PMA 2006: The Nikon Coolpix L2, Nikon Coolpix L3 and Nikon Coolpix L4 are announced. 6, 5.1 and 4 megapixels respectively, 3x optical zoom lens, 2 inch LCD. Coolpix L2 available end of February for £199.99 / €245. Coolpix L3 available end of February for £169.99 / €212. Coolpix L4 available mid March for £129.99 / €159.

Nikon UK Press Release

Three compact digital cameras offering exceptional design and high-quality finish, with the easy operability to let anyone take a better class of picture

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the COOLPIX L2, COOLPIX L3 and COOLPIX L4. These three entry-level digital compact cameras combine high-quality components like a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens and a bright 2.0-inch LCD with in-camera image-improvement features, in lightweight and compact, yet elegantly finished bodies. All three cameras boast powerful 38-116mm (114mm for the COOLPIX L4) Zoom-Nikkor lenses (35mm equivalent), providing the liberty to zoom in for tight personal portraits, or zoom out to take in expansive outdoor scenes. The CCD delivers higher performance within tighter dimensions, greatly adding to the cameras’ compact portability while offering generous effective megapixel values of 6.0 for the COOLPIX L2, 5.1 for the COOLPIX L3, and 4.0 for the COOLPIX L4, ensuring the refined image clarity that you’ve come to expect from other members of the COOLPIX family. All three also feature a bright, easy-to-view 2.0-inch LCD that’s now even easier to operate with new icons and function selection, and easier on the eyes thanks to a new color scheme.

The actual design of the COOLPIX L2, L3 and L4 is streamlined and comfortable to hold, and features a smooth, elegant finish that suggests a much higher level of sophistication. The curved grip contributes to both design elegance and shooting stability. The genuinely compact dimensions and light overall weight make them ideally suited to take along wherever the user may go. Adding significantly to this convenient portability is the advantage of AA-size battery compatibility. One of the most widely available battery sizes in the world, in alkaline, lithium, rechargeable or other forms, this advantage allows the user to continue shooting without worrying about international battery availability.

Unique to current COOLPIX digital cameras are a range of Nikon capabilities that give the user the power to automatically improve recorded images in-camera. Available in playback mode, the D-Lighting function selects and creates a copy of images with excessive backlight or insufficient flash illumination, adding light and detail wherever needed while keeping other areas as they were. The Face-priority AF* function automatically detects and then focuses in on people’s faces, regardless of where they are in the frame, ensuring superb crisp-focus portraits. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix function analyzes each image, automatically finding and then correcting the accidental red-eye that sometimes occurs in flash photography, for more natural-looking portraits.

A choice of 15 different Scene modes – 4 with Scene assist – makes it so much easier to achieve desired results in a wide range of everyday situations. Just choose the Scene mode best suited to the subject at hand, and the COOLPIX L2, L3 and L4 automatically select the ideal settings for exactly the picture you had in mind, whether indoor party or outdoor nighttime fireworks display. Scene assist displays useful framing guides in the monitor, helping the user compose the shot for optimal results.

All three COOLPIX cameras are compatible with widely available SD memory cards. 23MB of internal memory for the COOLPIX L2 and L3 and 10MB for the COOLPIX L4 allow the user to keep right on shooting when no additional memory is available, as well as easily moving images from one SD card to another.

These three COOLPIX digital cameras offer movie-shooting capability** in three sizes: TV movie size (640) for viewing on TV or computers, convenient Small size (320), and Smaller size (160) for extended recording or Internet usage.

With the COOLPIX L2, L3 and L4, ease of use and convenient enjoyment don’t stop when the shooting does. Printing is simplified as well, with PictBridge capability enabling connection to a compatible printer without the need of a computer in between. USB connectivity eases transfer of data to computers and other peripherals. Completing the convenience package is the complimentary PictureProject accessory software, which greatly simplifies the importing, editing and organizing of your images, and includes other options that add to the fun of digital photography, and even offers compatibility with a range of plug-ins that allows functions to be extended on demand.

* Face-recognition capability may be limited in some shooting conditions.
** COOLPIX L4 without sound.

Note: Specifications, design, color, product name, standard accessories, and release schedule may differ by country or area.

Nikon COOLPIX L2/L3/L4 Feature Highlights

High performance from a small CCD
Utilizing space-efficient design parameters that help facilitate the compact size of the COOLPIX L2/L3/L4, the 1/2.5-inch CCD adds the advantage of outstandingly high performance. Boasting effective pixel values of 6 million for the COOLPIX L2, 5.1 million for the COOLPIX L3, and 4 million for the COOLPIX L4, the CCD enables the capture of crisp-focus images that retain their high quality even when significantly enlarged.

3x zoom capability
The remarkably compact dimensions of the COOLPIX L-line cameras belie the incorporation of powerful 38-116mm (114mm for COOLPIX L4) Zoom-Nikkor lenses (35mm equivalent), ensuring the freedom of a 3x zoom. These precision lenses allow zooming in for tightly composed portraits, or zooming way out for expansively wide views, providing greater compositional independence than the average digital camera. Macro mode allows shooting from as close as 4cm for the COOLPIX L4, and 10cm for the COOLPIX L2 and L3.

Simple-to-use features improve images in-camera
A range of unique Nikon functions enables the photographer to actually improve images in-camera. Available in playback mode, the D-Lighting function selects and creates a copy of images with excessive backlight or insufficient flash illumination, adding light and detail wherever needed while keeping other areas as they were. The Face-priority AF function automatically detects and then focuses in on people’s faces, regardless of where they are in the frame, ensuring superb crisp-focus portraits. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix function analyzes each image, automatically finding and then correcting any accidental red-eye, which sometimes occurs in flash photography, to produce more natural-looking portraits.

AA-size battery compatibility
Despite their compact dimensions, the COOLPIX L2, L3 and L4 are compatible with AA-size batteries, one of the most widely available battery sizes in the world. The power to shoot approximately 180 shots for the COOLPIX L2, 200 shots for the COOLPIX L3, and 250 shots for the COOLPIX L4 when using alkaline batteries greatly augments their compact convenience.

Nikon COOLPIX L2/L3/L4 Other Features

  * Unique combination of all-round quality, ease of operation, and elegant styling makes COOLPIX L2, COOLPIX L3, and COOLPIX L4 the compact digital camera of choice for entry-level photographers
  * Compact, portable dimensions for COOLPIX L2 and L3 of 91 x 60.5 x 26mm (3.6 x 2.4 x 1.0 in.) (W x H x D); COOLPIX L4: 86.5 x 60.5 x 34.5mm (3.4 x 2.4 x 1.4 in.)
  * Light weight for COOLPIX L2 and L3 of approx. 120g (4.2 oz) (without battery and SD memory card); COOLPIX L4: approx. 115g (4.1 oz) (without battery and SD memory card)
  * BSS (Best Shot Selector) automatically selects the shot with the sharpest focus from a series of consecutive images
  * Blur Warning informs user after shooting if an image is blurred
  * Time zone function enables local time to be set regardless of where you are in the world
  * Single AF and Continuous AF selectable in Movie mode
  * Capture modes: Single, Continuous and Multi-Shot 16 for COOLPIX L2 and L3; Single and Multi-Shot 16 for the L4
  * Built-in flash: features settings for Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction (In-Camera Red-Eye Fix), Off, Fill Flash and Slow sync.
  * Noise reduction provides more attractive results in low-light conditions
  * Digital zoom of up to 4x
  * Choice of White Balance
    Auto with TTL control, 6-mode manual (Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash and White Bal. Preset)
  * USB connectivity allows quick and easy data transfer to computers and other peripherals

Nikon Digital Camera COOLPIX L2/L3/L4 Specifications

Type Compact digital camera
Effective pixels L2: 6.0 million
L3: 5.1 million
L4: 4.0 million
CCD L2: 1/2.5-inch type (6.18 million total pixels)
L3: 1/2.5-inch type (5.25 million total pixels)
L4: 1/2.5-inch type (4.23 million total pixels)
Image modes L2: High (2816*), Normal (2816), Normal (2048), PC (1024), TV (640)
L3: High (2592*), Normal (2592), Normal (2048), PC (1024), TV (640)
L4: High (2272*), Normal (2272), Normal (1600), PC (1024), TV (640)
Lens L2 and L3: 3x Zoom-Nikkor; 6.3-19.2mm (35mm [135] format equivalent to approx. 38-116mm); f/3.2-5.3; 5 elements in 5 groups; Digital zoom: up to 4x
L4: 3x Zoom-Nikkor; 6.3-18.9mm (35mm [135] format equivalent to approx. 38-114mm); f/2.8-4.9; 7 elements in 6 groups; Digital zoom: up to 4x
Focus range (approx.) L2 and L3: 30cm (1 ft.) to infinity (?), 10cm (3.9 in.) to infinity (?) in Macro mode
L4: 30cm (1 ft.) to infinity (?), 4cm (1.6 in.) to infinity (?) in Macro mode
LCD monitor L2 and L3: 2.0-inch type, 86,000-dot TFT LCD monitor with brightness adjustment
L4: 2.0-inch type, 115,000-dot TFT LCD monitor with brightness adjustment
Storage Media L2 and L3: Internal memory (approx. 23MB), SD memory card
L4: Internal memory (approx. 10MB), SD memory card
Shooting Modes Auto, 4 modes with Scene assist (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait), 11 Scene modes (Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, Panorama Assist), Voice Recording (L2 and L3), BSS (Best Shot Selector), Color options, Blur Warning, Date Imprint, Self-timer (10 sec.)
Movie L2 and L3: With sound: TV movie (640) at 30fps/15fps, Small size (320) at 30fps/15fps, Smaller size (160) at 15fps
L4: Without sound: TV movie (640) at 15fps, Small size (320) at 15fps, Smaller size (160) at 15fps
Capture modes L2 and L3: 1) Single 2) Continuous (approx. 1.7fps)
3) Multi-shot 16
L4: 1) Single 2) Multi-shot 16
Number of frames
(w/ internal memory)
L2: 6M: High (2816*) approx. 8, Normal (2816) approx. 16, 3M: Normal (2048) approx. 29
L3: 5M: High (2592*) approx. 9, Normal (2592) approx. 18, 3M: Normal (2048) approx. 29
L4: 4M: High (2272*) approx. 3, Normal (2272) approx. 7, 2M: Normal (1600) approx. 15
Built-in flash Range:
L2 and L3: Approx. 0.3-3.0m/1 ft. - 9 ft. 10 in. (W), Approx. 0.3-1.75m/1 ft. - 5 ft. 9 in. (T)
L4: Approx. 0.4-3.0m/1 ft. 4 in. - 9 ft. 10 in. (W), Approx. 0.4-1.7m/1 ft. 4 in. - 5 ft. 7 in. (T); Flash modes: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction (In-Camera Red-Eye Fix), Flash Cancel, Anytime Flash and Slow sync.
Interface L2 and L3: USB, Audio Video output
L4: USB, Video output
Supported languages Total of 12 languages:
German/ English/ Spanish/ French/ Italian/ Dutch/ Russian/ Swedish/ Japanese/ Simplified Chinese/ Traditional Chinese/ Korean selectable in menu display
Power requirements Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery EN-MH1 x 2, AA-size battery (LR6 alkaline, ZR6 oxyride, or lithium) x 2, AC Adapter EH-65A (optional)
Battery life (approx.) L2: 180 shots with alkaline, 600 shots with lithium, or 320 shots with EN-MH1
L3: 200 shots with alkaline, 630 shots with lithium, or 330 shots with EN-MH1
L4: 250 shots with alkaline, 600 shots with lithium, or 450 shots with EN-MH1 (based on CIPA standard)
Dimensions (W x H x D) L2 and L3: Approx. 91 x 60.5 x 26mm (3.6 x 2.4 x 1.0 in.)
L4: Approx. 86.5 x 60.5 x 34.5mm (3.4 x 2.4 x 1.4 in.)
Weight (approx.) L2 and L3: 120g (4.2 oz.) without battery and SD memory card
L4: 115g (4.1 oz.) without battery and SD memory card
Supplied Accessories** Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery EN-MH1 x 2, Battery Charger MH-71, USB Cable UC-E6, Audio Video Cable EG-CP14
(L2 and L3)/Video Cable EG-CP11(L4), Strap,
PictureProject CD-ROM
Optional Accessories Battery Charger MH-71, Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery EN-MH1 (EN-MH1-B2), AC Adapter EH-65A

* Supplied accessories may differ by country or area.

PictureProject System Requirements
OS Macintosh: Mac® OS X version 10.1.5 or later (version 10.2.8 or later required for Burn Disc option)
Windows: Windows® XP Home Edition / Professional, Windows® 2000 Professional, Windows® Me, Windows® 98SE pre-installed models
RAM Macintosh: 64MB or more recommended
Windows: 64MB or more recommended (128MB with muvee option)
Hard disk 60MB required for installation
Display 800 x 600 or more with 16-bit color (full color recommended)
Others CD-ROM drive required for installation
Only built-in USB ports are supported

Microsoft® and Windows® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh® and QuickTime® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The FotoNation logo is a trademark. The SD logo is a trademark. PictBridge is a trademark. D-Lighting technology is provided by Apical Limited. Face-priority AF technology is provided by Identix®. Pictmotion contains patented technologies provided by muvee Technologies Pte. Ltd. Products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. February 2006