Nikon D90 Review - DX DSLR Camera

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Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera Front View







Nikon D90 12 megapixel DX DSLR

Like

A professional camera in an amateur cameras price tag and it's extremely easy to use. No amount of words can describe it; you have to get out and experience it to fully grasp it. The big colorful LCD screen on the Nikon D90 instantly tells the story "Did I get the shot". There are a incredible set of individual buttons right on the D90 to control functions like white balance, ISO, autofocus, metering, shooting mode, image quality, etc.

The starting point for the D90 was the D300 they equally share the same 12.3MP sensor, the identical 920,000 pixel 3" LCD screen, the exact same Picture Control system and EXPEED image processor. The D90, in the vein of the other professional models that were there before it, creates images that a lot of people see as somewhat flat and soft who are acclimatize to to point and shoot pictures. The D90 images resemble the D300 images and the resulting JPEG images do not have the intensity and sharpness those shot using an entry-level D40 camera. Nikon purposely did this and placed the D90 to appeal to professionals , advanced amateurs and other photography enthusiasts and searching for a lighter weight second camera to go along with their existing D300 or D3. These photographers are more likely than not to run their images through post processing and no way do they want a camera doing it before they even get a look at the image.

When Nikon decided to modify the resulting default JPEG pictures to correspond more with those shot from the higher end D3, D300, D700 cameras that create a more neutral image thus resulting in the D90 images being less punchy than those shot from the D50, D40, D40x, D60 and D80 cameras many photographers (particularly amateurs) started whining about having to crank up the in-camera contrast and saturation.

There three things about the D90 that jump out a way above all the others

Sharpness: O. M. G. this camera is sharp. being a pixel peeper and a sharpness nut and  trust me here. It's astonishing sharp.

Auto Exposure: very good; although not blown away good. For those accustomed to Point and Shoots and lower entry level DSLRs auto exposure may take some initial getting used to and many will want to retune it to more resemble their entry level cameras. No big deal and not all that bad; it's just not punchy or vivid enough to knock your socks off right out of the box.

Low-light performance:  Somewhat unfortunate, but the low-light implementation is not anything to text or email home about. It certainly is better than the previous Nikon D50, D60, D70, D80, and D200 cameras, but this D90 does not perform as good in low-light as the D3 or the D700 (And you can't pay a lot of attention to the camera makers marketing hype) so this might be a deterrent to those that do care about poor-light performance (being more of a big deal in today's world). Frankly it is fine for certain professional efforts at ISO 400 to 800 although nowhere near the competence level of the D3 or the D700. The old "What you pay for is what you get thing popping up again", keep in mind it is better than the Nikon D50, D60, D70, D80 and D200 cameras.

A successor to the D80 • The D90 is a 12.3-mp DX-format DSLR camera. The D90 is compatible with all traditional Nikkor AF, AF-I, AF-D and AF-S lenses in fact it's great with every AF lens made since 1986.

Dislike

The D90 CMOS image sensor has the identical rolling shutter issue as other CMOS video image recorders when capturing video. When moving the camera, in particular, horizontally, there's a or "rubber-banding or "jelly:" effect and the image significantly wobbles. The video feature are nice, which looks very cool at 720p, but it's no substitute for a real video camera. By using a tripod, and avoid quick zooms and pans, then video is excellent quality. However, without a tripod, you may become nauseous viewing a wobbly video. Also the sound is mono, not stereo.

The flash synch of 1/200 is extremely slow. There is not a stitch of weather sealing: Although it's on the Nikon D3, D300 and even on competitor's similarly priced cameras

The camera buffer fills up after around 8 continuous JPG (FINE) + RAW photos. This number varies dependent upon the shooting functions that you select. If you primarily shoot JPG, the buffer appears to allow a huge number of continuous shots

Introduced August 27, 2008 Updated Review Sep 26, 2011  

Features

Exceptional image quality - the D90 will change the notion of what‘s expected from an enthusiast D-SLR.

New D-Movie Mode Features 720p HD cinematic quality

Comprehensive feature set Compact, yet powerful

Continuous shooting as fast as 4.5 frames-per-second

Low noise ISO sensitivity from 200 to 3200 High signal-to-noise components

3-inch super-density 920,000-dot color LCD monitor High resolution, 170-degree wide-angle viewing

Built-in image sensor cleaning Effective 4-frequency, ultrasonic sensor cleaning

11-point AF system with Face Priority Consistently fast and accurate autofocus,

One-button Live View Easy Live View access activates 3 contrast detection focus modes

Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II with Scene Recognition System

Comprehensive exposure control - Five Advanced Scene Modes plus Program Auto, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Manual.

Auto Active D-Lighting Selectable and automatic, 

Durable, high-precision shutter Testing to over 100,000 cycles assures shutter life and accuracy.

In-camera image editing Creative freedom stems from exclusive in-camera image editing

GPS geo-tagging The optional GP-1 GPS unit provides automatic real-time geo-tagging.

Blending 12.3-mp image quality obtained from the groundbreaking Nikon D300with award-winning attributes, the D90’s out of this world, low-noise image performance is advanced further with Split-second shutter action, EXPEED image processing. and nonstop shooting at speeds up to 4.5 fps give up the power to shoot fast action and exacting bits of time flawlessly, while Nikon’s elite Scene Recognition Function contributes to finer white balance recognition, quicker 11-area autofocus implementation, and much more. The D90 really delivers the goods that passionate photographers require, making use of all-embracing exposure modes and the astuteness of 3D Color Matrix Metering II. Magnificant results spring to life on this 920,000-dot 3-inch color LCD screen, supplying accurate image playback, Live View creation and brilliant playback using the D90’s movie quality 24-frames per second HD D-video mode.

Camera Includes

• EN-EL3e battery
• MH-18a charger
• DK-5 eyepiece cap
• DK-21 Rubber Eyecup
• UC-E4 USB cable
• EG-D2 AV cable
• AN-DC1 Strap
• BM-10 LCD Monitor Cover
• Body Cap
• BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover
• Software CD
• Nikon ViewNX browsing and editing software, which also does raw (NEF) image adjustments and conversions.

Nikon View is one of the few good software programs from Nikon.

Accessories


Reviews

 

 

Press Release


Nikon D90 The Eiger Movie

Chase Jarvis RAW: Advanced Testing The Nikon D90


View other informational videos

In The Field: Split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4.5 frames-per-second provide the power to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly, while Nikon's exclusive Scene Recognition System contributes to faster 11-area autofocus performance, finer white balance detection and more.

The D90 delivers the control passionate photographers demand, utilizing comprehensive exposure functions and the intelligence of 3D Color Matrix Metering II. Stunning results come to life on a 3-inch 920,000-dot color LCD monitor, providing accurate image review, Live View composition and brilliant playback of the D90's cinematic-quality 24-fps HD D-Movie mode.

Check Availabllity of the Nikon D90 DSLR Camera at • Click Here • or Here

- The first DSLR with high definition movie capability demands new skills and techniques, and this is the only guide that can help the advanced amateur master them - Written by best-selling author and Nikon technical expert Simon Stafford. - The DVD allows new owners to learn from the experts Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D90

Tutorial DVD, over 80 minutes. Play on any DVD player worldwide (recommended) or CD-ROM Drive (may require additional software). Take full advantage of your camera's impressive features by following this authoritative DVD guide. The experts at Magic Lantern go far beyond the camera instruction book to show you exactly what you need to know to get great pictures. Created by photographers for photographers, this over 80 minute, in-depth, instructional DVD is like having a personal workshop on the camera. You can learn at your own pace and easily navigate between different topics and review specific chapters at anytime. Whether this is your first digital SLR or you are an experienced digital photographer, you'll soon be taking great pictures and expanding your creative boundaries with your Nikon D90. You'll learn about: - Features & Controls - Image Quality & Formats - Shooting Modes - Menu Navigation & Custom Settings - Choosing the Best Focus Mode - Flash Photography - Getting Exposure & White Balance Right - 24 fps D-Movie mode and much more! Nikon D90 Magic Lantern DVD Guides - TUTORIAL DVD


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