D60, Nikon's Minor Upgrade to the D40x

Nikon yesterday announced a somewhat expected upgrade of their entry level D40x. The new D60 uses the same 10.2-megapixel, 1.5x crop factor sensor found in the D40x, which is actually a good thing since more megapixels doesn't mean better image quality.

Moreover, you get the same 3-D Color Matrix Metering II metering and the same Multi-CAM530 autofocus module, not much of an improvement in these fields. Speaking of the autofocus, once again a built-in AF motor is missing, so the camera will only be able to autofocus with AF-S lenses or in other word with lenses that have such a motor. Also, the continuous speed has not been improved and this means that the maximum shooting rate of the D60 is three frames per second.

However, there are some differences between the D60 and its successor. First and foremost, the new model uses the Nikon Expeed processor unit first implemented in the D300 and D3 digital single lens reflex cameras, which should improve image quality. Another "cool" feature nowadays is the dust cleaning function, which shakes off dust particles by vibrating the CCD at high speeds. Nikon does offer some improvement over the classic systems, namely the Airflow Control System, which supposedly minimizes the dust that can come into contact with the sensor.

Another strange feature touted by Nikon is the "Stop-Motion Movie mode", the first in a D-SLR, that enables users to create stop-animation movie clips from a series of as many as 100 consecutive JPEG picture files.

The Eye Sensor is also a new addition to the DSLR feature arsenal. The D60 will be able to better conserve power by automatically turning the monitor on or off when the user alternates between taking pictures and reviewing camera settings.

In terms of storage, the camera works with the same SD, SDHC memory cards, but with added support for Eye-Fi wireless SD cards.

The D60 will be shipped with the 3x zoom AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens and will be available throughout the United States beginning in February 2008. No pricing information yet.

Just like most cameras this year, the Nikon D60 is a natural upgrade to the existing models on the market, but fails to impress. If you think about it, this is not too surprising since manufacturers (especially Nikon and Canon) gave their best in 2007 with DSLRs like the EOS 1Ds Mark III, EOS 1D Mark III, D3 and D300.

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