Nikon D90

The Nikon D90 is a digital single lens reflex which is capable of excellent cinematic results, thanks to its high definition movie shooting function. This is further enhanced by the optical quality and selection of lenses. We achieved absolutely breathtaking image fidelity, much thanks to the 12.3 megapixel DX-format CMOS imaging sensor along with Nikon’s image processing techniques.

Fast moving scenes are captured really well, thanks to its fast 0.15ms power-up and split second 65ms shooting lag. Image and movie playback is done easily due to its high resolution, 1700 wide angle LCD monitor. For people who take a lot of photos of people, the camera has a very good face recognition system, with 11 point autofocus to be a very important feature of D90. It works really well even when taking pictures in poor lighting conditions.

D90 has a considerable heavier body than other SLRs comparatively. It feels really heavy at 1 pound, 10 ounces. The shutter durability and dust prevention system are better than that of its predecessor D80. D90 is easy to hold and the layout of its controls is easily understandable. Additional features observed in the shooting controls include an expansion of Active D-Lighting parameters, nine slots for custom Picture Control settings, and advanced scene modes which has Picture Controls and Active D-Lighting.

It has wireless flash controls and high speed flash sync features. It can automatically program itself to shift to slower shutter speeds when the camera knows a VR lens is attached.

Video Recording
Nikon very loudly trumpeted the “first DSLR to do video” line at the launch and in subsequent marketing. The bad news? Yes, it’s the first DSLR to do video and it shows.

Here’s the way to think about video on the D90: you can record Live View. That should immediately raise your eyebrows, because Live View isn’t exactly a polished system in and of itself. But here’s the kicker: not all of the things Live View can do can be done when recording a movie! In other words, not only is video based upon Live View, but it’s a subset.

At the basic level, the video handling is pretty simple: press the LV button to get to Live View, press the OK button to record video. That’s it. Simple and direct, just as a key feature should be. The problem is that Live View imposes a bunch of restrictions on the camera, and the D-Movie function adds more. Live View, for example, won’t automatically use apertures smaller than f/8 (and you need to set the aperture prior to entering Live View if you want to use a larger one). Live View doesn’t respect shutter speeds. Instead, it uses ISO adjustment to move exposure, and it does so in third-stop increments that can look “jumpy” on the LCD (and in movies). Finally, Live View doesn’t use all the 12mp of the sensor. Instead, Nikon uses a special skip sequence to use only certain photosites for the Live View (and thus D-Movie) mode. This has the impact of turning the camera into a 1mp camera, with all the attendent issues of stairstepping and lack of sampling frequency this entails. Put another way, just off horizontal and vertical lines and detail are compromised. One positive benefit: the sampling points are so far spaced that diffraction won’t ever be an issue.

Good:

* All features exhibit high performance.
* It has a nice viewfinder incorporated inside a solid, well-constructed body.
* Contrast detection autofocus with face detection is very accurate.
* It has a large sensor enabling it to control depth of field with high precision.
* Details within shadows can be controlled thus keeping the high contrast situations in check.
* It has an in-built ultrasonic image sensor cleaning.
* D90 can record movie quality film clips at up to 720p high definition in Motion JPEG format.

Bad:

* The implementation of D90’s video capturing capability is not complete because of many limitations like recording is possible for only 5 minutes, exposure is fixed for the length of the clip, it has monaural sound, and focusing is manual only in the video mode.
* The kit lens is not as sharp as its competitors, since the zoom ring is a bit too stiff.

Bottom line:
On the whole, Nikon D90 is an interesting camera. At current prices, the D90 is competitively priced compared to other manufacturers. The quality of images are good, the colors are accurate and saturated. The quality of recorded movie clips through D90 isn’t up to the mark. I also give it high credits because of the cheer shutter and processing speed which gives a great shooting experience and superb quality images.