Sorting Through Nikon's New Coolpix Lineup

Of all of the new Nikon Coolpix cameras announced today I have a place in my heart for the new Coolpix S7c , which I'll review in more detail shortly, but the other four cameras in Nikon's new lineup are nothing to sneeze at. They represent some breakthroughs in price and performance and there's probably one that's right for you if you're in the market for a new camera. A few weeks ago I spent some hands-on time with the Coolpix cameras that are just being announced today and I've tried to organize them for you.

The new cameras fall into one of two Coolpix lines: The "L" (short for Lifestyle) series which is meant for folks who want to take fast, easy, but great photos, and the "S" (short for Style) series for folks who want to do all of the above, but with a bit of a design flair to their camera. (Flair and design will cost a bit more.)

Everyday Shooting: The two new entries into the L series are the Coolpix L5 and L6. The L5, as its name suggests, offers a 5x optical zoom with 7.2-megapixel resolution, taking Coolpix to a new level of performance. The LCD screen is a healthy 2.5 inches, making it extremely easy to preview your photos. The camera has many of the Coolpix signature elements including vibration reduction (which reduces the tremors produced by human camera-holding or by motion in things like cars and boats; it helps you get the shot without the blur), one-touch portrait mode, and more. The price is an astounding $299, making it one of the best buys for a high megapixel, solid zoom camera. For everyday photo shooting this is the one you'll depend on.

Budget Camera: Those on a tighter budget will want to look at the Coolpix L6. It has a slightly lower resolution (6-megapixel), a significantly smaller zoom lens (3x), and no vibration reduction. But, for $199, it is the perfect entry level camera. Nikon is bundling this camera with Energizer Lithium AA-sized batteries which the company claims average 1,000 photos. (The L5 can use AA-sized batteries as well; but the Coolpix S series relies on proprietary—a/k/a more expensive and less readily available—batteries.)

Compact: For the more style conscious, the new S9 is also a 6-megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom, but in a stylishly compact case. The preview screen is smaller than those of the "L" series, but this little baby fits right in your front pocket. The lens is one of those right-angled designs that doesn't jut out as you zoom in on your subject. It's got all the Nikon signature features like one-touch portrait features. At $249, it's Nikon's stylish camera for those who want to be stylish but not broke.

Cool Swivel: And the Coolpix S10's hallmark feature is its swivel lens. If you shoot photos of short people, tall buildings, or even self portraits, the ability to swivel and tilt the preview is invaluable This camera has a 10x optical zoom, 6 megapixels, and is filled with all of the Coolpix signature offerings like vibration reduction and a very cool stop animation recording technique, as well as built-in photo slideshows you can set to music. This is the perfect combination of style and functionality, but at $399 it's not as inexpensive, nor is it as streamlined, as the S9.

If the new wireless connectivity features of a camera are in your plans, check out the Coolpix S7c. And if you're a pro, well, you want to look at Nikon's P (Performance) or SLR series.