Well, it’s been 2 years since Nikon gave us the D80. And now… amidst much speculation and rumour, along comes the Nikon D90. This is a camera that will appeal to everyone, from the first-time DSLR user to the serious amateur wanting more in-depth photographic control but without the cost and weight of a D300.
While the D90 seems to have some nifty new bells & whistles, it’s more of an update than a full-on replacement. The most exciting and talked about bell (or whistle, depending on how you view these things) is the fact that it’s the world’s first digital SLR with a movie mode. We’re talking D-Movie 720p HD clips with sound, people!
In addition to a new 12.3 MP CMOS sensor, the D90 shares the D3/D300/D700’s awesome hi-res 3″ LCD. But the LCD isn’t the only exciting update it shares with its pricier cohorts. Formerly exclusive to the D3 and D700 DSLRs, this baby features an EXPEED image processor, low-noise imaging from ISO 200 through 3200, a 4-frequency ultrasonic sensor cleaning system & an 11-point AF system with Face Priority and Nikon’s Scene Recognition System.
Did we mention the 96% viewfinder coverage, live view and continuous shooting at up to 4.5 frames per second? And what DSLR with movie mode would be worth its salt without HDMI output? The D90 also features some nifty creative controls (in addition to a few standards, like Red-eye Reduction, Image Overlay and Monochrome effects) including a Fisheye effect and Straighten & Distortion control.