Nikon D90

Photo answers review

Photo answers rating

Features & handling

The D90 looks remarkably conventional for a camera designed to redefine how you think about digital SLRs. From the outside there’s nothing to hint of the exciting new video technology within; instead, the body looks quite basic, taking its shape and size from the Nikon D80. As a result, it’s not as compact as some of the budget DSLR models, and feels quite substantial for a family-friendly camera.
From an enthusiast point of view, the D90 is small and light enough to make it perfect for carrying around, while the solid and substantial feel gives you confidence in its capabilities. But if you’re after a replacement for a family compact camera, the D90 may come as a hefty shock to the system.
Even so, navigation is intuitive and the camera offers all the key creative features we’ve come to regard as standard in a DSLR, with a kit lens that offers Vibration Reduction, too. Metering, autofocus and frame rate are all a step up from the D80, and together make this an excellent all-round digital SLR.
Offering 12.3 million pixels, the D90’s sensor is an upgrade on the D80 (10.2MP), matching the D300 for sensitivity inside a body that’s around £250 cheaper. The sensor offers an ISO range of 200-3200, with extended low and high settings equivalent to 100 and 6400. It produces excellent results throughout most of the ISO range – images taken using the ISO 3200 and 6400 settings show some noise, but up to 1600 this camera produces great results.
In terms of specification, features such as Live View, Active D-Lighting and the optional facility for geo-tagging make this a first class camera offering state-of-the art technology. Which brings us to the real innovation – the HD video.

HD Video mode

To access the video function you have to switch to Live View mode, then half-press the shutter release to activate the autofocus, or else focus manually on the subject. Simply pressing the OK button on the back of the camera starts the video facility rolling. It all sounds easy enough but there are some limitations. First, the autofocus doesn’t work during filming, so you have to make any focus adjustments manually. Second, framing the video is all done via the rear screen, which can be slightly awkward to hold steady, even though the Vibration Reduction of the 18-105mm lens does its best to smooth-out any movement. Third, because you still use the normal manual zoom ring on the lens, zooming during filming looks much less slick than on a good video camera, as it’s tricky to achieve a smooth, even motion like that from a powered zoom lens.
Disappointingly, the built-in microphone only offers mono sound, which doesn’t compare favourably with the stereo microphones offered by most modern video cameras. Also, there’s no port on the camera for a separate microphone to give better sound quality.
One final limitation is on the amount of time that you can film continuously. At the high quality setting you can film for five minutes before the camera cuts out. This may sound short, but take a look at most TV programmes and you’ll realise that they use lots of short scenes edited together to make the end-result look more dynamic. So, unless you want to simply record a long event such as a wedding or school play, it’s unlikely to become an issue.

Verdict

Nikon should be applauded for being the first to include HD video on a digital SLR, but like many innovations, it’s not perfect yet. As a stills camera there’s little to fault – the D90 produces great results, is well-designed and will satisfy enthusiasts and beginners alike.  
How useful and useable you’ll find the HD video function is more difficult to decide. It’s not a replacement for a dedicated video camera for creative film-making. The lack of autofocus, handling issues and limited sound options all make it difficult to get satisfactory results in some situations. However, the image quality and creative features of a digital SLR could be a real boon for film-making.
So, is this the perfect camera for all occasions? Well no, but it’s a great stills camera with a handy video function.
The price may put it out of reach as a family camera, but if your main interest is high quality stills, the D90 starts to make much more sense. Should you leave the video camera at home? Well, only if you can live with the compromises and have plenty of memory cards available, as using the HD video can make your 4GB card look very small indeed.

Product Specification 

Weight/size (WxHxD)	620g/132x103x77mm
Effective resolution	12.3
Lens mount	Nikon F
Focal length conversion	1.5x (DX)
Aspect ratio	3:2
LCD monitor size	3in
File formats	JPEG, RAW
Card type	SD/SDHC
Exposure modes	Auto, program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual
Metering modes	3D colour matrix II, centre-weighted and spot
Autofocus	11-point with TTL phase detection
ISO range	200-3200 (+ 100-6400)
Battery type	1x  EN-EL3e
Software supplied
Start-up time	Less than 1 second
Write times	1 second (JPEG), 1.5 seconds (RAW)
Shutter speed range	30 seconds to 1/4000sec + Bulb
Flash sync	1/200sec
Continuous shooting speed	4.5fps for 23 JPEGs or 6 RAWs