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View Full Version : Nikon D90 Officially Released Today


Jason Dunn
08-27-2008, 04:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25446/D90.html' target='_blank'>http://nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon.../25446/D90.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1219847280.usr1.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><br />As was suspected, the Nikon D90 went public this week - this morning actually. All the <a href="http://nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25446/D90.html" target="_blank">specs and details are up on Nikon USA's site</a>, but let me give you the breakdown on what's interesting. First, I was wrong about it being a CCD sensor: it has the same size DX-format sensor (15.8 x 23.6mm) as the Nikon D300, with the same number of effective pixels. So that right there is a bit shocking: you can get the same sensor in a camera that's basically half as much. Same ISO as well: 3200, or 6400 ISO in "high" mode. So from the sensor point of view, the D90 matches the D300, and it should produce fantastic photos, even in low light. I've been blown away by how great my D300 is in low light. The D90 also has the same amazing three-inch LCD screen as the D300, which I've found to be incredibly useful for seeing which photos really turned out. <MORE /></p><p>Now for the main differences: the D90 uses SD cards (SDHC supported), has a bit less battery life than the D300, and managed 4.5 frames per second in high-speed burst mode. It has 11 point AF rather than the 51 point AF on the D300. It also brings to the table something very interesting though: 720p (1280 x 720) video, captured in MJPEG. MJPEG? Really? I keep hoping MJPEG format for videos was dead, but they keep bringing it back. I don't understand the details about it as a format, so maybe there's a great reason why they keep using it for videos; but what I do know is that it tends to create really large video files. That pretty much guarantees you'll need to process your videos, even if you're not editing them, in order to cut down on the storage size.</p><p>At $999 USD MSRP for the body, the D90 represents amazing value for the dollar - and, frankly, leaves me a touch jealous that a camera body 50% less expensive than my D300 has 720p video capture! I bought a Panasonic Lumix a few months ago just to get 720p video capture, so having it in a DSLR body would save me having to carry another camera. So who's going to buy a D90?</p>

Lee Yuan Sheng
08-27-2008, 04:07 PM
MJPEG. Make it die already.

No AF in movie. Sucks. This is down to Nikon's sucky contrast detect AF implementation in their live view. *sigh*

If not for those two I might consider getting the D90 as a hybrid camera. Find a way to acommodate an external recorder, and add a 3rd party grip to give it better video handling, and it's good to go.

Jason Dunn
08-27-2008, 04:12 PM
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQX1rC-fRA

Mostly marketing fluff, but kind of neat to watch - very light on real D90 details though...

Jason Dunn
08-27-2008, 04:15 PM
MJPEG. Make it die already.

Here here! If Casio can put h.264 in a little camera, why the heck can't Nikon put it in this BIG camera?

No AF in movie. Sucks. This is down to Nikon's sucky contrast detect AF implementation in their live view. *sigh*

Wow, I didn't realize that - sucks indeed! That means you'd have to follow the same subject that you initially focused on, and really not move around all that much, or you'd lose your focus lock. So it's for...stationary videos? That seems bizarrely lame. Ok, I feel OK about not having this on my D300 now. :rolleyes:

Lee Yuan Sheng
08-27-2008, 04:34 PM
You'll have to MF it. You know, move that focusing ring?

To see the sillyness of it all, take out your D3/D300/D700. Switch to Live View. Then go to the settings and change the Live View AF mode to TRIPOD. This puts it in contrast detect mode.

Now, hand-hold the camera and try to AF on a distinct area with high and low contrast edges (that'd normally be very easy for the camera's phase detection module), and watch the fun!

Jason Dunn
08-27-2008, 05:03 PM
You'll have to MF it. You know, move that focusing ring?

Still not a great solution, the average user will overshoot, compensate, overshoot again...video blurry, video semi-sharp, video blurry. Not good. AF = the right way.

onlydarksets
08-27-2008, 05:49 PM
Still not a great solution, the average user will overshoot, compensate, overshoot again...video blurry, video semi-sharp, video blurry. Not good. AF = the right way.
You can see that if you watch the sample video of the ducks. Focus keeps going between the two.