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After weeks of teasing with an agonizingly slow
Flash animation, Nikon released information on its third
generation of Coolpix digital cameras on May 29. Oddly enough, a
visit to the Coolpix website (http://www.nikonusa.com/coolpix/splash.html)
revealed an equally slow website that did little to show the
viewer what the fuss is all about. I would recommend visiting
Nikon's main website (http://www.nikonusa.com)
for more complete information.
Coolpix3 consists of three new cameras. Top of
the line is the CP5700, a 5mp camera with electronic viewfinder
(EVF) and an 8X (35-280mm, f:2.8) lens. The big Nikon
low-dispersion glass lens will get the most attention, although
the wide-angle CP5000 will remain a favorite among those of us
who prefer a broader view.
The 5700 retains the CP5000's feature of a
flipping, rotating rear LCD and toggles between its view and the
EVF. I'll reserve my opinion of the Electronic Viewfinder until
a review product arrives. The Nikon press release claims 180,000
pixels for the EVF while my favorite EVF camera, the Sony 707,
has 123,000.
The CP5700, which resembles the Fuji zoom
cameras in general design, is considerably larger than the
CP5000. The space between handgrip and lens mount appears wider
and no longer contains the AV/AF Lock button (now on the left
side of the lens mount a'la Fuji).
On the camera's back, the zoom rocker has been
moved to the left but appears to remain close to the thumb
cutout. Detailed first looks at the CP5700 can be found at
www.stevesdigicams.com.
The Coolpix 4500 is the latest offspring in the
swivel-lens 9xx line. It now boasts a 4mp resolution and a new
sideways pop-up flash a'la Olympus. The CP4500 appears slightly
smaller than its 995 predecessor with a smooth, rounded lens
housing where the 995 was decidedly lumpy. It shares the same
f:2.8 4X zoom lens with the 995.
Finally, Nikon introduced the CP2000, an
entry-level 2-megapixel camera with 3X optical zoom. The CP2000
has LCD viewing only. How this new camera will compete with the
CP2500 and the CP775 remains to be seen. |