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Nikon (www.nikondigital.com) has introduced the new D2XS professional digital SLR camera, which shares many performance and design innovations with the current D2X camera, including the 12.4 million pixel DX format CMOS image sensor. The D2XS also has a range of upgraded features, including refined viewfinder performance that makes for easier composition when shooting in Nikon's exclusive High-Speed Crop mode, a new 2.5 inch LCD with a 170-degree wide viewing angle, which is individually calibrated at the factory to ensure consistent color fidelity, significantly increased battery life and a wide range of firmware enhancements. Options such as the WT-2A Wi-Fi transmitter achieve full wireless remote camera control and transmission.

The D2XS is capable of capturing 12.4 megapixel JPEG or RAW (NEF) images at a rate of up to 5 frames per second in continuous shooting mode, and maintains a rapid start-up time, the claimed world's shortest shutter release time lag of just 37ms, as well as a viewfinder blackout time of just 105 milliseconds. The D2XS also inherits the popular High-Speed Crop mode that uses a specific central area of the sensor to capture 6.8 megapixel resolution images at an incredible rate of up to 8 frames per second. A newly developed viewfinder in the D2XS automatically superimposes a mask over the cropped area within the viewfinder while in the High-Speed Crop mode, for easier and more confident composition.

The D2XS features Nikon's Mutli-CAM2000 high-speed AF system, with eleven autofocus sensors -- nine of which are cross-type and placed in the rule of thirds layout. The D2XS offers improved subject acquisition and tracking capabilities as well as a new option for controlling the duration of Lock-On focus tracking, making it easier to adjust for shooting different types of scenes and action.

The D2XS has also been refined so that Nikon's 3D-Color Matrix Metering II works even in the High-speed Crop mode. It also offers the ability to select Adobe RGB in any of the three color modes -- making it possible to work with a wider range of colors to match highly diverse assignments and workflow environments, while ideally complementing the NEF file. In-camera creative possibilities are extended even further through the addition of a new Black & White (sRGB) color mode. Photographers shooting in RAW (NEF) will have the ability to shoot in black and white and still retain the color information in the RAW image data, allowing them to easily reverse a black and white image to color using Nikon's new Capture NX software.

RAW and JPEG images taken using the D2XS can be trimmed within the camera to produce images of reduced display sizes ranging from 640 x 480 to 2,560 x 1,920 pixels.

A new Auto ISO feature allows photographers to maintain a specific shutter speed while letting the camera automatically select an appropriate ISO setting, within a predefined range of sensitivities, based on the existing lighting conditions. ISO sensitivity can also be manually set between ISO-equivalent 100 and 800 in increments of 1/3 EV, or boosted using HI-0.3, HI-0.5, HI-0.7, HI-1 or HI-2 settings when high sensitivity is a priority. The 3 settings between 800 and HI-1 are newly added to give the D2XS finer control over sensitivity.

The D2XS body is consistent with the exterior styling of the D2-series, adopted from a design created by famed industrial designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro. When combined with the newly developed high-energy EN-EL4a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the camera boasts a claimed 3,800 shots per charge. Nikon's real-time battery Fuel Gauge system in the D2XS allows photographers to determine the precise level of remaining charge, number of shots taken per charge and the overall life of the battery -- all at the touch of a button.

A new 2.5-inch, 235,000 dot LCD monitor in the D2XS allows a 170-degree wide viewing angle, and is individually calibrated at the factory to ensure consistent color fidelity. The D2XS also features a new color scheme for menu displays.

The D2XS features a unique Image Authentication feature that, when used with Nikon's new Image Authentication Software, marks the authentication of an image captured by the camera and can determine whether or not it has been altered since capture. Image data is a critical link in the "chain of evidence" for verifying image authenticity, and D2XS's hardware and software-based image authentication solution allows easy, secure authentication of images for a wide range of requirements. The software enables verification of JPEGS, TIFF and NEF (RAW) images taken with the Nikon D2XS.

A new remote control software called Camera Control Pro is also available for the D2XS, enabling remote control operation of many camera functions from a personal computer. Camera Control Pro software is the next generation of camera control software, previously bundled with Nikon's Capture 4 software, and features substantial advanced features that offer limitless creativity to photographers who need to control their camera remotely. Camera Control Pro can control the D2XS remotely tethering a high-speed USB cable or optional WT-2a wireless transmitter.

The D2XS is also compatible with Nikon's soon-to-be-released Capture NX software -- a photo editing solution that provides intuitive image-editing and enhancement tools. With Capture NX, photographers will be able to tap into the full potential of D2XS's RAW (NEF) files, while also applying powerful photo image processing and editing tools to JPEG and TIFF files.

The D2XS will be available from Nikon authorized retailers in late June for an estimated street price of $4699.95. For more information, please visit www.nikondigital.com.