Press Release, Feb 16th, 2005 -Nikon Corporation's announcement of an exciting new in-camera digital technology for taking high-quality, sharply focused portraits confirms its position as an innovative leader in the consumer digital camera market. Called Face-priority AF (Autofocus), this is another industry first for Nikon.

Here's how it works: when you're ready to take a portrait, select the camera's Portrait Mode and Face-priority is automatically activated. A special digital detection program will scan for facial details and then control autofocus operation based on the location of the detected face in the scene. Even if the subject moves, or as the photographer recomposes the picture, Face-priority AF will respond and keep focus on the subject's face.

Manual techniques that formerly required the photographer to use focus lock can be avoided in favor of the new automation of Face-priority AF. It's faster, responsive to creative composition, and makes portrait picture taking easier than ever.

Face-priority AF uses advanced biometric facial recognition technology to detect a person's face at typical portrait taking distances, then automatically focuses on the face area. Interpreting facial characteristics and general scene arrangement, the technology can detect whether the camera is composed for vertical or horizontal composition. It works even if the composition is a little tilted and even if the subject's distance changes within typical portrait-shooting distance.

To use the new technology, Select Portrait Mode on the camera's mode dial and Face-priority AF will be automatically selected. Compose on the person, which must have their face towards the camera, then, ½ depress the shutter button to activate the camera. As Face-prioity AF activates, a square outline on the camera's LCD will appear around the face, confirming operation; if the photographer decides to recompose the image, Face-priority AF will track the subject's facial area and will confirm the moving subject by changing color for the square outline and keeping the square outline around the face.

When there are two or three people in the scene, Face-priority AF will operate using closest subject priority and the square confirming outline will indicate the closest person in the scene's composition. Taking a portrait is not a static, always the same situation. Picture taking varies with the photographer's creativity. So, each Nikon model that features Nikon's new Face-prioity AF, will also include Nikon's popular Scene Assist Mode and Multiple AF sensing areas such as those featured in 5-area automatic focus function or 99-area manual focus selection in the new Nikon Coolpix 5900 and 7900. Portrait Mode picture taking will be effective and a more exciting part of anyone's picture taking enjoyment.

* Note: Face recognition capability may be limited in some shooting conditions. For example, the camera may not recognize a face if it is too near or far from the camera, or if some portion of the face is obstructed, such as when a person is wearing sunglasses. Face-priority AF indication outline is visible only on the camera's LCD panel, and is not visible in the optical viewfinder.

Nikon Corporation worked closely with Identix to bring this new technology to market. Identix' industry-leading facial recognition technology, FaceIt® was critical to enabling Nikon's latest digital photography feature. Dr. Joseph Atick, president and CEO of Identix commented:

"As a leading innovator in camera technology and user friendly features, Nikon is consistently associating itself with many firsts in the history of modern photography. We are proud to collaborate with Nikon on this industry first and to provide our advanced face-finding biometric technologies for the consumer market. We look forward to working closely with Nikon in their quest to continually improve the customers' experience with their products."

This newest innovation from Nikon is the latest in a line of trend-setting, built-in digital technologies that have made it easier to take better pictures. Nikon's One-Touch Transfer button, In-Camera Red Eye Fix, Scene Assist and D-Lighting are some of the other firsts that Nikon introduced.