Nikon D90 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera

Nikon D90 12 MP DX digital camera. A pro camera with an amateur price and it's very easy to use. Words really don't do it justice; you need to experience it to understand. The D90's giant colorful LCD really tells me instantly if I have got the shot. The D90 has a fantastic set of separate buttons on the camera to control parameters like ISO, white balance, metering, autofocus, image quality, shooting mode, etc.

The D300 is the origin of the D90 and shares the same 12.3MP image sensor, same 3” 920,000 pixel LCD, the EXPEED image processor and Picture Control system. The D90, like the professional models that come before it, produces images that many people find somewhat soft and flat who are accustomed to P&S images. The D90 images are similar the D300 and the JPEG pictures don’t have the sharpness and intensity as those from the entry-level D40. This is on purpose as the D90 is placed to appeal to advanced amateurs and photography enthusiasts, and professionals looking for a lighter second camera to share with their D3 or D300. These people are more likely to post process their images and they don’t want the camera perform it before they get to see the image.

Unfortunately Nikon has also decided to change the default JPEG images to match the higher end D3/D700/D300 cameras which produce more neutral images. Consequently, the D90 images are less punchy than the D40/D40x/D60/D50/D80, so I like to turn up the in-camera saturation and contrast.

The three things about the D90 that jump out at me way above all others

Sharpness: Oh my god this camera is sharp. as a sharpness nut and a pixel peeper, trust me on this. It's amazingly sharp.

Auto Exposure: very good; but not blow me away great. It took me some getting used to and I think perhaps I will have to fine tune it more than I thought I would have to. Not a big deal and it's not bad; again just not knock my socks off great out of the box.

Low-light performance:  Unfortunately, the low-light performance is nothing to write home about here. It is certainly better than the D200/D80/D70/D60/D50 (all previous Nikons I have used)  but this camera is not an as good a low-light performer as the D3 and the D700 (I don't pay much attention to the marketing stuff) so this might not be a detraction but I just thought I would mention it for those of you that care about low-light performance (this is more and more a big item these days). Frankly it is even be fine for some professional work at ISO 400-800 but nowhere near the level of competence of the D700/D3. That old "You get what you pay for thing again",  Remember, I said it was  better than Nikon D200/D80/D70/D60/D50 cameras.

This camera is the successor to the Nikon D80 • The Nikon D90 is a 12.3-megapixel DX-format camera. The D90 works with all normal Nikkor AF, AF-I, AF-D and AF-S lenses in fact it works with all AF lenses made since 1986.

Nikon Digital SLR image quality Exceptional image quality is a prerequisite for all Nikon D-SLRs, and the D90, featuring a new 12.3-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, fulfills that essential performance requirement with ease. Borrowing a host of technologies, including low-noise, high ISO performance, from the award-winning D300, the D90 will change the notion of what‘s expected from an enthusiast D-SLR.

New D-Movie Mode Features 720p HD cinematic quality The D90’s creative potential explodes with the capability to record smooth 24fps, motion JPEG sound movie clips. Leveraging the D90’s 12.3-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, legendary Nikkor optical quality and the one-button Live View function, the D-Movie Mode gives still photographers a new and exciting way to express themselves in 720p HD.

Comprehensive feature set Compact, yet powerful, the D90 captures up to 4.5 images per second. Accurate 11-point autofocus is now even faster and more intelligent, aided by Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System. The unique Nikon 420-pixel 3D Color Matrix II Metering system, now enhanced by EXPEED image processing technologies, delivers extraordinary exposure accuracy -- immediately evident when reviewing images on the D90’s super-density 3-inch 920,000-dot color LCD monitor.

Continuous shooting as fast as 4.5 frames-per-second Combined with fast 0.15ms power-up and split-second 65ms shooting lag, dramatic action and decisive moments are captured easily.

Low noise ISO sensitivity from 200 to 3200 High signal-to-noise components and design deliver exceptional performance, even at high ISO settings.

3-inch super-density 920,000-dot color LCD monitor High resolution, 170-degree wide-angle viewing guarantees confident image review and movie playback.

Built-in image sensor cleaning Effective 4-frequency, ultrasonic sensor cleaning frees image degrading dust particles from the sensor’s optical low pass filter.

11-point AF system with Face Priority Consistently fast and accurate autofocus, reinforced by the Nikon Scene Recognition System, delivers razor sharpness in a wide variety of conditions.

One-button Live View Easy Live View access activates 3 contrast detection focus modes including Face Priority AF.

Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II with Scene Recognition System Nikon’s renowned 420-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix Metering II, teamed with the exclusive Scene Recognition System, evaluates images, referencing an on-board database of over 30,000 photographic scenes, for unmatched exposure accuracy.

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

Auto Active D-Lighting Selectable and automatic, Active D-lighting optimizes details within shadows and highlights, taming high-contrasts situations in real time.

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, featuring Fisheye effect, Straighten and Distortion Control as well as D-Lighting, Red-eye Reduction, Image Overlay, Monochrome and more.

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

Fusing 12.3-megapixel image quality inherited from the award-winning Nikon D300 with groundbreaking features, the D90’s breathtaking, low-noise image quality is further advanced with EXPEED image processing. 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.

• 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.

A splendid upgrade from my D40!!, August 6, 2009

By Jason (CA)

I bought this DLSR as an upgrade from my Nikon D40 that I had for around 3 years. I felt that I had gotten to the point where I was being limited by the D40 so it was time to move up. I bought this body strictly for photography, although you can do 720p HD video as well. I am not all that interested in the video portion, although it is nice that it is there, so I don;t have to carry 2 devices if I want video. I would like to see a little more in the way of manual controls for video but perhaps if that is your main purpose for buying, you should look at the D300s. As a still camera is is fantastic! Sharp images and a beautiful layout of the command dials and buttons. The only thing that could get me to move from this camera at this point would be a full frame body. For my money in the DX line of bodies, the D90 is it for me!

By M. Russell "real person" (SAN ANTONIO, TX, USA)

I will not put down cannon's, but I have owned 6 Nikons and they "feel" better, the buttons are where you need them. For a very complex camera its functions are fairly intuitive. It allows me to take pictures that are better than I could ever have take before. Whenever I pick up my camera there is the knowledge that I can take a photo and expand it to the size of a poster and it will still look professional. It is difficult to believe the details this camera brings out. Before you buy go to a camera shop and feel all the cameras you can. Most of the features in this camera came from the Nikon D300.

By J. Kim "www.curiosity-media.com" (California, USA)

I got this camera about a month ago, and just love it. It doesn't just take pictures, it does video, which is sooo cool. You can also put it on commander mode, and use a sb600 speed light and use it for strobe lighting. A lot of great features, and all the essential options are outside the camera, so you can change them at the click of a button or dial.

The quality of the images are also very clean. But this will be my last nikon camera, I will probably not upgrade from here, because my next purchase is going to be a hasselblad, medium format camera. But Love Nikon.