My thoughts on the new Nikon D90

Since the Nikon D90 was announced two days ago, the camera has generated quite a lot of attention and discussion. Interestingly many people only seem to talk about it’s new video feature which makes the D90 the first DSLR that can record video. Some love the new feature, other consider it pointless.
But I think there is much more to this camera, and video or not, it’s definitely worth looking at. So lets do this.
I won’t cover in detail all the new features, but as in my post about the Canon EOS 50D, I will write about what I think are the most interesting features of Nikon’s latest DSLR.

12.3 effective Megapixels: According to Nikon the D90 has the same image quality as the Nikon D300. Compared to the old D80 the increase from 10 MP to 12.3 is not too much, but the overall image quality, especially at high ISO is probably better with the D90.

Sensor cleaning: Similar to the D300 and D700, the D90 also has a sensor cleaning feature that should reduce the sensor dust problem drastically compared the D80.

4.5 frames per second:. This is 1.5 frames per second more than the D80 and a welcome feature for everyone shooting action like birds in flight and playing children.

3.0” LCD display: The larger display of the D300, D3 and D700 can now also be found in the D90, making the display much better than the one in the D80.

Video capability: The D90 is the first camera than can record videos. There are some limitations. For example there is no AF during video capture and the maximum length of videos is limited (only 5 minutes for a 1280 x 720 video and 20 minutes for smaller formats).
This won’t replace the need for a video camera for everyone who is serious about video capture. But it’s a nice feature if you want to capture short movies and I think the D90 is just the first camera to offer video capabilities. More cameras, not only from Nikon, will follow.

Conclusion:
I think the D90 is a wonderful new camera with an attractive price. If you are a D80 user and want to upgrade, I think there are many features in the D90 that justify an upgrade. On the other side, if you are still perfectly satisfied with your D80, I think it would be wiser to save the money or spend it on a good lens.
The D90 is a solid evolution of the D80 and I am sure, Nikon will sell a lot of them.

D90 or D300?
The D300 is definitely the better camera. It has faster AF, can shoot up to 8 frames per second and has a more robust body and weather sealing.
If you are doing a lot of action photography like sports or birds in flight, I highly recommend to get the D300.
If you shoot mostly landscapes, portraits or close-ups, the D90 will offer the same image quality as the D300 but at a much cheaper price.
See what your needs are and if the D90 has everything you want. If not, go for the D300.

If you already own a D300, the D90 will make a great backup camera.

This was a summary of my thoughts on Nikon’s new D90. If you have any questions, leave a comment.

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