Nikon's flagship P6000 point-and-shoot is official, and pretty much everything we heard. Besides long-awaited RAW support (not on Macs, sorry), the 13.5-megapixel shooter has built-in GPS geotagging, Nikon's DSLR controls, manual pop-up flash (which is so fun to play with it's almost worth the $500 price of admission by itself) and other pro-ish features for more manual control. The lens is a 4x wide-angle, and it'll do up to ISO 3200 at full resolution, or 6400 at three megapixels. The most oddball feature? An ethernet jack. So it's like a free trip to 2001 to boot. Here's all the details and another shot.

NEW COOLPIX P6000 OFFERS DIGITAL SLR SHOOTING CONTROL IN A COMPACT CAMERA
New Performance Series Camera Enables Users to Test the Photography World with Creative Control and "Geo-tagging" Capabilities with built-in GPS

MELVILLE, NY (Aug. 7, 2008) - Nikon Inc. today introduced its newest flagship COOLPIX compact camera, the COOLPIX P6000. Featuring 13.5 megapixels, a new, built-in global positioning system (GPS) unit, my Picturetown connectivity and the power of Nikon's exclusive EXPEEDTM image processing concept, the P6000 offers the perfect photographic tool for the photo and camera enthusiasts seeking the creative control of a D-SLR in the compact body of a COOLPIX camera.

"We are eager to see the response to the integration of the new capabilities for COOLPIX cameras, as the demands of our consumers are always a priority in product design," said Bill Giordano, general manager marketing, COOLPIX for Nikon Inc. "The P6000 is an exciting product offering for Nikon's COOLPIX line, as it not only provides expanded creative control for photo enthusiasts, but also empowers them with GPS functionality and my Picturetown connectivity."

The P6000 knows where the "best shots" are taken, thanks to the integration of the new GPS unit. With the added GPS function, P6000 users will be able to record "geotags" of the location where their images are captured based on latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. This further heightens the photographic experience, allowing users to pinpoint the location via maps available in Nikon ViewNX Software, my Picturetown, Nikon?s photo sharing and storage website, or any other software or website that recognizes GPS data.

Additionally, the P6000 makes my Picturetown connectivity for uploading and sharing photos simple and easy, thanks to added wired LAN support via a dedicated Ethernet port built-into the camera. Users can upload their images and data directly from the P6000 with an Ethernet cable to the secure Picture Bank service on my Picturetown.

In line with other COOLPIX P-Series cameras, the P6000 includes intuitive controls via dedicated command and mode dials, providing easy access to shooting controls and exposure mode settings. The P6000 offers Programmed Auto [P], Shutter-priority Auto [S], Aperture-priority Auto [A] and Manual [M] modes granting users the ability to tap into the creativity of D-SLR functions while maintaining the simplicity of COOLPIX functionality. Owners can utilize two user-defined settings, a shooting menu, an efficient, tabbed menu interface, as well as customizable Function buttons to quickly switch between camera settings.

Additional shooting innovations engineered to maximize image quality and offer greater control over the final results include Nikon?s original COOLPIX Picture Control System and a new NRW*(RAW) support. The COOLPIX Picture Control System features intuitive controls that enable users to adjust their images to pre-set parameters such as Standard, Neutral, Vivid and Monochrome and apply tweaks to image sharpening, tone compensation, brightness, overall tone and saturation. Furthermore, images shot in the all-new NRW* (RAW) format can be opened and viewed in Nikon ViewNX Software (available early October 2008) for increased editing abilities.

Adding even more synergy between D-SLR cameras and compact COOLPIX cameras, the P6000 incorporates a pop-up flash, optical viewfinder for easy composition and the added bonus of system expansion with an optional convertor, Speedlights, and wireless remote control. Nikon's new 0.76x Wide-angle Convertor WC-E76 offers users the option to utilize focal lengths as wide as 21mm (35mm format equivalent). P6000 users can also take full advantage of Nikon's Creative Lighting System with the built-in accessory shoe that supports Nikon's i-TTL flash control, which enables wireless control over one group of remote Speedlights including the newly announced SB-900 Speedlight.

The P6000 features a quality finish and a front panel constructed of solid Magnesium alloy, as well as a comfortable grip and well-placed controls for streamlined performance. The new P6000 camera is compatible with new high-capacity SDHC cards, and utilizes a Nikon EN-EL5 rechargeable Li-ion battery. The P6000 also comes bundled with the COOLPIX Software Suite for editing, organizing and sharing images.

The Nikon COOLPIX P6000 will be available nationwide beginning September 2008 at a MSRP of $499.95.** For more information about the P6000 and other COOLPIX cameras, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

[Nikon]