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A flagship it isn’t, but Nikon’s newest Coolpix will certainly hit the sweet spot in terms of pricing for many. The Coolpix L610 is an entry-level compact that breaks away from proprietary cells in order to rely on a pair of AAs. World travelers may argue that it’s easier to find a pack of those at any corner shop than a power outlet, and while it may only suit a select few, we’re glad that the AA notion hasn’t been tossed aside completely. Specs-wise, you’re looking at a 16 megapixel BSI (backside illuminated) CMOS sensor, a 1080p movie mode, 3-inch rear LCD, optical VR image stabilization, HDMI socket and a 14x wide-angle zoom lens. It’s designed to sit between the P510 and P7100 in terms of size, with a newfangled design that looks pretty darn attractive at the $249 asking price. For those interested, it’ll be hitting shelves in September donning a red, black or silver motif.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon Coolpix L610: an AA-powered, 1080p-capable point-and-shoot for $249 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Several camera manufacturers have expressed their intention to make “smart” cameras, accessing social networking and sharing functions via embedded wireless chips. It looks like Nikon will be the first company to use Android on one of its cameras, however, with a filing at the Indonesian Communication Agency revealing the Coolpix S800 model number. Nikon Rumors believes the camera will run Android 2.3 and be compatible with just about all the apps found on the Play Store.

The Coolpix S800 will reportedly come with a 25-250mm lens, along with built-in GPS and WiFi. The camera is said to have a 3.5-inch OLED screen, with everything running on Android 2.3. That’s an interesting choice for Nikon, but it ultimately makes sense. If they can tie the camera software to Android correctly, users will be able to tap straight into apps like Instagram and Facebook so that they can share their pictures with relative ease.

Other specs and details for the camera aren’t known, but the release date is said to be August 22nd. It opens up other questions about Nikon’s lineup too: will they extend Android to other cameras or even DSLRs in the future?

Nikon isn’t the only company interested in smart cameras, however. Back in March, Panasonic stated that it was looking into the possibility of using Android on its cameras, but that keeping a firm grasp on the system was a concern, as were potential warranty issues with opening up such cameras to a wide range of apps. Samsung also expressed interest in using Android for its cameras, and while the company didn’t confirm that it was moving ahead with any Android-based camera products, it did file a “Galaxy Camera” trademark back in February.

[via GSMDome]

Nikon Coolpix S800 tipped as company’s first Android-based camera is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nikon’s odd financial calendar means that the camera maker is announcing its first quarter results for 2013. The confusingly-dated documents show that it isn’t having the best Spring / Summer, since while it pulled in a net profit of $201 million, that figure is down nearly 50 percent on the $392 million it made in the same period last year. It sold a record number of interchangeable-lens cameras, lenses and a good number of compact cameras, but that was offset against the high cost of the yen.

Its other businesses, Precision Equipment and Instruments both suffered thanks to Government spending cuts, a “harsh business climate” and the now age-old problem of the high exchange rate. It’s expecting the situation to remain the same in the next three months, with booming camera sales weight against losses in its other businesses — with a projected profit of $143 million anticipated in Q3.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Nikon makes $201 million quarterly profit, nearly 50 percent drop from last year, blames strong yen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon Vision has announced the availability of the Aculon T11 compact zoom binocular. As the successor to the highly-acclaimed Eagleview Zoom model, the Aculon T11 features better optical performance because all prisms and lenses have multilayer-coating for brighter images. Available in black, silver and red variants, the binocular also features a unique zoom lever for extra-smooth 8-24x zooming and turn-and-slide rubber eyecups. [Nikon Vision]

Nikon is going bigger with its product line, most notably marked by the announcement of its new 800mm f5.6 super-telephoto which should look quite impressive once it’s available. The move comes as a response to compete with Canon, and it will be interesting to see how this one stacks up against Canon’s EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM.

For professional photographers, Nikon’s new 800mm telephoto lens may be worth the big investment for photographing birds or any type of wildlife. Nikon hasn’t specified when they lenses will start to ship or how much it will cost, but you can bet that it will be pretty expensive. Canon’s EF 800mm f/5.6 L IS USM costs photographers a whopping $13,000.

The new 800mm telephoto lens will be shown off by Nikon at the Photokina show scheduled to take place this September in Cologne, Germany. Nikon currently offers super-telephoto models at 400mm, 500mm and 600mm with a 200-400mm zoom.

[via CNET]

Nikon announces 800mm super-telephoto lens is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.