Small but powerful. Meet Nikon's new DL series

Inspired by Nikon's community of professional photographers, the Nikon DL draws on Nikon's DSLR heritage, while "L" calls out the premium Nikkor lens technology that distinguishes the cameras in this range.

The series comprises three new models, the DL18-50mm f/1.8-2.8, DL24-85mm f/1.8-2.8, and the DL24-500mm f/2.8-5.6, each equipped with different lens groups to better cater to different photography styles. All three models are powered by a 1.0" backside illumination CMOS sensor and Nikon's latest quad-core Expeed 6A image-processing engine that allows them to do approximately 20fps high-speed continuous shooting with AF.

They all use the same Hybrid AF system that offers frame coverage of 105 focus points with phase-detection AF, or 171 points with contrast-detection AF. The focus areas are densely packed, allowing for wide AF coverage even in unpredictable environments. The DL range features a high autofocusing speed of approximately 0.09s, allowing all three cameras to hit a continuous shooting speed of 20 frames per second.

The cameras will also shoot in RAW format, allowing you better control over the final image. In terms of video, the DL series supports 4K UHD (3840x2160)/30p quality, along with a suite of movie-making options like slow motion, time lapse, superlapse, and motion snapshots. There's also support for Nikon's SnapBridge for seamless transfer of images via Bluetooth low energy.

In terms of build, all three cameras will be using lenses coated with fluorine for easy cleaning and maintenance, while coming with a 1037k-dot 3" vari-angle OLED rear screen with touch for easy reviewing of images.

The three cameras differ as follows:

DL18-50mm f/1.8-2.8

This model stands out with its lens which goes as wide as f/1.8 at 18mm, making it one of the fastest lenses in Nikkor history. This basically means you get ultimate image quality with deep bokeh, thanks to a large-diameter precision-molded aspherical glass element with a large thickness deviation ratio, an aspherical Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass element, and a High Refractive Index (HRI) lens element that work together to suppress all types of aberrations. To top it off, the DL18-50mm incorporates Nano Crystal on its lens, further reducing ghosting and flare.

DL24-85mm f/1.8-2.8

This DL has been marked as the portraiture specialist, as its lens incorporates ED glass, HRI elements, and a built-in ND filter, allowing you to better compensate for bright light while maintaining a wide aperture. It's also specifically designed to allow for beautiful bokeh at the shorting shooting distances. It features a super macro function, the camera has a minimum focusing distance of just 3cm, allowing you to get "life-sized" close-ups.

DL24-500mm f/2.8-5.6

The superzoom of the series, the DL24-500mm f/2.8-5.6 allows you to capture anything from wild life and sports to stunning vistas in a compact package. The inclusion of an aspherical ED glass element allows the camera to effectively correct for all forms of aberration including chromatic aberration and distortion, giving you sharp images with excellent clarity. This model features a Sport (VR) mode that's usually employed in the long telephoto lenses used in DSLRs that allows it to track subjects with great precision, allowing for precise high-speed burst capture, and incredibly smooth panning shots. It also distinguishes itself from the rest of the series by coming with a built-in electronic viewfinder that has a 2359k-dot ultra-high definition OLED with anti-reflection coating.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but the cameras are expected to be available June 2016.

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