Nikon COOLPIX L100 15x Ultra Zoom Compact Camera [Budget Big Zoom Camera]

Following on from announcing the up and coming availability of two other COOLPIX cameras – namely the COOLPIX L19 and COOLPIX L20 – Nikon have also unveiled a new 10 megapixel 15x optical zoom Ultra Zoom camera aimed at the budget conscious in the form of the Nikon COOLPIX L100.

Billed as being ‘packed with high-quality features that make taking photographs a joy, without stretching the budget’ the Nikon COOLPIX L100 Ultra Zoom, like the aforementioned compacts, utilises Nikon’s EXSPEED digital image processing engine whilst offering a wide-angle 28mm to super-telephoto 420mm (35mm-format equivalent) NIKKOR lens which, when used in macro mode, will also happily take close ups at down to one centimetre distance.

Additional highlights concerning Nikon’s COOLPIX L100 Ultra Zoom include burst shooting at up to 13fps in 3MP resolution thanks to its Sports Continuous Mode, a sensitivity range up to ISO3200 and a host of auto features such as Scene Auto selector, Smart Portrait, Smile Mode and Blink Warning as well as Motion Detection, Smile Mode, D-Lighting and in-camera red eye fix.

Nikon’s press release details the L100’s key features as follows:

• Large, bright 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD with anti-reflection coating for easy composition and reviewing of images.
• New Sport Continuous Scene Mode for shooting at up to 13fps (up to 30 frames when consumers set the resolution to 3MP or lower). This high-speed capture setting helps photographers stay ahead of the action, whether on the football, baseball or soccer fields.
• 4-Way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization
• Optical VR image stabilization compensates for the effects of camera shake by moving the image sensor, producing clearer, sharper results in lower lighting or unsteady conditions.
• Motion Detection automatically detects moving subjects and adjusts shutter speed and the ISO setting to compensate for camera shake and subject movement.
• High ISO 3200 capability creates new opportunities to take sharper, more natural-looking photos in lower light conditions.
• Nikon’s original Best Shot Selector (BSS) automatically takes up to 10 shots while the user presses the shutter, and saves the sharpest image.
• Smart Portrait System, which integrates the following to make it a snap to capture stunning portrait photos of friends and family:
• In-Camera Red-Eye FixTM, which automatically fixes most instances of red-eye.
• Enhanced Face-Priority AF, which can detect up to 12 faces from a variety of angles, including straight on, from the side, or even in a multitude of three-quarter positions.
• Smile Mode, which automatically detects when your subject smiles and releases the shutter.
• Blink Warning, which displays a warning message, should the camera detect that the subject has blinked.

Ideal for those looking for an Ultra Zoom camera but are specifically looking for point and shoot simplicity, (the L100 also uses AA batteries for maximum convenience), the Nikon COOLPIX L100 Ultra Zoom is set to retail for just shy of $280 and is due to commence shipping as of 13 March 09.

[Nikon]