Nikon Australia today announced the Coolpix s1000pj: the world’s first compact camera with a built-in projector. The Nikon Coolpix s1000pj digital camera can project photos and movie clips on to any flat surface at the press of a button. The images can be displayed at up to 40 inches in size (around one metre).

Pictures can be projected individually, or as a slideshow complete with music and digital effects. The Nikon Coolpix s1000pj will come bundled with a projector stand and a remote control that can be used to operate the camera and projector.

The Nikon Coolpix S1000pj can snap 12-megapixel photos and it has a 5x optical Nikkor zoom wide-angle lens (28mm to 240mm) and a 2.7in LCD. It can shoot photos at up to ISO 6400. The projector has a VGA resolution and a brightness rating of 10 lumens (the same brightness as many mini projectors).

Our colleagues at PC World US had some brief hands-on time with the Coolpix s1000pj. They reported that the projector works well in a dimly lit room, especially when images are projected on a blank white surface about a foot away from the camera. (The projector still produced visible images when projected onto a wall about 10 feet away, but they were less sharp and bright.)

The Coolpix s1000pj will be available in September for a recommended retail price of $699.