With the debut of a duo of D-SLRs, a half dozen NIKKOR lenses, five COOLPIX cameras and a Speedlight, it must seem that Nikon's R&D department has been working overtime. Here's a look at how the latest additions to the Nikon lineup offer new opportunities for creative image making.

D-SLR Duo

The D7000 delivers high performance, breakthrough movie capability and significant advances in image quality and control. Building on the versatility of the D90, the 16.2-megapixel DX-format D7000 adds Full 1080p HD movies with the world's first full-time autofocus and an advanced Expeed 2 image-processing system engineered expressly for the camera's new CMOS sensor. The D7000 also features Nikon's first 2,016-pixel RGB color Matrix meter, which provides greater sensitivity and accuracy to the camera's metering, scene recognition, focusing and flash systems.

The D7000 advances the D90's 11-point AF to 39 points and boosts its 4.5 frames-per-second advance to six frames per second to provide not only a faster motor drive for sports and action images but also faster bracketing bursts for HDR photography.

It's likely the first thing you'll notice when you pick up the D7000 are the improved ergonomics. You can set up operation of the 39-point AF system without taking your eye from the viewfinder- simply press a button, turn a dial and make your choice: single, nine, 21 or 39 AF points. Another click takes you to 39 points with subject tracking; one more and you've got auto area AF with subject tracking. The bottom line: you're in contact with the camera, and in command, all the time.

Speaking of command, think what fulltime autofocus will mean to your moviemaking. As you film, your AF NIKKOR lens will focus just as it does when you're shooting still images-tracking a moving subject, locking on, responding with lightning speed. And if you're thinking about video editing, new View NX 2 software that comes with the camera (and is also available as a download from the Nikon USA website) will get you started with its easy-does-it video-editing capability.

Superbly engineered, responsive and versatile, the D7000 is a ready-for-anything camera.

Click here to learn more about the D7000.

An entry-level D-SLR, the D3100 will appeal to photo enthusiasts who are ready to move up from point-and-shoot to the greater capabilities, features, options and image control that a D-SLR provides, while anyone coming to photography for the first time will appreciate the D3100's combination of capabilities and ease of operation.

The 14.2-megapixel DX-format sensor D3100 offers Full 1080p HD video with full-time autofocus, three frames-persecond shooting, a 420-pixel Matrix meter and Nikon's next generation EXPEED image processor, Expeed 2.

For easy entry into the world of D-SLRs, the D3100 provides plenty of onboard help. Press the question-mark button and get information specific to the feature you're setting or the program you've chosen. At your own pace and as you need information, you'll become familiar with the camera's capabilities from an ondemand instruction manual that's always with you.

In addition, the D3100 offers Guide mode, a teach-by-example primer on photography. Choose it and the camera links the example photographs stored in its database to the specific techniques you'd like to learn or emulate. For example, if you want to get a soft, out-of-focus background that will serve to highlight your subject, you'll see the settings you need to accomplish that result and sample images that show exactly how the effect will look. Want a silky look to flowing water? You'll be shown the applicable settings, and as you make them-say, from a slow shutter speed to one a bit faster-the sample images will change to reflect those choices. The D3100 is a perfect way to move into the world of D-SLRs-and the perfect way to introduce someone to that world. And thanks to Nikon's advanced technology, it's capable of keeping pace with any enthusiast's growing interest.

Click here to learn more about the D3100.