Nikon Coolpix P60

Easy to use, but too bulky to pocket



THE 8.1-MEGAPIXEL Nikon Coolpix P60 ($229.95) with a long 5x zoom is the perfect camera for people who like a reliable shooter they can master quickly.
With a rubber grip on its right side, the P60 is very easy to hold and stabilize, but it's also bulky and hefty-this isn't a camera you can slide into your pocket and take on the go.
For such a large camera, the P60 has a surprisingly small 2.5-inch LCD. And images aren't very easy to see through the electronic viewfinder. The control layout, however, makes the camera amazingly easy to use. The buttons are in all the right places, which makes it easy to quickly access the functions you use most. Helpful features include optical image stabilization and face detection, although the face detection isn't always successful.
More-advanced users who require greater creative control will want to use the P60's manual mode, which allows you to adjust the camera's aperture and shutter speed.
Startup time was an acceptable 2.2 seconds, and when shooting, the camera performed respectably. Shutter lag was 1.2 seconds, and shot-to-shot time was 2.3 seconds without flash, 2.5 seconds with.



As for photo quality, outdoor shots captured the subjects with crispness and clarity, and color representation was spot-on. Photos shot indoors without a flash were inconsistent-some were clear, others blurry; photos shot with flash were much better, even though there was the requisite shadowing.
The P60 lets you shoot up to ISO 2000. Unfortunately, most of the shots we took above ISO 800 tended to come out a bit grainy. - Jonathan Rougeot.

Computer Shopper October 2008
www.nikonusan.com