Many Nikon fans have noted that in the past few years Nikon hasn’t introduced much in the high-end compact digital camera market segment. Last month I spent a week with the new Nikon P7000 and in summary, Nikon is back!

The Nikon COOLPIX P7000 specs include a 10 megapixel sensor and a 28-200mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.8-5.6  lens with vibration reduction. It records video at 720p. It offers ISO settings as high as 6400 at full resolution and 12,800 in 3-megapixel night mode. (Full specifications are here). Nikon has brought back dial controls for ISO and exposure compensation, which improves overall handling for those of us who like more control over our images.

Overall, I found the P7000 a pleasure to use, but wished it had an articulating LCD screen. One of the great things about small light cameras is the ability to hold them at waist level or place them close to the ground, but that’s difficult without an articulating screen. Despite this one snivel, the P7000 handled well, produced good quality images, and exhibited reasonable low light performance.