Digital Camera News

Nikon Announces Small D60 DSLR

Jan. 28, 2008 – Nikon today announced the D60, touted as one of the smallest Nikon DSLRs. The 10.2-megapixel SLR follows the D40x, released in March 2007. It features a faster shutter response, in-camera editing, and an advanced dust reduction system. Pricing has not been announced for the D60, although it will be released next month. UPDATE: The D60 with the kit lens will be priced at $749.

"The Nikon D60 makes stepping up to digital SLR photography easy for anyone, but is also a wonderful choice for photo enthusiasts looking for remarkable performance in a compact package," said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon, Inc.

The D60 doesn’t appear to bring too much more to the table than the D40x and earlier D40. It has the same megapixel count and many of the same features, including Nikon’s 3D Color Matrix Metering II, which helps balance colors and contrasts for clear, detailed images. It features Nikon’s EXPEED processor, a speedy autofocus system, and a 0.18-second startup time.

The D60 comes with Nikon's 3x optical zoom AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-f/5.6 vibration reduction image stabilization lens. It has a 2.5-inch LCD screen that saves power by automatically turning on and off when the user moves their eye to and from the viewfinder.

Nikon includes its Airflow Control System on the D60, which dispels dust by directing air in the mirror box toward small ducts near the base of the image sensor. The Image Sensor Cleaning function vibrates the sensor to further dispel dust – this option can be set to function automatically or powered on manually by the user.

Marketed as an entry-level DSLR, the D60 offers a number of features that will appeal to beginners. Options on the mode dial make it easier for users to take pictures in more difficult shooting situations, and the Retouch menu has a number of in-camera editing tools for editing images post-capture. Options include cross-screen star effects, color-intensifying filters, red-eye correction, and image trim. Images can also be shot in RAW format.

The D60’s Movie mode includes a Stop-Motion Movie mode, which creates stop-animation movie clips from up to 100 consecutive JPEG files.

The LCD monitor can be customized with wallpaper and color options, adding a personalized touch to the DSLR. It is compatible with SD, SDHC, and Eye-Fi wireless memory cards. Eye-Fi cards allow for wireless transfer from camera to computer.

Active D-Lighting optimizes shadow and highlight detail in the camera, allowing images to be printer-ready without post-processing in editing software.