Nikon Coolpix P1 and Coolpix P2 Wireless Enabled Digital Cameras Announced

[Ben Stafford]

Thumbing their nose at Kodak, Nikon has introduced the Nikon Coolpix P1 and P2.  These two cameras are the world's first built-in WiFi enabled cameras to hit the market (Kodak's EasyShare One actually requires a WiFi card).  The P1 features and 8 megapixel sensor while the P2 features a 5 megapixel sensor.  Both cameras can use 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks, have 2.5 inch LCDs, and 3.5x optical zoom lenses.  An additional Nikon Wireless Printer Adapter can enable any PictBridge enabled printer for use with the wireless cameras.  The cameras will be available in September at an MSRP of $549 for the P1 and $399 for the P2.

MELVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Nikon is redefining the digital camera shooting experience with the announcement of two new revolutionary Wi-Fi enabled models. The Coolpix P1 and P2 are the world's first built-in Wi-Fi-enabled digital cameras to hit the marketplace. These groundbreaking cameras allow consumers to immediately transmit images wirelessly directly to a computer or to any PictBridge-enabled printer equipped with the optional Nikon Wireless Printer Adapter (PD-10), for wireless printing.

"The new Coolpix P1 and P2 literally pull the plug on digital imaging while highlighting Nikon's commitment to providing consumers with the latest in digital imaging technology," says Bill Giordano, General Manager of Marketing for Nikon, Inc. "These models give consumers the freedom, with the push of a button, to immediately share and print their images like never before."

The Coolpix eight-megapixel P1 and the five-megapixel P2 are the world's first digital cameras with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities to transmit images via 802.11b and 802.11g-compatible wireless networks and adapters to a computer or most PictBridge-enabled printers equipped with the new Nikon Wireless Printer Adapter (PD-10). Eliminating the need for extra wires or cables, the new models allow consumers to send images from the camera direct to a selected computer or printer with the touch of a button. With a range of up to 100 feet*, the P1 and P2 enable users to transfer images on-the-go from almost anywhere in a home, office-even from the backyard. Offering unprecedented freedom and convenience, users can wirelessly transfer and view images in a variety of ways, including:

-- Shoot and Transfer Mode: As images are taken, they are transferred immediately to the computer. With Nikon's Picture Project software, slide shows can be automatically built with the transferred images added as they are being shot.

-- Easy Transfer Mode: Images can be transferred by a specific date, individually as marked or manually transferred to a computer after they are taken. In this mode only new images will be transferred to eliminate duplication.

- Wireless Print: Using the optional Wireless Printer Adapter (PD-10), users can wirelessly print directly from the camera (without a computer) or when using the included PictureProject 1.6 software, images can be sent to the computer and automatically printed.

Nikon Coolpix P1 and P2 cameras and PictureProject software work together seamlessly to make wireless photo transfer as easy as 1-2-3. For easy set-up and control, the P1 and P2 come with a complimentary copy of Nikon PictureProject 1.6 and the new easy-to-use Wireless Camera Setup Utility, which uses a simple seven-step Wizard that will configure the cameras for wireless operation. The latest version of PictureProject offers convenient options allowing users, for example, to import wireless images automatically into a slideshow as well as tools to edit, organize, design and share images. The software is designed to extend the enjoyment of taking pictures: transferring images from camera to computer, organizing images so they are easy to find, editing them to add an extra sparkle, designing ways to show off the pictures and sharing them with friends and family.

At the heart of the new models is Nikon's innovative and exclusive suite of in-camera technology that makes it easy to capture great pictures before they leave the camera. To ensure sharp images, the Face-Priority AF function makes certain that faces remain in focus when shooting portraits by automatically sensing the presence of a human face within the frame and setting accurate focus accordingly. The In-Camera Red-Eye Fix(TM) technology automatically detects and corrects red eyes in an image while the D-Lighting function automatically compensates for insufficient flash or excessive backlighting. To ensure a crisp, clear image before leaving the scene, Blur Warning will alert the user that a shot has been compromised.

True to the line of Nikon cameras, the Coolpix P1 and P2 offer a high- quality 3.5x Zoom-Nikkor Glass lens with a focal range equivalent to that of a 36-126mm lens in 35mm format. For greater control and creativity, both models feature Aperture-Priority Auto mode with 10-step manual control in 1/3EV increments and 11 of the camera's 16 Scene Modes are Advanced Scene modes for even greater creative control of the end result.

The Coolpix P1 and P2 can record high-quality movies at a rate of up to 30 fps with a choice of seven movie modes with sound recording in six of those modes. A Time-Lapse function enables the user to capture events occurring over an extended period of time.

The newly designed models are compact and lightweight, measuring just 3.6
x 2.4 x 1.5 inches and weighing six ounces** and offer an incredible, bright
2.5-inch LCD for easy viewing in all conditions.

The Coolpix P1 and P2 will
be available in September 2005 with a MSRP of $549.95 and $399.95, respectively.
The Wireless Print Adaptor (PD-10) will be available in October 2005 with
an MSRP of $49.95. For more information about these models and other Coolpix
cameras,
please visit http://www.nikondigital.com/.

[Brian]

I'm glad to finally see wireless coming into the picture with cameras. Most notebooks and PCs have card readers built in now, but it always seems it's not the right format or you leave the card in the computer...bah, wireless is much more refined and is plenty fast enough to move even large files, for me anyway.

[Eliwood]

This is a very good concept in theory, but Nikon's implementation may not be quite it. The two snags I see are that you can only beam images to a nearby computer (as opposed to anywhere in Kodak's system) and secondly, the computer needs to have Nikon's bulky software already installed, so this really limits this feature to personal usage rather than sharing photos between friends or colleagues.In essence, this product removes all the wires and connections, and that's about all.

I commend Nikon for bringing this product out so quickly, but it needs refining to become the revolutionary product it claims to be.

I see this feature as being particularly useful for DSLR's and other cameras that are put under more intensive use. Think about a situation where a photojournalist could arrive at the scene, snap many pictures and have those pictures sent back to HQ in real time for publication. That would be a very useful application of this technology and something that we may be seeing in the future.