Nikon digital cameras broken down

Nikon Explained
With years of experience Nikon is renowned for its expertise in cameras. A brand that was synonymous with professional photographers, Nikon has still remained strong after entering the digital camera market, so much so it’s soon to stop producing film SLRs. Because of the Nikon branding, these cameras aren’t the cheapest on the market but they come with a stamp of quality.

What ranges are available?
The SLR are the D series,
The Hobbyist and Enthusiast range are Coolpix and a number
And the Fun and Leisure range include the Coolpix L, P, and S series

Is this the same worldwide?
The brand name Nikon is known around the world, and they don’t feel they need to change their range to suit different countries. Their Coolpix range is the same the world round.

What is the difference?
Nikon digital cameras are divided into three categories. You’ve got your DSLR, the big, powerful professional cameras: these are the D series and provide big megapixel digital cameras with interchangeable lenses.
Then there’s the Enthusiasts and Hobbies range: these are a little more than a point and shoot camera but not quite as technical as the Nikon DSLR. These digital cameras look like SLRs but aren’t, they’ve got the flashes and wide angle lenses and bulky bodies but are still Coolpix cameras.
Finally Nikon has the Fun and Leisure Coolpix range which are compact digital cameras designed for those who want a good picture but don’t want to do too much in terms of getting them.

So, what is the difference between the ranges?

DSLR D range
The D100 and D200 range are the premium SLRs, catering for those who want to dabble in more advanced photography. These have a bigger spec, higher pixel counts and better image sensors. At entry level you’ll get the Nikon D60 and D70. These are still powerful digital SLR cameras but they also come with pre-set functions to help you on your way. The higher the number the more recently the cameras were released. So for example the latest model in this range is the D80.

Coolpix Hobbyist and Enthusiast range
This range is the in-betweeny of the camera range. The first digit in the model number of this range tells you how high the pixel count is, and the following number is the series which are 700, 500 and 400. The numbers increase as with the newer ranges. So the 8400 would be a newer version of the 8 megapixel digital camera than the 8400. or the 5700 would be a newer model of a 5 megapixel digital camera than the 5400.

Nikon Coolpix L, P and S
These are the compact range of Nikon digital cameras. The design varies in each category. The Coolpix L range is bulkier in design than the S series which is ultra-compact. Like the Canon Ixus or the Sony DSC-T7 the S series is the sexy range of Nikon’s digital camera. Each range has similar spec but the final design will dictate price variations.

So for example if we take two cameras from the L and S range which are both 6 megapixel cameras the:
Nikon Coolpix L2 would cost £127
Nikon Coolpix S6 would cost £210

What models are in each range?

SLR

D200 Body only