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Nikon D90

Reviews	Views	Date of last review
1	4875	Mon December 15, 2008

Recommended By	Average Price	Average Rating
100% of reviewers	None indicated	9.0

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Description:

The D90 fuses technology from Nikon’s flagship digital SLRs with an array of sophisticated functions to help you achieve superior results. Its 12.3 megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor and EXPEED image processing system offer outstanding image quality across a wide ISO light sensitivity range. Live View mode lets you compose and shoot via the high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor, and an advanced Scene Recognition System and autofocus performance help capture images with astounding accuracy. Movies can be shot in Motion JPEG format using the innovative D-Movie function. The camera’s large image sensor ensures exceptional movie image quality and you can create dramatic effects by shooting with a wide range of interchangeable NIKKOR lenses, from wide-angle to macro to fisheye, or by adjusting the lens aperture and experimenting with depth-of-field. The D90 – designed to fuel your passion for photography.

Key Features

• 12.3 megapixel DX format CMOS image sensor with built-in self-cleaning sensor unit
• Low noise performance from ISO 200 to 3200
• D-Movie function offers Motion JPEG movies in exceptional D-SLR image quality
• Live View with 3-inch, 920,000-dot, high-resolution LCD monitor
• Extensive in–camera retouch functions
• 12.3 megapixel DX format CMOS image sensor lets you capture outstandingly detailed images and produce stunningly sharp enlargements. Built-in self-cleaning sensor unit minimizes the effect of dust.
• EXPEED image processing system for optimum performance and maximum image quality.
• High ISO (200-3200) light sensitivity, extendable up to ISO 6400 (equivalent) and down to ISO 100 (equivalent). Enables faster shutter speeds, significantly reducing the risk of blurred images when you shoot fast-moving subjects or take pictures in low light.
• Active D-Lighting retains details in highlights and shadows for stunning images with natural contrast. It can be activated manually or automatically and features four levels, including Extra High.
• Picture Controls let you customize the look and mood of your images. Choose from six settings: Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape.
• Scene Recognition System with Face Detection System combines data from the camera’s metering and AF sensors to deliver precise exposures and sharply-defined images, and recognizes human faces for portraits or group shots with natural-looking skin tones.
• Advanced autofocus performance with versatile Multi-CAM100 11-point AF system offers fast and precise autofocus coverage across the frame. AF-area modes handle most shooting situations and include 3D-tracking AF, which lets you adjust the composition of an image after focusing on your subject.
• Live View mode with Autofocus makes it easy to compose images using the LCD monitor. Three AF modes are supported: Face priority AF for portraits (detects up to 5 faces in a frame), Wide area AF for handheld shots and Normal area AF for shots with a tripod.
• Innovative D-Movie function lets you shoot Motion JPEG format movies*. The camera’s large image sensor (compared to that of a typical consumer camcorder) and high ISO sensitivity offer exceptional image quality. Bring photographic techniques to movie making using the wide range of NIKKOR interchangeable lenses, from fisheye to wide-angle to super-telephoto, and even extreme close-up with Micro NIKKOR lenses.
• 3-inch, 920k-dot, high-resolution LCD monitor with 170-degree viewing angle makes it easy to use the Live View function.
• Advanced Scene Modes automatically optimize camera settings, including Picture Controls and active D-Lighting, for popular photographic styles, effects and locations. Choose from Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports or Night Portrait.
• Bright pentaprism viewfinder with 96% frame coverage and 19.5mm eye point for precise composition.
• Quick response: with approximately 0.15-second start-up time, 65-millisecond shutter release time lag and 4.5 frames per second**.
• Extensive Retouch Menu offering a range of photo effects, including Fisheye, Distortion Control and Straighten. The original image stays intact and the camera quickly and simply creates a duplicate image for you to edit and enhance in the camera.
• Extensive playback functions including Pictmotion built-in slideshow, a 72-frame thumbnail display, calendar playback and a histogram display that offers histograms of magnified sections of an image.

* Autofocus is not available when recording movies
** Normal-Large image setting, using a Panasonic Pro HIGH SPEED 2GB SD memory card.

Keywords:

Nikon D90 DSLR

Author

VinnyP
Forum Regular

Registered: February 2006
Location: Surbiton Surrey
Posts: 1147

Review Date: Mon December 15, 2008

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Pros:	Excellent image quality, Lightweight Good handling
Cons:	Plastic body, not as easy as a D300 to use when at your eye

Since there was not a review I thought I would post this one but please note it is based on using it for just a weekend. A friend of mine was thinking of buying one and when I mentioned this my friendly camera store leant me one to try and to show him over the weekend. I really concentrated on the differeences with the D300 it's live view and Video mode.

So first impressions are that it is a little smaller and a good deal lighter than a D300 but still fits well in the hand and has most of the controls where you need them. It takes the same battery and has the same excellent rear screen. Start up and shutter delay are really good for a non pro body and it's very quiet in use compared to the D300/D3. The price you pay for that is a still pretty impressive 4.5 FPS maximum frame rate and no 14 Bit output. You wouldn't want to use this for long as fast shot camera as the small buffer and much slower SD cards will mean you keep hitting it. But for most uses this definitely gets the job done and the images it can produce are first class, I think they look better than the D300 and that alone makes it a relative bargain.

It has a mode dial with shooting modes and a fulll auto position that means this is ideal for someone starting out or moving up from a P&S since you can get great shots out of the box and play with the PASM more at your leisure. Where this can prove awkward is that a lot of the functions are selected by pressing and holding a button whilst turning a wheel. I can live with this if the changes are shown in the viewfinder but in this camera for most settings you need to look at the smallish top LCD or the excellent rear screen. On the whole the viewfinder is pretty good but I'd miss 100% coverage. The AF points are the same as the older D200 and this seems like a hybrid of the D200 and D300 Af systems you get 11 points but these ares used in the same way as ths D300 does for tracking subjects. In use it worked very well but having used 51 points it's hard to go back. In the auto modes the pop up flash pops up automatically which was disconcerting for me but for it's target market a great idea. I hardly ever use the built in flash but for this test I used it a lot and I think it gives excellent results.

Live view is the jewel in this camera's crown and it focuses quickly even quicker than the D300 with the latest firmware (Which speeded things up massively) all of this also makes it easy for anyone coming from a P&S. It has a dedicated LV button and in has a number of focusing modes particulalry impressive is the face detect which whilst not for everyone tracks people around the screen and sets the focus on the face. Live view is the way to access the video recording, the centre button on the multi selector stops and starts it. At non HD settings it's great but at HD it's slightly less smooth but still pretty good for what it is. You have manual focus only but the reason Nikon AIS lenses still sell so well is that film photographers like manual focus and after a few seconds use you can see why. This is better than most cam corders as you can get great seperation of the subject and easy access to wide angles and impressive performance in low light.

Overall I was very impressed and I think it represents great value and the best DX format images you can get at the moment. I have a D200 as the basis for a small in car kit and I am seriously considering upgrading to one of these. Yes it is not weather sealed to speak of and is not as tough as the D200 but it's got that next generation sensor the halfway house AF which is an improvement over the D200 and adds video and live view. The only thing holding me back is the buffer size and the handling/viewfinder niggles that might be a pain in a camera I only use occasionally.

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