You may or may not remember but I’m really excited when it comes to traveling and that is, mainly because I have my camera with me, to immortalize every little detail that I like. Tired of my own Fuji, I decided to take a look at Nikon and their new COOLPIX P6000 which is both for the enthusiasts and also for professional photographers.

Unless you need a fashion camera (need great looks) Nikon COOLPIX P6000 could be exactly what you’ve been looking for by now: high-quality pictures and stunning clarity. Why all these? The 13.5 megapixel 1/1.72 inch CCD image sensor helps while the DSLR features of the camera are a really nice add-on. But let’s get a few details about it before we make up our minds:

• 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED Glass Lens t
• the new EXPEED Image Processing feature
• Optical VR Image Stabilization
• new COOLPIX RAW mode (.NRW) with Windows Imaging Component which allows you to take and edit pictures in RAW mode with Windows Vista. (note: that’s something I’ve long wanted in a smaller cam)
• 2.7-inch High Resolution LCD with an Optical Viewfinder
• ISO 64 - 1600 at full resolution (3200 and 6400 at three megapixels)
• external flash and other lens accessories
• Ethernet port, that allows you to automatically upload your pictures to Nikon’s my Picturetown photo storage and sharing service
• incorporated GPS module which will geo-tag the taken pictures
• SD card slot because “we” photographers can never get enough space to store our pictures.

It sure looks promising, but I’d hold my horses before getting the $499 out of my pocket and wait for a couple of reviews that talk about image quality, the AF speed and burst speed. Available from this month we should know more soon. My biggest concern is if a compact camera with a 13.5 megapixel sensor can come up with a decent IQ.

Our friends at Testfreaks know more about it. Check them out.

Following on the footsteps of the 6.1 megapixel D40, Nikon introduced today a new single-lens reflex (SLR) digital camera with a 10.2 MP CCD sensor to be sold under the name D40X. Although the new camera burrows the design and interface from its older sister, it also features numerous improvements beside the obvious increase in digital resolution.

One of the best features that recommend this device is the 0.18 seconds start time, which practically means you don’t have to wait at all once you pressed the power button. Another great feature is the continuous shooting option which permits taking 3 photos per second, a clear improvement over the 2.5fps of the D40. For settings and image browsing the camera comes with a pretty bright wide angle 2.5″ LCD display. Don’t be afraid you would run out of battery juice with this digital camera as it can record up to 520 images on a single charge.

If you want to take a look at D40X’s list of features before the March 29, 2007 global release, you may want to check this link.