 |
| (Credit: Nikon) |
Nikon expanded its skinny lineup of digital cameras with the announcement of four new models. The Coolpix S8000 leads with a 10x lens in a compact body, while the S6000 is also called “the thinnest camera in its class” with its 7x lens. The S4000 comes with a touch screen and the S3000 provides more basic features. The new Nikons will be available next month.
Nikon’s S-series is typically where the trendier cameras debut; last year’s much-talked-about S1000pj projector camera is in the lineup. The new cameras are just as thin, but add more zoom to their lenses.
The Nikon Coolpix S8000 has a 10x optical zoom lens and, according to the company’s Feb. 2 press release, is the “thinnest camera in its class” at just 1.1 inches thick. The 30-300mm lens couples with optical image stabilization to keep photos from getting too blurry. The Nikon Coolpix S6000 is also flaunted as the thinnest in its class by the company; it has a 7x optical zoom lens and measures an inch thick.
Both of these slim cameras have rivals: the Panasonic ZR3, for instance, has an 8x lens that measures wider at 25-200mm and stays in the camera’s 1.02-inch frame. The Fujifilm F80 has a 10x, 27-270mm lens that stays within a 0.9-inch thick body. It could snatch the skinniest crown from the Nikon, but we’ll give Nikon some credit: the two thin 10x cameras were announced the same day. The F80 will cost $299, the same price as the new Nikon S8000.
The S8000 and S6000 both have 14.2 megapixels for still pictures and 720p for recording HD videos. Both have ISO ranges that expand up to 3200. The biggest difference between the two cameras is the lens – 10x on the S8000 and 7x on the S6000. The flagship also has a bigger 3-inch LCD while the step-down model has a 2.7-inch version. For its smaller lens and screen, the S6000 will retail for $249.
The Nikon Coolpix S4000 has less resolution at 12 megapixels. It has a smaller 4x lens too. Its headlining feature is its 3-inch, 460k-pixel LCD touch screen, which offers not only easy navigation in the playback mode but a “touch shutter” function that automatically focuses on whatever is touched on the screen while recording pictures and video. The S4000 will cost $199, making it one of the least expensive touch screen cameras.
The Nikon Coolpix S3000 is the most underwhelming camera of the bunch, but it is designed for the budget-conscious consumer with its $149 price tag. It has 12 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens packed into a 0.8-inch thin body.
