February 19, 2007 – Among the eight-product launch today, Nikon introduced two new 7.1-megapixel S-series cameras, the Coolpix S500 and S200. Equipped with a new menu interface system, the S500 will enter the market at $299.95, while the S200 will retail for $249.95, when they debut in March.
“These cameras pack style and performance into sleek, metal bodies, allowing even the most style-savvy consumer to enjoy the ease and quality of Coolpix technology,” said Nikon Coolpix general manager of Marketing Bill Giordano in a company press release today.
Unlike other Nikon S-series cameras that feature a wave-like design, the new S500 and S200 have flat metal bodies. The S500 has a stainless steel housing, and the S200 has an aluminum body. Both new Nikon Coolpix cameras contain a 7.1-megapixel sensor, a 3x Nikkor optical zoom lens, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen.
While the Coolpix S200 only has the electronic anti-blur technology called e-VR which stands for Electronic Vibration Reduction Image Stabilization, the S500 packs Optical VR Image Stabilization. The optical vibration reduction on the S500 can be activated with a new anti-shake button on the top of the camera for easier access, while engaging the high sensitivity setting of up to 2000 ISO, and the Best Shot Selector (BSS).
The S500 also sports a dedicated One-Touch Portrait button that activates three Nikon standard features: face-priority AF, in-camera red-eye fix, and D-lighting. On the S200, users can engage these features in scene modes through the menu.
Both cameras sport a new menu system that feature graphic-based help dialogs to ease navigation and mode selection, according to the release. The Nikon Coolpix S500 and S200 are both also capable of 16:9 panoramic shooting. The cameras accept SDHC media and Li-ion batteries.
Nikon Coolpix S500 Key Features:
New Menu system
Anti-shake button
One-Touch Portrait button
Maximum sensitivity at 2000 ISO
16:9 shooting
Nikon Coolpix S200 Key Features:
New Menu system
E-VR (Electronic Vibration Reduction Image Stabilization)
Maximum sensitivity at 1000 ISO
16:9 shooting
