Nikon took the wraps off the usual annual incremental upgrades to its line-up of point-and-shoot cameras on Tuesday, led by the advanced compact P520 with its whopping 42x zoom.
The mega-zoom’s back-side illuminated sensor has been bumped up to 18-megapixels, and has a new 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD screen for easier shooting from uncomfortable angles.
To combat any slight hand shake, especially when zoomed all the way in, a new “active” mode in the lens-shift vibration reduction promises more effective blur reduction for sharper photos and more stable video.
The P520 is also compatible with the WU-1a dongle, which lets the camera connect to your Android smartphone for remote control or photo transfer.
Nikon also added significant updates to its excellent rugged compact, leaping ahead of Olympus’ competing cameras.
Featuring a 16-megapixel sensor with 5x optical zoom, the new AW110 is even tougher than its predecessor, with its ability to survive down to 18m deep in water and approximately -10 degrees Celsius in the cold.
Plus, shock-proofing allows the camera to topple from a height of roughly 2 metres with no adverse effects.
Outdoor lovers will appreciate the variety of functions built for their journeys, including an altimeter, depth gauge, and barometer.
A GPS chip in the camera supports the display of near-by points of interests in built-in maps, an electronic compass, and WiFi connectivity enables the wireless transfer of data.
Pricing and launch dates are unavailable at the time of writing, but Nikon confirmed that all these cameras will hit the shelves by the first quarter of this year.
