New Nikon Coolpix P510 with 42x zoom lens

The Nikon Coolpix P510 succeeds the P500, and does so with a bang. The latest Coolpix superzoom has a 24-1000mm (42x) optical zoom lens that puts other superzooms in the shade. The P510 adds much-needed lens-based images stabilisation too - a feature the previous P500 had lacked.

Figures are one thing, of course, but the ability to shoot with a steady hand at a 1000mm equivalent is no easy task, even with image stabilisation. Having the focal length there may prove a lure to prospective punters, but with a maximum f/3-5.6 aperture range, matching the exposure with a fast enough shutter speed will require plenty of light. The camera's technical specification does show it's able to shoot up to 1/4000th of a second, yet only when shooting at f/8.3 - presumably due to the electronic shutter kicking in (instead of the mechanical one) above a certain (as yet undisclosed) shutter speed.

At the heart of the P510 is a back-illuminated, 1/2.3in, 16-megapixel CMOS sensor to capture all the action. This includes stills from ISO 100-3200 (plus a Hi1, ISO 6400 equivalent setting) and HD movie clips at 1080p30.

As well as a 3in, tilt-angle, 921k-dot LCD screen on the rear, the P510 also includes a 0.2in, 201k-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF). It's a shame the size and resolution hasn't increased from the previous P500, and yet to do so wouldn't have come into the P510's impressive £400 budget.

Available in either black, red or dark grey, the Nikon Coolpix P510 will be available from March 22nd.

We'll be getting our hands-on the P510 later today, so keep posted for a first look...