The Nikon D90 was announced on August 26, 2008. It is a breakthrough of sorts in the DSLR genre, featuring not only cutting edge still photography specifications, but also the ability to record HD video.
The Nikon D90 is announced with an AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR kit lens for a retail price of $1299.99.
The Nikon D90 is available from the following trusted retailers:
Amazon.com:
Adorama:
B&H Photo:
Ritz Camera:
Nikon D90 Key Features
- 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor
- ISO 100-6400
- HD720p video capture (w/ audio)
- Face Detection System
- 3″ LCD 920,000 pixel resolution
- 11-point AF
- 96% viewfinder coverage
- HDMI output
Nikon D90 Video and Image Samples
Nikon D90 Reviews
In just about every situation the D90 was able to keep up with, if not exceed the performance of my D200. On more than one occasion I even left the D200 in the bag and shot my editorial work with the D90.
The D90 is a genuinely well-crafted DSLR from Nikon that covers all of the bases that a mid-range unit should, as well as providing a host of additional features and controls that are well and truly pushing the D90 towards semi-professional territory.
It’s a great combination building on Nikon’s excellent photo quality with the addition of High Definition video and some very well thought out photographic features.
It has the creative versatility, performance and quality to appeal to semi-professionals and advanced hobbyists, while the scene modes, live view and the video mode will appeal to gadget lovers and the more casual user who wants a good all-rounder.
The D90 is a trophy of a middleweight camera, with the D-movie HD video mode tagging on an extra medal or two.
The image quality is steady as a rock. Excellent color reproduction and superb dynamic range combined with Nikon’s 3D Matrix metering ensure an outstanding DSLR.
Bottom line: the D90 a great consumer camera. It doesn’t really have the cajones to be a professional’s working camera, though it equals the D300’s image quality.
Despite its problems, plenty of people will enjoy capturing video with the Nikon D90. Its 24 fps frame rate produces a slow, dreamy image that can be very attractive. Colors generally looked outstanding.
Setting video aside, though, there’s an awful lot to like about this camera, from its fast burst mode to its fine low-light performance for flash-free photos and a Live View mode that’s still not perfect, but does prove comfortable and convenient in certain shooting situations.
The Nikon D90 is a difficult camera to rate. When viewed as a ‘traditional’ SLR, it is simply an excellent camera that I very much enjoyed using. All the frequently used functions have direct controls assigned to them, be it aperture, shutter speed, ISO speed, file quality, drive mode, AF mode, AE Lock – you name it.
We described the D80 as a photographer’s camera and, despite the addition of video, the D90 appears to share that same ethos. On a purely specification level, it’s a highly competitive piece of kit, but it’s the way the features have been chosen and put together that make it the camera that it is.
As a still camera, the D90 continues Nikon’s strong record in the midrange. While its videomaking is more than a little clunky, it’s the first (and, for now, the least expensive) DSLR with this capability. It’s a very worthy follow-up to the D80, and stacks up well against similarly priced cameras.
Photo quality was excellent. The D90 took well-exposed photos with pleasing, accurate colors. Images have the smooth look that is a D-SLR trademark, though plenty of detail is still captured. The D90 really impressed me at high ISOs.
The D90 is a trophy of a middleweight camera, with the D-movie HD video mode tagging on an extra medal or two. No other DSLR in the world has a video feature to match; which no doubt opens up a whole new world of possibilities.
Chase Jarvis (advance testing)
We worked the cameras hard during my piggy-backed commercial shoot for more than a week. We shot them constantly, me–along with the D3–and the crew just with the fleet of D90’s. And funny how this happens, but go figure…our work with the D90 on location soon bled into shooting over dinner, then drinks, and then into the night, then into the next week, and so on. And the more we beat on ’em, the more the crew liked ’em.
A lot of the core photographic spec is the same as or very similar to the D80, though there is a new shutter and an implementation of the 3D tracking AF seen on the D3/D300.
Nikon D90 Official Resources
Nikon D90 Press Release
TOKYO – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest DX-format digital SLR, the D90. More than just a new camera, the D90 represents a new era of digital SLR fun and creativity.
The first thing that will amaze photographers about the D90 is its stunning image quality, which takes its inspiration from Nikon’s flagship DX-format digital SLR, the D300. The D90’s image sensor and 12.3 effective megapixels combine with Nikon’s exclusive EXPEED image processing to deliver outstanding images featuring fine details, smooth tones, rich colors and low noise across a wide ISO sensitivity range.
The D90 is the world’s first* digital SLR camera with a movie shooting function that delivers genuinely cinematic results, enhanced by the creatively shallow depth of field made possible by the DX-format sensor. This is further refined by the optical quality and broad selection of NIKKOR lenses — the same lenses relied upon by professional photographers the world over. Thanks to the D90’s large image sensor, D-Movie images exhibit less noise than those of a typical camcorder, most notably in low-light situations.
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Sigma has added an internal motor to its unstabilized version of the 18-200mm lens in order to make it compatible with the Nikon D40 and D40x. If you recall, back in September, Sigma released their