The Unraveling

On September 15, 2008 the Nikon D90 replaced the Nikon D80, upping its predecessor with features supreme for its kind. Below, we shall discuss 5 of the features that put it in a class of its own.

And here goes.

Key Feature #1: a 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor;

CMOS sensors consume less power compared to CCD sensors, so battery life will last longer. A 12.3 megapixel resolution ensures big, quality prints and more room for cropping and editing— perfect for serious amateurs.

Key Feature #2: a 3-inch VGA screen with live view;

A big screen means you can navigate a zoomed image on the screen really fast, so checking photos for sharpness and noise levels will be easier and quicker. The live view will be a big help to shooting and composing.

Key Feature #3: the DSLR movie mode;

There will always be things that are better caught in video, and the D90 recognizes that. Thus the world’s first Digital SLR movie mode feature. There have been complaints about the “rolling shutter” phenomenon that occurs when shifting from horizontal shooting to vertical shooting and vice versa, but for quick videos, this 720p 24fps MPEG video feature is more than enough.

Key Feature #4: Active D-lighting (ADR);

ADR allows you to shoot photos with large dynamic ranges of light— you know, those highly shaded subjects set against a bright background. The D90 is able to pull so much detail that it reaches the point where it’s easier to see them in photos than by the eye.

Key Feature #5: 3D tracking Auto Focus (11 point)

Compared to the previous models’ 3 spots, the D90’s 11-point AF helps get things in focus way quicker. And quicker, in this case, is better.

Other Notes

Other than this, the D90 comes with Face Detection, Image Stabilization, an Anti-Dust Technology, and a Vignetting control in-camera. In continuous shooting, the D90 bursts at 4.5 frames per second.

The white balance is a big improvement, especially on Auto mode. This is helpful if you’re in a hurry and can’t be bothered to fiddle with your camera settings all the time. The short start-up time, viewfinder blackout, and shutter lag is a great plus. And so is the room for extensive in-camera retouching.

The dedicated buttons are extremely helpful. It allows you to change ISO, WB and QUAL settings quickly.

The wide ISO range of 100-6400 will allow for quality low light photos. The D40 at ISO 800 produces lesser noise than the D90 at ISO 3200, but the D90/3200 shots are still pretty usable. The D90’s color fades a little at ISO 1600, drops more at 3200, plunges at 6400. The latter is not advised for use.

All this is found in a camera which appeals to a broad spectrum of audiences— from first-time DSLR shooters to serious amateurs. For others who use their manual camera settings regularly, this is the camera for them. Those who don’t, can benefit from the smart ADR and AWB features.

The downside? Some old Nikon manual-focus lenses from the 1960s cannot be mounted on this camera—but this should hardly affect too many people, right?

The Nikon D90 weighs 25.2 oz. and its best price is 700 GBP.

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