| The Good |
|---|
| ISO 100-6400 with extensions, Video Mode, 4.5 FPS continuous shooting, 3” LCD, Expeed 12 bit image processor. |
| The Bad |
| Average kit lens, 4.5 FPS continuous shooting, Strange video formatting. |
| Yay or Nay |
| Definitely a go-to camera, and one that’s worth considering if you’re an intermediate photographer or a beginning professional. |
Overview
Even though it isn’t a professional camera, the Nikon D90 does share many of the same features as Nikon’s D300 and D3. This means that for less than half the cost of either of these professional cameras, a hobby photographer or a student can get comparable quality to the professional who is spending $1500+ for theirs. This is because of its ease of use, simple search functions, the upgraded ISO speeds and the new Nikon Expeed image processor.
Snapshots
Where its competitors fail, the Nikon D90 excels amazingly. First, because the 12.3 megapixel camera is used with the new Expeed image processor and the higher ISO speeds, it can take quality pictures that are almost unobtainable in other cameras. Furthermore, it also has continuous shooting capabilities of 4.5 frames per second that allow you to capture in motion pictures easily. Nevertheless, because of the low frame per second rate of the continuous shooting, there are bound to be some things that get passed up in the refresh rate.
Video
The video offered is ideal if you need to catch those moments that are passed up by continuous shooting. With some editing on a computer, you can easily extract single frames from the video and edit them to be used as a photograph. Even though this camera has video capabilities, in order to get the sharp contrasts, corners and details that most people have come to expect from their videos, you have to use a really strange format (640×424). Because of this, it is best to shoot in the less detailed but more usable 1280×720 format.
Photo Quality and Extras
Through the redesign process, this lightweight camera has come into its own and has had several improvements to its imaging system. The D90 now sports ISO speeds of 100-6400 with the proper extensions. This speed allows you to capture quality images, especially when combined with the new Expeed image processor designed by Nikon. All of this combines to make a very reliable and high quality camera for what can be considered a midrange device.
With all of the redesign and upgrades that went into creating this camera, the most notable has to be the three inch LCD screen. This screen allows you to use all of the functions that the camera has to offer, and line up your photos much quicker and more easily. The LCD, featuring Live View, can use the camera’s other options to autofocus, recognize when you’re photographing people (face recognition) and even use the in-camera editing.
Downside
The major downsides to this camera are that it does only offer the 12.3 megapixel sensor, slow continuous shooting (even though it’s offset by the video) and the odd video formatting. It would seem that Nikon would prefer to offer this camera as an alternate to the D80 or D40, and not an upgrade because the price point will scare many people off from using it. Nevertheless, if you have a need for a camera that can do almost as much as a professional and do it well, then the price doesn’t seem too bad.
Conclusion
At around $900 suggested retail, this camera offers a great deal of features that you can’t find on many of the lower level cameras. Nikon has created a great midrange camera that is easy to use and offers superb image quality among its competitors. If you’re looking for a camera and need something that is more advanced than entry-level or even most hobby cameras, but you can’t afford a professional, this is a great buy.
