Nikon Coolpix L4

Some might call the new Nikon Coolpix L2, L3 and L4 "budget" cameras, though Nikon actually refers to them as their "Life" series. They provide sensors of 6, 5.1, and 4 megapixels respectively, and still offer good functionality with Nikon’s Exclusive Feature System for a price as low as $149.95, in the case of the L4. (The L3 lists for $199.95 and the L2 goes for $249.95.) All three cameras also have 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor lens and 2-inch LCDs of varying resolutions.

Designed to compete with Canon’s popular A-series cameras, all three new models in Nikon’s L-series take easy to replenish AA batteries. To make them easier for beginners to use, the Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) have been redesigned and the cameras feature 15 or more scene modes, including four with Scene Assist which display framing guides to make shots easier to compose. They are all available this month.