The spec sheet on the Nikon Coolpix A looks like it has all the makings of today’s most popular compact cameras – there’s a large APS-C sensor, a bright f/2.8 lens, and manual controls all wrapped up into a pocketable camera. There’s just one problem: The Nikon Coolpix A launched in the wrong era.
Introduced in 2013, the Nikon Coolpix A was the imaging giant’s first digital compact camera with an APS-C sensor. But with the cancellation of the brand’s DL series before it even got off the ground and no successors, the Coolpix A became Nikon’s only APS-C compact camera.
The Nikon Coolpix A series failed to produce a successor – and I think there are two key reasons for that. The first is simply that the Coolpix A launched at the wrong time. In 2013, compact cameras were falling by the wayside as smartphone cameras became the go-to for portable photography.
Had the Nikon Coolpix A been launched a decade later, I think the series could have easily been a hit. Compact cameras with large sensors are gaining in popularity as digital minimalists look for a way to capture photos without smartphone distractions (and without hauling around a larger camera). Using a compact camera feels more like unplugging – and there’s no AI working behind the scenes.
That’s mixed with social media trends. The Canon G7X Mark III, for example, is trending in part from influencers sharing the difference that a large sensor, a more powerful flash, and an actual zoom lens make compared to a smartphone.
The Nikon Coolpix A has all the makings of today’s trendiest cameras with its small design, large sensor, and bright lens. It even looks a bit retro, although that depends on your definition of retro.
But besides launching at the wrong time, I think there’s another key reason that the Nikon Coolpix A never saw a successor: the price. At launch in 2013, the Coolpix A cost around $1,100 (about $820 / AU$1,690). That’s less than cameras like the X100VI in 2025, but the price was higher than some similar models at the time. The Sony RX100, which had a smaller one-inch sensor, cost nearly half that. The Ricoh GR that launched in 2005 cost around $750 (about £560 / AU$1,152) and the GR II in 2015 sold for around $800 (£595 / AU$1,230. The Canon G7X, which launched in 2014 and mixed a one-inch sensor with zoom, cost around $700 (about £520 / AU$1,075) at the time.
The Coolpix A wasn’t alone in costing more than four figures, however, as the original Fujifilm X100 that started the series launched for around $1,200 in 2011 ( about £893 / AU$1,842.
If the Nikon Coolpix A had launched ten years later than it did, I think it would easily sit among the likes of today’s Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV. Now, Nikon doesn’t offer any current model compact cameras. There’s the P1000 series, but the bridge-style camera can hardly be described as compact. The mirrorless Nikon Z30 feels like the closest thing to a Nikon compact camera, as it’s incredibly small for an interchangeable lens camera.
While the 16 MP sensor, 1080p video, and 4 fps burst speed may be a bit old by today’s standards, there are still some used Nikon Coolpix A cameras floating around reputable used retailers. But I think a remake of the Coolpix A in 2025 would see far greater success in the resurgence of compact cameras than in 2013.
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