Nikon D90

Latest - Review and Sample Photos by Wired (added 19 November’08)

Nikon D90 is a 12.3 megapixel DX-format DSLR digital camera and it features continuous shooting at 4.5 frames-per-second, cinematic quality movie clips at up to 24fps 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixels), ISO range of 200 to 3200, 3 inch LCD, built-in 4-frequency ultrasonic image sensor cleaning, 11 point auto focus, and one button live view. Camera dimensions are Width 5.2 in. (132mm) Height 4.1 in. (103mm) Depth 3.0 in. (77mm) and it weighs 22 oz. (620g).

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Reviewers Conclusions & Verdicts - (updated 18 November’08)

Wired
“One-touch info button and simple, descriptive help screens clarify deep, detailed menus. Toss out your camcorder; the 720p, 24 fps video capture on the D90 will trump its performance — especially in low lighting.”
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Think Camera
“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.”
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Lets Go Digital
“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.”
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By Thom
“Despite some of my very pointed comments–especially regarding video–I actually like the D90. I grew to not like the D80 so much, as I found it an inconsistent camera in several respects. The D90 tends to fix those concerns.”
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CNET Australia
“Upon close examination, however, D-Movie was found to be severely underdone, although by 2012 it might be ready for prime time. Good thing then that D90’s photo taking base is so strong and competent.”
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Digital Camera Review
“And now the D90 arrives shooting D300-quality stills and packing a decent movie mode for about two-thirds the cost of the movieless D300. If you really dissect the D90 shots they might be a tiny bit noisier at higher ISOs than the D300, or it might just be my eyes are tired.”


DigitalJournalist
“Essentially, it’s as I always expected – a combo-cam still feels like “two” cameras. Obviously, adding video functionality to a DSLR reduces weight and helps with basic ergonomic issues. Nonetheless, the actual use of the D90, flipping back and forth between video and stills, wasn’t much different than having two separate cameras.”


LapTop Mag
“Even if you consider movie-recording a bonus, the D90 produces stunning photos, including in low light, and it has fast all-around speeds.”
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Digital Trends
“The D90 as a camera is terrific. It focuses quickly, has zippy 4.5 fps burst mode, has more adjustments than you could possible handle in a lifetime plus it takes fine photos with barely a hint of noise.”
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DigitalCameraInfo
“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. For $1000 plus lens, you’re getting a camera you’re unlikely to outgrow or tire of, and we’d call that a pretty good deal.”
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DPReview
“The D90 builds on this by including many of the options from the D300. The automatic Chromatic Aberration correction is just one example - without ever having to think about it, it instantly improves the results of every JPEG, regardless of the lens used.”
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PhotographyBlog
“In use, the D90 felt extremely responsive, could lock focus quickly and confidently on virtually anything, while the meter handled almost any scene you threw at it very well, necessitating much less use of the exposure compensation function than I’m used to.”
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Pocket-lint
“The D90 is stuffed so full of new kit and clever tweaks I could be here for another week writing about them, suffice to say I’ve covered the major ones, but it is certainly no plain upgrade, this a serious new camera in its own right and well worth serious consideration.”
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ImagingResource
“The Nikon D90 seems to be a really excellent camera for the intermediate photographer, and a great choice as a full-featured, light weight body for those who own a Nikon D200 or D300. The addition of video is groundbreaking, and will open up new possibilities that will be fun to explore. My only major disappointment for the intermediate market is the lack of a higher frame rate.”


CNET
“Ultimately, the Nikon D90 gets high marks because it’s a fast camera that delivers a great shooting experience and first-rate photos for the money. If your budget can’t stretch quite that far, the D80 remains an excellent deal at its price. “
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LuminousLandscape
“This is clearly a first generation product. Nikon saw an opportunity to add video capability to the DSLR and did so in a simple manner with little intention of creating a new type of hybrid camera. The D90 is a stills camera (and a very good one) at a very reasonable price, that happens to also shoot moderate quality video.”


GoodGearGuide
“One inclusion that will please users who are regularly on the road is the slew of in-camera RAW editing options. You can tweak almost anything you want — including colour, exposure, white balance, sharpness and a host of settings — before converting to a JPEG in-camera.”
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DPExpert
“This camera is a joy to use. It feels right in the hand. The bright viewfinder displays all the shooting parameter information. The image quality is spectacular. Even the instruction manual and menu system speak quality and careful attention to the photographer’s needs.”


OutBackPhoto
“Excellent high ISO noise behavior, Live View is very useful (has now an extra button), Viewfinder is quite ok, Nikon D90 has full support for AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing), Excellent value for the money, Video mode is a bonus.”


CameraLabs
“There’s no doubt the Nikon D90 is a very impressive DSLR, but like its predecessor, it’s more about enhanced features and superior handling, rather than greatly improved image quality. Don’t get us wrong, the D90’s stills look great, but they’re not a significant step-up from 10 Megapixel models.”
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KenRockwell
“The more I use the D90, the more I like it. For most people it can replace the old D300 at a much lower price. The D90 offers the same or better image quality, with many new features, in a lighter plastic package with the same vivid 3″ LCD and a much improved rear multi selector for faster handling.”


PopPhoto
“While the D90 offers a slew of upgrades and worthwhile additions, the groundbreaking feature is, of course, its 1280×720-pixel (720p) video capture.”


PhotoReview
“The test camera’s auto white balance failed to totally remove the inherent orange cast of incandescent lighting but came close to neutral colour reproduction with Fluorescent lighting. Both manual pre-sets over-corrected slightly but it was easy to tune out colour casts with the in-camera controls before taking shots and also to correct colour casts with editing software.”


DCResource
“Camera performance was excellent in all areas but one. Despite having a dust reduction system, the D90 starts up as soon as you flip the power switch. Focusing speeds are good if you’re using the viewfinder, but very slow in live view mode.”


PopSci
“Control freaks will love the D90’s multitude of fine-tuning features, such as the ability to adjust sharpness, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue—and save custom combination’s of those adjustments.”


ThinkCamera
“As an upgrade from the D80, the Nikon D90 positively flies; adding a chunkier new sensor, improved speed and picture quality, plus a bundle of modes and features. From a usability point of view, the informative visual information and display features from the D60 have also been adopted - making for ultimate ease of use.”
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ePhotozine
“As uninterested in video on cameras as I am, the D90 needs to be hailed as a ground breaker simply because it exists. For what it’s worth, it seems to work quite well.”

DPReview
“The control layout at the rear of the D90 has had a bit of facelift. Most of this is merely cosmetic (the buttons down the left side of the LCD are a now round and less recessed, making them easier to press and the multi-controller is much better), but there are a couple of new buttons.”

Actual Owner Feedback

“The 3 inch screen is amazing, just like the D300. This is a huge leap forward compared to the D80. It’s an even bigger leap that they’ve pulled off high quality video that’s user friendly!”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“Awesome picture quality, same as my D300. It is much more plasticy than a D300, but I like it because it’s much lighter and fits my hands perfectly. There isn’t an obvious video button, but it was easy to figure out once you hit the LV (live view) button it prompts you to press OK to start recording.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“From a spec point, the only thing that might be a bit disappointing is that the images are 12-bit and not 14-bit (like the D300). For those of you who shoot only JPEG (.jpg) images, that’s no concern.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“Some of the big pluses thus far is the ability to capture a picture as soon as you hit the shutter release button. The flash reaches out MUCH further than did my previous camera, making low-light pictures much brighter without washing them out.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“It fits the hand just right, menus are intuitive and easy to find and adjust. The view finder is clear and I love being able to pop in a grid.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“In camera editing. Sure its gimmicky, but its kinda neat as you could quickly convert your pictures to black and white, straighten the picture, or create a “fisheye” effect.”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

“After using it for just one day, I am amazed at the quality. I took photos at ISO 3200, and they are nearly the same quality as the D50 at ISO 400. Nikon has finally solved their noise issues!!”
Portion of user comment on Amazon.com

Sample Photos

[Sample Photo at Lets Go Digital]
[Sample Photo at DigitalCameraInfo]
[Sample Photo at DPReview]
[Image Quality Samples at PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos at Pocket-lint]
[Sample Photos at CNET]
[Sample Photos at CameraLabs]
[Sample Photos at DCResource]
[Sample Photos at PopSci]
[Sample Test Photos at LetsGoDigital]
[Sample Test Photos at DPReview]
[Sample Test Photos at ImagingResource]
[Sample Photos at Nikon]

Specifications & Camera Profile

[Camera Profile]

Press Excerpt

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 27 August 2008 – Nikon Europe today announces another great step forward in its mid-class DX-format D-SLR range: the D90. As the world’s first D-SLR with movie function, this remarkable camera offers truly cinematic results, stunning image quality and innovative high-performance features inherited from Nikon’s new-generation DX-format flagship D300. The D90 will open new doors for photography enthusiasts of any level.

With 12.3 megapixels, the newly-designed DX-format CMOS image sensor and Nikon’s proprietary EXPEED image processing concept, the D90 is a quality-guarantee. Advanced features such as Live View, Scene Recognition, Active D-Lighting, Picture Control and an ISO sensitivity range of 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1), allows creativity in almost any setting. And to ensure all these features are easy to use, they are packed in an ergonomic body with an intuitive operational layout.

Toru Uematsu, Senior Manager Product Planning at Nikon Europe B.V says: “The D90’s combines imaging technology inherited directly from our D300 and innovative features like Live View, D-Movie, Scene Recognition and Picture Control - once again confirming Nikon’s leadership in cutting edge imaging technology. Add its innovative, high-performance features such as the CMOS image sensor, and the extremely wide ISO sensitivity range, we are convinced that this new camera will appeal to all passionate photographers looking for the next step in creativity.”