NEW TALENTS
The D60 includes all of the image controls and presets that made the D40x a hit, such as ± 5-stop exposure bracketing (ideal for high-dynamic-range shooting), white-balance fine-tuning, flash compensation, 3D Color Matrix Metering II, and several Digital Vari-Program modes. You can remove redeye from images, add color-filter imaging effects, and even turn on Active D-Lighting to improve the shadow and highlight details in high-contrast scenes.
New creative tools include a star-effect filter that works like an optical filter -- only you can select the number of points and quality of the star. There's also a unique stop-motion animation function: Shoot a burst of still images, select the first and last in a sequence, and use the camera to create a video that can be played back in-camera at rates of up to 30 frames per second and resolutions of up to 640x480 pixels per frame (VGA quality -- perfect for those wedding-cake-eating (or smearing) events that look great when played back on a television or on the camera's LCD.
In addition to accepting higher-capacity (and generally faster) SDHC cards, as well as standard SD cards, the D60 is the first DSLR to expand support of the 2GB Eye-Fi wireless card ($100, street). This device lets you upload captured images wirelessly, and automatically, to your computer or to photo-sharing websites such as Kodak's EasyShare Gallery.
When you use an Eye-Fi card, the D60 adjusts its power and sleep modes to ensure that image uploads from the card will be completed. However, there's no way to turn off the card's Wi-Fi transmission (a potential battery drain, even when you're not uploading), and you need a computer to help set up Wi-Fi partnerships.
UPGRADES IN FOCUS
While the EXPEED processor speeds up many functions within the D60, Nikon makes no claims for it regarding the speed of the autofocus system. But it may help explain why the D60, with the same Multi-CAM 530 AF sensor as the D40x, focused 1/10 sec faster at all tested EV levels from 12 to -1.
Some of the credit might go to the new 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor AF-S lens we used in our AF tests. (Unfortunately, the 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor we've used in other AF tests isn't compatible with the D60's AF system, although it can be focused manually, as can all non-AF-S Nikkor glass. So far, Nikon hasn't released a replacement prime lens with an f/1.8 or f/1.4 maximum aperture.) In any case, the AF system on the D60 is fast and sensitive in low light. But with just three zones, don't expect it to track action as well as the 9-zone Nikon D80 or competitors with more AF zones.
Mechanically, there are two major improvements on the D60. The integrated dust-reduction system borrows one element from the Nikon D300--a vibrating Optical Low-Pass Filter (OLPF) in front of the CCD imaging sensor that shakes off dust. In addition, the D60's innovative Airflow Control System directs a small burst of air towards the sensor every time the mirror-assembly is raised and lowered during exposure.
Another mechanical improvement: the eye sensor under the optical viewfinder, which automatically turns off the LCD when an eye nears it. Unlike a similar mechanism on the Sony A350, though, it can't be set to activate AF
Although the D60's pop-up flash doesn't include the wireless flash commander mode of the D80, the camera does support wireless flash control when using the optional dedicated SB-800 Speedlight or SU-800 wireless flash controller. We've been spoiled by the wireless flash and easy-to-access external controls on Nikon's more expensive D300 and D80, and we had to get used to the slower pace and menu-driven approach of the D60.
But its intended audience -- first-time DSLR owners -- will be thrilled when they see how much faster and more capable this camera is than any digital compact. Its menu controls are extensive, though you can leave them in a simple mode, selecting up to four colored backgrounds, and saving custom settings for different photographers. Plus, as on the D40x, all functions can be demonstrated with the help of thumbnail photos on the LCD.
In all, for those ready to make the leap from a compact to a DSLR, the D60 is a great place to land.
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