Nikon D90

Nikon D90 Review

If you love using digital SLR cameras and also carry around a portable camcorder in order to record videos, the Nikon D90 might just be the camera of your dreams. Being both practical and high end, this camera is sure to impress. A step up from the D80, the D90 lets you shoot high definition video as well as take high-quality photos. When you first come across the D90, it doesn't look that much different from its predecessor the D80.

The most obvious difference between the two is that the D90 weights a bit more. With a 12 megapixel sensor, an upgrade from the 10 Megapixel equipped to the D80, this camera come with a virtual Landry list of feature. Out of the box this camera comes equipped with a 3 inch 920,000 pixel LCD screen.. The quality of the LCD screen is amazing and while it's not accurate enough to gauge your cameras focus, its clarity and brightness is refreshing. This camera's ISO sensitivity has been upgraded from the 100 to 1600 seen in the D80 to 200- 3200. The D90 also comes with a special feature that will allow you to lower the ISO sensitivity to 100 as well as boost it up to 6400.

The big implication of the D90 being able to record video is not its ability to shoot simple clips, but the fact that you can use the D90s high quality lens to produce cinematic effects that you couldn't normally get with a camcorder. If this camera catches on, the D90 could potentially change the way digital filmmakers craft their art. The main concern that I had with the D90, is its lack of an autofocus while using its video recording function. In order to focus the video properly, you're going to have to manually adjust the lens. While this may not be too much of a problem for those who have experience with lenses, the average novice may have a bit of trouble.

Overall the D90 is a terrific camera. It focuses in a short amount of time, has a fast 4.5 burst mode and you can customize it to your hearts content. As a camcorder the D90 is capable but has a steep learning curve. It's more than capable of making great clips, but in order to utilize the camera's actual potential a substantial amount of time would have to be invested. Not to mention that the lack of aid auto focus function while in video mode can be a real issue.

Pros

• Takes wonderful still images
• Produces little noise at high ISO
• Comes with superb kit lens

Cons

• Autofocus does not work in video mode
• Video mode tough on novices