ZDNET Australia takes a first look at the latest and fullest-featured Nikon Coolpix camera. Nikon has unveiled a new member of the CoolPix 900 series of digital cameras - the CoolPix 995.
Launched at press conference in Singapore, the new camera retains the Unique swivel design found on all the CoolPix 900 cameras.
The Nikon CoolPix family of digital cameras has come a long way since their introduction back in 1998. First, it was the 1.2-megapixel CoolPix 900 in 1998, then the 2-megapixel CoolPix 950 in 1999, followed by the CoolPix 990 last year.
This year, Nikon has added a new member to the CoolPix 900 series of digital cameras -- the CoolPix 995. Launched at press conference in Singapore, the new camera retains the unique swivel design found on all the CoolPix 900 cameras.
The high-end 900-series has a look you either love or hate. It's not as stylish as the Canon and Sony cameras. For example, it's in black, not silver or gold -- probably to reinforce its prosumer image.
Like its siblings before it, 995 has an odd swiveling lens, which in my hands provided a firm, comfortable grip. The placement of the control buttons also makes it easy for me to navigate through the various menu options.
Significant improvements
The most significant improvements in the CoolPix 995 are the new 3.34-megapixel CCD sensor and 4x Nikkor zoom lens. Capable of capturing images at resolutions of up to 2,048 by 1,536 pixels, it can be used with a 4x digital zoom to provide a combined magnification that is said to even rival some of Nikon's analog sports telephoto lenses.
Where lens design is concerned, Nikon claims that by incorporating two aspherical lens elements into the lens, optical aberration is minimised, resulting in higher quality images.
As with most Nikon cameras today, the images recorded by the CoolPix 995 are processed using intelligent advanced algorithms that aid in faithful reproduction of colours.
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