October 27th, 2008 by 
Photo-John
We’ve got the new Nikon D90 digital SLR in-house and we’re working on a detailed review. In case you’ve been in a cave and don’t know, the D90 is the first DSLR to offer video capture - 720p high-def, to be exact. The D90 has a 12.3-megapixel DX-format (APS-C) CMOS sensor, 3-inch LCD, EXPEED processing, and sensitivity to ISO 6400.
Compare prices and shop for the Nikon D90 digital camera kit >>
| Nikon D90 Studio Test Images | ||
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ISO 100 Sample >> ISO 200 Sample >> ISO 400 Sample >> ISO 800 Sample >> ISO 1600 Sample >> ISO 3200 Sample >> ISO 6400 Sample >> |
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I expected there to be a video setting on the D90’s mode dial. But it turns out - and this makes sense to me now - that the video capture is a function of Live View. To shoot video, you turn on Live View and then just press OK button in the middle of the 4-way Multi-selector. It’s that simple.
Reaction to the addition of video in a digital SLR has been mixed (see our DSLR video quick poll). Many pros think it’s a waste of money, but some also think it’s a nice bonus feature that will encourage them to do more video. Since the D90 is a mid-level, consumer DSLR, the video functionality is probably targeted well. Small businesses, families, and young action sports photographers will love having video in a digital SLR. And it’s probable that over the next couple of years we’ll see video capture become a standard feature in digital SLRs.
The D90 has a solid feel, as you’d expect from Nikon. The studio sample photos look good. Color and white balance are excellent. And most notable to me is the image quality the expanded, H1.0 ISO 6400 sensitivity. It looks as good as ISO 400 from a few generations back! Shooting at ISO 800 and 1600 should be very real options with the D90.
That’s all for now. Bookmark this page and check back in a few weeks for our complete, hands-on Nikon D90 pro review.
Nikon D90 Unboxing Video:
Other Resources:
Nikon Review Page >>
Shop For Nikon D90 >>
Nikon D90 User Reviews >>
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Nikon D90 Camera Specs >>
Nikon D90 Sample Gallery >>
Nikon Digital Cameras Web Site >>
All Digital Camera Pro Reviews >>
Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide >>
All Digital Camera Sample Images >>
November 12th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Quick update, I’m doing the pro review of the Nikon D90 for PhotographyREVIEW.com and I’ve uploaded some sample videos to my Flickr account. Here’s the set:
http://flickr.com/photos/calanan/sets/72157608693119529/
(Flickr limits videos to 90 seconds)
I’ve had the camera for 2 weeks now and have shot in a variety of conditions but if you have any requests please post them here, thanks!
- mike
November 12th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Thanks for sharing your D90 Flickr videos, Calanan!
November 13th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Also, I shot an editorial gig last night, covering The Hotel Cafe Tour show here in Salt Lake City and the D90 (coupled with the Nikkor 85mm f/1.8) excelled at shooting concert photography. At ISO 1600 the D90 is significantly cleaner than my D200 (and I was shooting it at ISO 800), producing wonderful magazine-ready images with minimal tweaking/post-processing. Here’s the slideshow on Flickr:
http://flickr.com/photos/calanan/sets/72157608997407658/show/
Photo-John, can I keep the D90 after the review?
- mike
January 6th, 2009 at 1:35 am
Mike,Nice work with the D90 ->> Hotel cafe tour. Image quality is superb.
Rick
March 16th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Great work, I’m loving my D90..
here’s my recent shots
http://www.flickr.com/photos/outaru/
and my unboxing video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGHNar5mkxI