Nikon announces D60 and five new Coolpix models

Melville (NY) – Nikon will begin offering the D60, an upgrade from the previously introduced D40 model, in March. The company is also offering five new Coolpix consumer cameras from $140 to $300.

The new D60 keeps the form-factor of Nikon’s mainstream digital SLR camera D40, but will add a few upgrades. Compared to the 2-year old D40, the D60 takes the maximum resolution from 6.1 megapixels to 10.2 megapixels. The image resolution climbs from 3008 x 2000 pixels per image to 3872 x 2592 pixels. The startup time remains at 0.18 seconds, but the D60 is able to take 3 pictures per second, while the D40 is rated at 2.5. Also new is a “Stop-Motion-Movie” mode, which can be used combine up to 100 pictures into a movie clip.

Pricing has not been announced, but common sense suggests that Nikon will position the D60 slightly above the still available D40. The D40 is currently sold for $550 MSRP, including an 18-55 mm lens. Expect the D60 kit to be priced somewhere between $600 and $700.

Six new point-and-shoot cameras update the company’s mainstream camera segment : A new entry-level model is the $140 L18, which offers a resolution of 8 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom and a 3” LCD. The S210, S520, S550 and S600 are added to the manufacturer’s “Style” series of cameras. A new P60 camera is marketed as a compact device with “creative control”.

The S-models offer 8 (S210, S520) and 10 megapixels (S550, S600), come with a 3x (S210, S520), a 4x (S600) or a 5x (S550)) zoom and image stabilizers (S550, S600). The S550 offers a “food mode” for taking pictures, which, according to Nikon, enables users to take “close-up images of food at high ISO settings in restaurants or other locations where flash photography is not permitted.” Prices for the new S-cameras are 180 for S210, $230 for the S520 and S550 and $300 for the compact S600.

The P60 provides a resolution of 8.1 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom, an image stabilizer, as well as an electronic viewfinder. The camera will be available in stores in March for $230 MSRP.