Nikon Coolpix P7100: A subtle update

With the Web abuzz with hopes that Nikon would announce its rumored mirrorless interchangeable-lens model today, the actual announcement of the Coolpix P7100--a camera ostensibly targeted at the same shooter--must have come as a big letdown.

And based on the specs, I suspect it would have been a letdown regardless. It has the same sensor and lens as its predecessor. Nikon does claim to have improved overall performance--the P7000's raw shooting was quite slow--so that would be welcome. Plus it finally has an articulated LCD. And as usual there are tweaks to the shooting features, including a couple more creative effects and a slight boost from 720/24p to 720/30p video.

But newsworthiness aside, what really matters is whether Nikon made the camera better than its predecessor; sometimes, the less you change the better off you are. I guess we'll find out when we test it.

The P7100 is slated to ship in September for the same price as the model it replaces, $499.95.