Camera manufacturers have figured out that while adding such snazzy features as Wi-Fi and GPS to point & shoot cameras can add to their appeal, adding a larger sensor for better image quality can result in truly remarkable cameras with raves from reviewers and consumers alike such as the Sony RX 1 & RX 100. To add to the mix, Nikon has entered the high-end point & shoot market with The Nikon COOLPIX A, the first COOLPIX compact digital camera equipped with a DX-format CMOS sensor.
The COOLPIX A is equipped with a new wide-angle 18.5mm, f/2.8 (equivalent to a 28mm angle of view in 35mm [135] format) fixed focal length NIKKOR lens designed exclusively for the COOLPIX A and a DX-format CMOS sensor for the ease and portability of a compact digital camera with the superior rendering capabilities of a digital SLR camera.The fixed focal length NIKKOR lens designed exclusively for, and built into the COOLPIX A maximizes the capabilities of the large DX-format CMOS sensor while also making the most of the superior resolution and rendering characteristics of the NIKKOR lens. The extremely practical wide-angle lens that covers a wide variety of shooting scenes is designed with optics that maximize lens performance while making the most of the portability of the compact digital camera. Various types of aberrations are effectively reduced for superior rendering performance throughout the entire frame at all aperture settings. In addition, adoption of a seven-blade iris diaphragm allows users to enjoy beautiful and natural blur characteristics.. Despite its compact size, the camera's DX-format CMOS sensor with an effective pixel count of 16.2-million pixels, image-processing engine, and NIKKOR lens enable the same superior image quality, rich tone expression, and color reproduction as digital SLR cameras for high resolutions and sharp rendering. What's more, in response to users who demand extremely sharp images, the compact body of the COOLPIX A has not been equipped with an optical low-pass filter.
The lens is equipped with a focus ring that allows users to focus in a way that suits their creative intent. It makes fine adjustment of focus, such as focus slightly in front of or behind the primary subject with macro photography, allowing users to enjoy the operational experience similar to that offered by digital SLR cameras. In addition, the camera is equipped with an autofocus with manual override function. Therefore, when the shutter-release button is held down halfway and the focus ring turned while the camera is focusing automatically, manual focus is immediately activated.The combination of NIKKOR lens, a DX-format CMOS image sensor, and the EXPEED 2 image-processing engine enables sharp, high-resolution imaging expression with movie recording as well. What's more, the COOLPIX A also offers in-camera movie editing functions that allow users to save a single frame as a still JPEG image or delete unnecessary portions from the beginning or end of movie files.
Other Coolpix A Features Include:
- High-speed continuous shooting at approximately 4 fps
- Normal and Keep warm lighting colors auto white balance options
- Active D-Lighting, which prevents loss of detail in highlights and shadows for images exhibiting brightness similar to that seen with the naked eye when shooting scenes with extremes in both light and dark
- Nikon's exclusive imaging system, Picture Control, which allows users to choose and adjust the way in which the camera processes photographs according to the type of scene or their own individual preference
- A variety of image editing functions, including Filter Effects, Color Sketch, Selective Color, and Miniature Effect
- Virtual horizon display for visual confirmation that the camera is horizontally and vertically level
- A Very bright, 3-in., approximately 921k-dot TFT LCD monitor with wide viewing angle
We just got a few pieces of the Coolpix A in and we're happy to show it to you. At $1099.95, it fits in well between the 2 Sony models in both features and pricing. Come in and ask for the Coolpix A at the Nikon counter.