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Nikon

Nikon brings out new A1000 and B600 superzoom compact cameras

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The A1000 is the smaller of the two, with a slim body ideal for carrying in a pocket and perfect for casual travel photography. The B600 is larger and shaped more like a mini-DSLR and would fit in a small bag.

Cameras like these use small sensors to make the small body and long zoom range possible, so the image quality is limited compared to a DSLR or mirrorless camera, but they are popular because they offer a lot of versatility, i.e. a long zoom range, in an affordable, pocket-sized camera.

Nikon Coolpix A1000 key features

Designed like a regular compact camera and slim enough to fit into a pocket, the A1000 has a 35x optical zoom equivalent to 24-840mm in 35mm camera terms. It can also shoot 4K video.

It has a 1,160k-dot electronic viewfinder, which is a bonus in a compact camera, together with a 3-inch tilting 1,036k-dot touchscreen display on the back that can swing down through 180 degrees for selfies.

The zoom is electrically controlled rather than manual, as usual with camera of this type, and controlled with a lever on the side – it also has a ’snap-back’ zoom button. As well as full manual and semi-manual PASM modes, the A1000 can also shoot RAW files, so it has appeal for enthusiasts and not just casual snappers.

Available: Jan 31 2019
Price: £409/€469
More information: Nikon COOLPIX A1000

Nikon Coolpix B600 key features

The larger Coolpix B600 (also available in black) has a 60x optical zoom lens with an equivalent focal range of 24-1440mm. That’s almost twice as long as the A1000’s zoom range, but this is a larger camera that will need a bag rather than a pocket.

The B600 doesn’t have the 4K video capability of the A1000 but can shoot full HD video. There’s no electronic viewfinder either, so stills and video must be composed on the 3-inch 921k-dot rear screen. This is fixed in place, with no option for tilting and rotating it for shooting at tricky angles.

This is one of Nikon’s budget B-series Coolpix cameras, hence the lower price and reduced features. There are no PASM modes on this camera and it shoots JPEGs only, not RAW files.

Available: February 2019
Price: £329/€379
More information: Nikon COOLPIX B600

Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 added to Nikon Z lens range

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Nikon has announced a new 14-30mm f/4 ultra-wideangle zoom to go with its new Z 6 and Z 7 full frame mirrorless cameras, launched last year. It joins the existing 24-70mm f/4 kit lens and 50mm and 35mm f/1.8 prime lenses, and is an important addition to the fledgling Z-series lens range.

Like the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4S, the Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 has a retracting mechanism to shorten the lens for storage and portability. The new lens also offers extensive weather sealing for use in bad weather and harsh environments.

What’s especially interesting is that it has a flat front element, which is a first for a full-frame ultra-wideangle lens and allows the use of regular 82mm filters without the need for bulky ultra-wide adaptors. 82mm is still a pretty large filter size, but it does mean landscape, travel and interior photographers will be able to use filters just as they would with a normal lens.

The Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4S is designed for both stills and video, with a smooth and silent ‘multi-focusing’ system which won’t produce intrusive motor noise while filming and is designed to reduce ‘focus breathing’.

It uses Nikon’s Nano Crystal anti-reflective coating to increase contrast and light transmission and also has an interesting customisable control ring. By default is is set up to provide manual focus, but it can also be used for aperture control (especially useful for iris transitions when recording video) or on-the-fly exposure compensation.

This is likely to be an important lens for Nikon as it seeks to make inroads into the full frame mirrorless camera market. There’s a long way to go before it catches up with the range of lenses offered for the Sony Alpha system, but this new 14-30mm ultra-wide lens and the compatibility with existing Nikon lenses via the optional FTZ lens adaptor are all steps in the right direction.

Available: April 2019
Price: £1349 (UK)/€1499 (Ireland)
More information: NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S-Line lens