR, much less a compact like this, and Nikon limits such pics to 5 megapixel shots, but we suppose having the option doesn't hurt anything, and Nikon claims its new image processing engine with "enhanced noise reduction and an improved signal-to-noise ratio" should help. The camera includes all those Face-priority AF, In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and D-Lighting perks in the new S and L Series cameras, along with optical image stabilisation. The 2.5-inch LCD doesn't sound stellar in an age of 3-inch viewfinders, but Nikon did leave room for an optical viewfinder, which is always nice. We're also digging the i-TTL compatible accessory shoe, which supports external flashes, and the optional 24mm wide-angle lens and 378mm telephoto converter lenses. You can pick one of these up in March for $400, but be sure to pick up a hefty SDHC card while you're at it, those 10 megapixel pics are going to want some leg room.%Gallery-1705%
Nikon's new L10, L11 and L12 Coolpix take it low-end
Nikon is beefing up its L Series ("L" stands for life, dontchaknow) and while the specs pale in comparison to some of Nikon's other new offerings, there's plenty to love here for the point-and-shoot set. The L10, L11 and L12 sport 5, 6 and 7.1 megapixel CCDs respectively, with 3x Zoom-Nikkor lenses and a full quality movie mode. The L10 and L11 can muster a mere ISO 800, and the 2-inch LCD on the L10 is positively cro-magnon, but the L11 picks it up a bit with 2.4-inches. We wouldn't be caught dead with anything less than the L12, which adds in optical image stabilisation, a 2.5-inch LCD and ISO 1600, but the $120, $150 and $200 price tags make all of these compact shooters quite tempting to the low-frills, no-budget types. All three should be available near the beginning of March.%Gallery-1706%
Nikon fesses up to new CCD malfunction problems
The Great CCD Failure of 2005 doesn't look like it's going to be Nikon's last. The camera manufacturer has just discovered a similar flaw in its Coolpix 5400, 5000, 4500 and 3500 shooters, and surprise, surprise, the manufacturing flaw is from the very same CCD manufacturer to blame for the last debacle. The official blame is on "CCD soldering degradation caused by aging" which means moisture and heat slowly wears down the CCD and kills the camera in its prime. Nikon got advanced warning of the problem by noticing an increase of malfunctions in a particularly hot and humid area in summer 2006. After some voluntary tests, Nikon noticed the CCD problem had reemerged, and is offering up free CCD replacements for victims -- like last time you might be seeing abnormal colors, distorted images or even no images. No word on how exactly to go about that, but we suppose Nikon isn't too terribly hard to track down.
Nikon Coolpix P1 WiFi cam vulnerable to attacks
Nikon's WiFi-equipped Coolpix P1 introduced last year seemed to be a step in the right direction. Decent enough as a camera, the P1's big selling point was its WiFi transfer capability -- anything that lets us pull one more cable from our desk immediately gets our attention. And while we were hoping for some hacks to expand the functionality a bit, this isn't exactly what we had in mind. According to Informit, in addition to sending your vacation pics flying through the air, the P1 can also open up your PC to a whole range of attacks, including DoS attacks and infected JPGs and executables, not to mention allowing others to potentially intercept your photos. The bad news, if that wasn't bad enough, is that there apparently isn't any easy fix outside just not installing Nikon's WiFi software on your PC -- thus killing the camera's only wireless functionality. So, unless you can somehow scope out everyone with nefarious intent within WiFi range, you might wanna go back to that trusty SD card reader until further notice.
Nikon Coolpix S5 reviewed
Nikon's Coolpix S5, unveiled earlier this year, is a svelte 6 megapixel shooter with a 2.5-inch LCD, non-extending 3x zoom lens and lots of scene modes for point-and-shoot novices. And, as reviewed by DCViews, it offers good image quality, with "excellent" color and "perfect" auto-focusing and auto-exposure, at a price of about $300. Those looking for manual controls should look elsewhere, of course. However, DCViews, perhaps with an eye towards Mother's Day, sees this as "an elegant ladies' camera." We assume there are plenty of guys who would be happy with this one's features, or with its big brother, the S6, which adds WiFi for about $50 more.
