Nikon has spilled the beans on no less than seven shiny new new consumer digicams, all expected to be parading on the shop shelves during September. We take a look at their two budget offerings.
Nikon Coolpix L14
Lurking closest to the bargain bin is the Nikon Coolpix L14, an entry-level jobbie which Nikon claims has the honour of having the longest battery life of any 3x zoom compact – a niche category if ever we saw one.
Nikon reckon this silvery thing can knock out over 1,000 shots from a pair of Lithium AAs, a mighty tally which impresses even cynics like us.
There’s a 7.1 megapixels sensor onboard, with the camera offering SDHC memory card support to supplement the 23 MB of internal memory.
In line with its beginner status, everything’s kept simple, with the camera sporting an more user friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI), with a flotilla of scene and movie modes to guide unsure hands.
The L14 comes with 2.4″ LCD and a 38-114 (equiv.) lens, with Macro shooting reaching as close as 10 cm (3.9 in.)
Also available in a rather natty blue finish and girl pink, the Coolpix L14 will sell for £129.99.
Nikon Coolpix L14 specifications:
Sensor 1/2.5″-type Interline CCD, 7.08 million effective pixels
Image sizes
3072 x 2304
3072 x 1728 (16:9)
2048 x 1536
1024 x 768
640 x 480
Movie clips
640 x 480 30fps
320 x 240 15/30fps
160 x 120 15fps
Stop-Motion mode
File formats JPEG EXIF 2.2
Quick Time Motion JPEG (AVI)
Lens
6.3-18.9mm (38-114mm equiv.), 3x zoom, f/3.1-5.9 maximum aperture
Image stabilization No
Conversion lenses No
Digital zoom Up to 4x
Focus Contrast-detect TTL AF
Focus modes Single AF, Full-Time AF (in Macro mode), Face-priority AF
AF area modes Centre
AF assist lamp No
Focus distance Standard: 60cm-infinity, Macro: 10cm-infinity
Metering 256-segment matrix metering
ISO sensitivity Auto (ISO 64-1000)
Exposure compensation -2.0 to +2.0 EV in steps of 1/3 EV
Exposure bracketing No
Shutter speed 4-1/1000s
Modes
Still: Easy auto mode, Auto mode, scene modes
Scene modes Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Party, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Museum, Fireworks Show, Close Up, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist
White balance 5-mode manual (Daylight,Incandescent,Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash)
Auto, White bal. Preset
Self timer 10s
Continuous shooting Single, Multi-shot 16 (Only available at image size at 2816/normal)
Image parameters Standard, Vivid, Black-and-White, Sepia, Cyanotype
Flash Built-in
Range: (W) 30cm – 5.0m (1 – 16.4ft), (T) 30cm – 3.0m (1 – 9.8ft)
Auto, Red-eye reduction by pre-flash, Anytime flash, Flash cancel, Slow sync.
Viewfinder No
LCD monitor 2.4″ TFT LCD with LED backlight, 115,000 dots, Approx 97% coverage (record mode), 5-step brightness adjustment
Connectivity USB 2.0 Full-Speed, AV out (NTSC/PAL)
Print compliance PictBridge, DPOF
Other features
Time zone function
D-Lighting
In-camera Red-Eye Fix
Available in silver, blue and pink
Storage SD / SDHC card (optional), Approx 23MB internal memory
Power 2 x AA batteries (Energizer lithium AA-size batteries included)
AC Adapter EH-65A (optional)
Weight (no batt) 125g (4.4 oz.)
Dimensions 91 x 60.5 x 26mm (3.6 x 2.4 x 1.0 in.)
Read Part Two – Nikon Coolpix L15.