Nikon on Tuesday evening rolled out a pair of high-end Coolpix cameras.
P300
The P300 is its direct challenger to the Canon S95 and packs a 4.2X (24-100mm) lens with a very wide f1.8 aperture. Packed with a 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, it’s both much more suitable in low light than a usual compact and much faster; the shallow depth of field also helps .
Photographers get full manual control as well as modes tuned to the light sensitivity. Night portrait and landscape modes, as well as backlight HDR, combine multiple shots and manipulate exposure, shutter speed or both differently to get the right subjects in proper view and with full dynamic range. This Nikon shoots 1080p video with autofocusing and optical zoomt.
P500
The P500 shoots at an unprecedented 36X (22.5-810mm) long range for compact camera. It too has a CMOS sensor (12.1 megapixels) and has a second zoom control on the lens barrel to minimize shake near the end of the zoom range. The back LCD tilts but doesn’t swivel. Most controls and the 1080p video are similar, but action photography is a focus with a quick shortcut to continuous shooting. A sweeping panorama mode simplifies creating landscapes.
Either P-series Coolpix will be available in March, with the P500 being the most expensive at $500 and the P300 at $330.
Nikon P500
