Aimed at photographers who like to get down and dirty with manual settings and creative controls, the Nikon Coolpix P310 packs in enthusiast features at a competitive price.
The stand out feature is the Nikkor 4.2x zoom lens, which starts at a useful 24mm wide with an impressive f/1.8 maximum aperture.
Inside there’s a 16-megapixel CMOS 1/2.3 type sensor with lens shift VR, backed by a new Expeed C2 image processor and 99-point AF system, while a high-resolution 3-inch 921k-dot LCD display can be found on the back.
The layout is fairly traditional, with a top-mounted mode dial offering Auto/Program and manual modes, a top-mounted thumb dial and zoom/shutter controls.
The P310 offers a manual focus option, although these are always a bit fiddly with compact cameras, while on the front can be found a new function button offering speedy access to favourite shooting settings.
The camera supports 1080p video with stereo audio, and there’s fast and slow motion options available for creative types.
Other features include panoramic shooting, auto HDR and 3D stills, with the Coolpix P310 able to rattle off shots at up to five shots at 6fps, or 30 shots at 1fps.
Available in black and white, the P310 will be hitting the shops from 22 March 2012 with a price tag of £299. It looks a great, carry everywhere versatile camera, although we’d recommend that readers also check out the Lumix LX5 too.
