Nikon today announced Coolpix S8100, a compact camera with 10X optical zoom and backside illuminated CMOS sensor for excellent performance in dark surroundings. Nikon says that by adopting a 12.1-megapixel backside illumination CMOS image sensor for the new COOLPIX S8100, significant improvements in image quality is achieved. The camera combines the sensor with new image-processing engine, EXPEED C2, and a 10X optical zoom lens covering a broad range of focal lengths beginning at the wide-angle 30mm.

The COOLPIX S8100 is a compact camera packed full of a variety of capabilities and functions, including high-speed continuous shooting, ISO range up to 3200, Lens-shift + electronic vibration reduction, recording of 1080p HD movies with stereo sound, and the Creative Slider function. The camera also support HDR photography in Backlighting mode, but it only uses two consecutive images at varying exposure in place of three consecutive images used by other cameras for better results.

Nikon Coolpix S8100 will ship later this month priced $299 and it will be available in three colors red, black and gold. The Coolpix S8100 is available for pre-order on Amazon.