Highly Recommended
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Highly Recommended
Reviewed:
Oct 2008
User reviews
(101)
4.42
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The first DSLR capable of shooting HD movies (720p at 24fps), the D90 was Nikon's core enthusiast-level offering until the arrival of the D7000. It is built around a 12MP sensor very closely related to that used in the D300S, and - one of several features to 'trickle down' from higher models - it also offers the same highly acclaimed 3.0-inch VGA screen as the D3/D300. Naturally it has Live View with contrast-detect AF and in-camera dust removal. A lot of the D90's 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. The early talk about the D90 was all about its video capability and indeed it does record HD videos - good ones by digital stills camera standards. But don't let that distract you, this is a camera which lets nothing get in the way of taking photos.
Its degree of configurability results in long menus but they're generally well arranged and color-coded to minimize the likelihood you getting lost in them. There's also the option to create a menu of your most used settings (or list the most recently used ones, if you don't want to spend time setting it up), and a status screen that gives fairly fast access to those key parameters that don't have their own buttons. The image quality, whether at base ISO or the higher settings, is excellent even if it can need a bit of tweaking of the internal settings to tailor the output to specific needs.
| Quick links: | Announcement | Review | Sample gallery 1 | Sample gallery 2 | Forum |
| Announced: | Aug 27, 2008 |
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Average rating:
4.42
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Opinion: What Nikon was thinking?
A useless upgrade over D80 in the form of bigger screen, more MP's, live view and a name sake video function - nothing else is exciting. Nobody in their right mind will upgrade to this camera from D80.
I bought one because I only had a D40.
Generally speaking, Canon makes best (above 9/10 rating) professional DSLR & point and shoot cameras, Sony best entry level DSLR's and Nikon best prosumer DSLR cameras. However, the difference is not that much between some other makes like Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax, at lower ratings (below 9/10) - with few exceptions, of course.
Problems: No major breakthrough in IQ. Primitive video with no autofocus (video means constantly moving subjects - just how do you capture that without autofocus?). Annoying (very slow) autofocus in live view - for me, these are real deal breakers. If this is also important to you, don't buy this camera. A Nikon D40 with less than half the price can give you equally good pictures. I know they will apparently 'fix' these problems in the future models to demand extra money from you.
Opinion: Good video camera.
Opinion: Canon 550D is much better than this. I dont recomend this.
Opinion: I've had this camera for over a month, took over 1,200 pics with it and I can say it is a good cam. But I sold it last week, along with my 2 year old Nikkor 18-200mm lens because the grain of the images looked a lot like the D40 that I had for 2 years and mostly, I want to continue with Olympus bodies and Zuiko lens that I much prefer.
I am not saying Nikon is crap, far from it, but when you compare the colors, textures and nuances of Olympus versus Nikon, the choice is obvious to me.
Of course, no system is perfect, they all have their good and bad sides. Nikon auto focus system is definitely brilliant and superior to Olympus. But when you know the limatations of Olympus auto focus, you can learn how to play around and get sharp pics most of the times. It's a small price to pay to keep the Olympus colors.
I just ordered the Zuiko 12-60mm lens today, I can't wait to see that gem in action.
Olympus is the underdog of cameras in North America, Nikon and Canon are way more popular. But in Europe, it is the other way around, Olympus is king.
Try an E-520, E-620 or better, an E-3 or EP-1 and compare the results with Nikon, then you'll see what I mean.
Problems: Colors desaturates a lot when you reach high ISO
Pictures taken with high ISO are not better than the D40
Big variations in exposure, you have to constantly adjust the exposure to get rich, balanced colors. Otherwise, you get many overexposed images.
The lenses are way too expensive for what you get. Try the Zuiko lenses, they're simply amazing.
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 | 22.3 megapixels 3.2" screen Full frame sensor |
