Nikon 1 S2 joins compact system camera range

Nikon has announced the Nikon 1 S2, the latest addition to the company's compact system camera range, which has one of the fastest continuous shooting modes ever seen in a CSC - an impressive feat for what is technically an entry-level model.

A successor to Nikon's first low-end interchangeable lens compact, the Nikon 1 S1 and mainly based on internals from the J3, the S2 continues the legacy of simple operation but the flexibility of different lenses for anyone not yet ready to step up to a full digital SLR camera. It has a much improved burst speed, letting you shoot ten RAW images at up to 20fps with continuous autofocus, or at up to 60fps with focus fixed on the first frame. It can record video at 1080p/60 resolutions and, most importantly, has improved battery life - one of our main criticisms of the S1. The S2 should be capable of 270 shots, a 50 shot improvement over the S1.

With a 14.2-megapixel CX-size CMOS sensor without an optical low-pass filter, Nikon's latest EXPEED 4A image processor, a large ISO range of ISO 200–12,800 and a 135-point autofocus system with 73 phase action points, the S2 certainly has potential at the lower end of CSC prices - whether you buy it with the standard NIKKOR 11–27.5mm, f/3.5–5.6 zoom lens or the dual lens kit, which also includes a second 30-110mm lens.

The 3in touchscreen on the rear of the camera has received a resolution upgrade over the S1, from 460k dot to 921k dot, which should mean much sharper image previews and live view framing. As with the S1 the S2 has a pop-up flash and a minimal amount of buttons for easy operation. Unfortunately there's still no integrated Wi-Fi, but an optional module can be added to wirelessly transfer photos to a PC.

The S2 will be launching in four colour choices; black, white, red and yellow. All four colour options will include a colour-matched 11-27.5mm kit lens, although the zoom lens in the dual-lens kit will only ship in black and white.

The Nikon 1 S2 will be going on sale from June onwards here in the UK - it will start from £379.99 for the camera and 11-27.5mm kit lens, and will also be available with an additional 30-110mm lens from £529.99.