Nikon hit the bull's-eye with its entry-level 6.1MP Nikon D40 and 10.2MP D40x DSLRs. The low price and high performance of both cameras lured scores of compact-shooters into the Nikon DSLR fold. Now, Nikon is predicting that its latest model, the 10.2MP D60 ($749, street, with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Vibration Reduction AF-S DX Nikkor lens), will be an even bigger hit.
The D60 looks just like the D40x, it has the same-megapixel sensor, and the two share an autofocus system, LCD monitor, and battery. Is there enough that's new to justify the upgraded moniker?
Yes. But considering the heated competition in this category from Canon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony, it's too soon to say whether the D60 will become the new entry-level leader. One thing's for sure -- now that Nikon has joined the ranks of shake-beating DSLRs by making the VR lens standard, and priced the kit for less than the D40x body alone, the D60 will be a strong contender.
After running a D60 through our battery of tests in the Pop Photo Lab, we noticed several performance improvements over the D40x. (See our test of the earlier camera). Nikon didn't gut the D40x; instead, it improved it and added new components.
For starters, the D60's new EXPEED processor is a close cousin of the one in the Nikon D300, Popular Photography's 2007 Camera of the Year. According to Nikon, this provides a startup time of only 0.18 sec, more sophisticated image-quality controls (including Active D-Lighting to bring out detail in dark shadows), advanced JPEG compression algorithms, and a speedy 3 frame-per-second continuous burst capability (when used with a fast SDHC card).
Michael J. McNamara
more : popphoto
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment