I'll admit it; when it comes to cameras, I'm a tough crowd. I tend to stick with what I know and what works best for me, and that means D-SLRs. Sure, I enjoy playing with the latest COOLPIX now and then, here and there, but after a few days, it's back to the equipment locker for the little guys. Until now, that is. Until the COOLPIX P7000, which I think of as the first COOLPIX camera for pros. In the fall issue we wrote about the P7000 and said, "This is the camera the pros are going to be adding to their kits—and carrying on their days off." We pretty much classified it as the decision-maker's camera for all the options, choices and capabilities it offers, but after carrying one of these compact, lightweight wonders around for over two months, I've got a different name for it: the reactor.

Simply, it's fast enough, capable enough, creative enough to keep up with my ideas—not merely for record shots to document a moment, but for creative shots, "what if" shots and "why not" shots, too. Sure, all that can be accomplished with a D-SLR, but the P7000 has been there with me when inspiration comes around; when there's only a moment to get the cool grabshot; when taking the D-SLR out of my bag, or out of my car, or out of my desk, would mean the photo is gone.

For instance:

Sitting in the Nikon cafeteria, talking with a writer, I looked up and saw a terrific cloud formation bunching up outside the window. Without missing a beat in the conversation I picked up the P7000 and got the shots. Could I have done that with a D3S, a D5000, a D-anything? Of course, but I wouldn't have carried one of those along with me to the cafeteria. The P7000—different story.