Nikon D90 Review

Description

The Nikon D90 is a semi-professional quality APS-C size Digital SLR. It is clearly derived from the Nikon D80 which continues to be one of the most admired and popular DSLRs. The D90 is not however just an incremental upgrade. Nikon kept what was good about the D80 then added many of the best features of the higher end pro Nikons.

The most newsworthy feature is the ability to shoot HD video (720P) which we found to be a bit limited in usefulness. The most important upgrades are the 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor with excellent image quality up to 6400 ISO, 3 inch monitor, Live View, sensor cleaning, 4.5 frames per second shooting and a host of other small improvements.

Key Features

• 12.3 effective megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor
• 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel TFT-LCD (same as D300)
• Image sensor cleaning
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• Illuminated focus points in viewfinder
• 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting depending on format
• IS0 100-6400 total range
• 3D tracking AF (11 point)
• Expeed image processing engine
• Extensive in-camera retouching such as raw development and straightening
• Fast startup time, short viewfinder blackout and imperceptible shutter lag
• Improvements to user interface
• Same battery and optional grip as D80

Key Comparisons

The Nikon D90 probably compares most closely with the also excellent Canon 50D and the top models of several other manufacturers. The Nikon is a bit smaller and lighter than the Canon. The only reason to pick the Canon, or any other manufacturer, over the Nikon would be if you already have lenses and accessories.

Usability

The Nikon D90, like all of the Nikon DSLRs, fit very naturally in the hand of most users. Controls are well placed and quick to learn. Not only is the viewfinder one of the best but the LCD monitor is beautiful with far more pixels than the competition. The top control panel gives you all the information you need once you learn what everything means. Press the ‘ON’ button a little farther and the control panel lights up for easy night use.

The Nikon D90 feels like it was designed primarily with the user in mind, rather than just trying to look better on paper.

Pros

• HD video, but limited usefulness.
• Menu help.
• Excellent battery life.
• Fast continuous shooting.
• Status LCD panel on top of camera when most competitors are dropping them.
• Excellent control over high ISO noise.
• Instant power on.
• No delay exposures.
• Auto focus lamp rather than using flash.
• Fast autofocus.
• Excellent dynamic range.
• Auto chromatic aberration correction.
• Superb LCD monitor and excellent viewfinder.
• Top image quality.

Cons

• Otherwise excellent viewfinder only shows 96% of image area
• Exposure can sometimes blow-out whites.
• JPGs are softer looking than other similar cameras.
• Video capability is limited and not very useful.
• Complex menus.

Conclusion

The D90 feels like it was designed with photographers in mind. Everything seems to be in the right place, the right features are there and it just feels right in your hands. The viewfinder is as bright and clear as any APS-C camera. The image quality is right up there with the best at all ISO settings although many of the intended users may want to boost the sharpness and contrast settings to get the crisp looking JPGs they are probably used to from other cameras. Nikon has chosen to produce less processed JPGs by default to match the output of higher-end DSLRs. We also observed that the exposure metering seems to be excessively connected to the focus points which sometimes resulted in blow-out whites. You may want to apply some menu adjustments to suit your tastes. This camera has so many features and options that the menus can get confusing. The big talk about the D90 when it was announced was the video capability but that has proven to be a bit of a letdown. Yes, it can produce beautiful HD (720P) video but a similarly priced camcorder will be more versatile and produce even better looking video in most situations. The D80 was one of the most respected and popular semi-pro DSLRs and Nikon didn’t mess with success. The D90 builds on all the strengths of the D80. We can’t think of a better enthusiast-level camera for the money.

B & H Photo, The Pros’ Choice