Among a flurry of Nikon compacts announced today is the Coolpix P510, a bridge camera sporting a 42x optical zoom lens.

The Coolpix P510 – due out on 22 March priced £399.99 – features a back-illuminated 16-million-pixel CMOS imaging sensor, a tiltable 3in (921,000-dot resolution) LCD screen and Full HD (1080p) video.

The 42x lens is designed to deliver the 35mm viewing angle equivalent of a 24-1000mm zoom.

Nikon UK’s group marketing manager Jeremy Gilbert said Nikon plans to increase its market share in the bridge camera arena, a market in which he admits the company has not played a big enough role in the past.

Firepower also includes built-in GPS and a continuous burst rate of seven frames per second at full resolution (for up to five shots).

The Eye-Fi card-compatible model also comes with HDR, 3D shooting and advanced lens-shift vibration reduction, claimed to allow shutter speeds up to four stops slower than would otherwise be possible.

Speaking at a product showcase in central London, Nicolas Gillet, Consumer Products manager for Nikon Europe explained that the P510 – and the newly unveiled P310 – are the first Coolpix compact models to include Nikon’s advanced lens-shift vibration reduction.

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