Nikon has today announced its D60 DSLR, among an array of new compacts and lenses.

The D60 replaces the D40x model, and boasts a range of features designed to make photography more fun and enjoyable for the entry-level user.

As with the D40x, a 10.2MP CCD sensor is at the heart of the camera, while a 2.5in, 230,000pixel LCD screen dominates the rear. Dust reduction is taken care in two ways; by shaking dust off the low-pass filter, and with Nikon?s new Airflow Control System, which directs dust downwards and out of the image path when the mirror is raised.

Nikon?s Expeed processing engine is claimed to ?deliver smoother tones and more accurate colours?, while the company?s D-Lighting option is included to help bring out shadow and highlight detail. Other features include a 3fps burst mode, 3D colour Matrix metering and a new Stop Motion mode, which can save images taken in sequence as an .avi movie file.

The graphic user interface has been complimented with new viewing options, while shooting information rotates when the camera is held in a portrait orientation. The model also sees the introduction of Eye Sensor technology, turning the screen off automatically when the viewfinder is in use.

The model sits inbetween Nikon?s D40 and D80 model and will be available from next month. A body-only option will retail at £449.99, while two kit options will retail for £499.99 and £529.99, with the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G and AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens respectively.