The Nikon D90 is just the latest in a lengthy and capable list of consumer digital SLR cameras introduced by Nikon in the sub-$1000 price category; and it is also a camera that folks interested in developing their photographic skills after using point and shoot cameras should consider if they want to have a foundation for further equipment upgrades.

While I own the Nikon D300, I’ve been able to use the D90 over some period of time and have become quite familiar with it.  While not quite as fast as the larger and more costly D300, it is still a formidable camera and one that has provided me with some exceptional images.  There were and are times, when I prefer the D90 and they are generally occasions where size and weight are factors.  In those cases and where additional weight was a detriment, I opted for the D90.

Below are some of this camera’s most salient features.

Camera Type:  Digital SLR with 12.3 Megapixel CMOS type sensor.

ISO Range:  ISO 200 to 3200.  The D90 also allows use of Lo 1 (ISO 100) as well as Hi 1 (ISO 6400).

Digital Movie:  Provides the ability to shoot video clips as well as still photos.

Scene Recognition System with Face Recognition:   Scene recognition was first introduced by Nikon on its D3 and D300 dSLR camera bodies.  Nikon now offers it on the D90 as well. 

The technology behind this system uses a 420 pixel Red/Green/Blue (RGB) sensor to detect scene types and analyze the color and scene information contained within the frame to be shot.   Within milliseconds of shooting the image, the D90 will analyze the scene itself to allow for the optimization of auto-focus, auto-exposure, white balance and i-TTL (intelligent thru the lens metering).  At the same time, should there be people within the frame formed by the view-finder, Nikon’s face detection system will focus on them, allowing for greater sharpness and clarity, especially in that critical area of rendering complexions accurately and faithfully.

I found the scene detection and face recognition capabilities of this camera to be highly accurate and a valuable addition to the sensing systems originally developed by Nikon for their autofocus film SLR cameras.  As technology advanced and improved, these newest offerings by Nikon now provide enhanced imagery that heretofore was unavailable.

11 Point Auto-Focus System: The D90 utilizes Nikon’s Multi-CAM 1000 auto-focusing module to provide fast and accurate auto focus across the entire frame you are shooting.  The most sensitive AF sensor is in the center of the viewfinder, but you will also have a diverse ability to handle off-center shots, select the upper or lower and left and right  sensors as well as 3D tracking for AF by all 11 sensors.  Users will find this especially useful for action shots or for changing the composition of the picture after focusing on the subject.

Auto-Exposure:  Nikon installed its improved 3D Matrix Metering II in the D90.  This enhanced system provides better balancing of tricky exposures, even those that would previously have confused other AE sensors.  Working with the Scene Recognition System, the camera’s sensors evaluate each scene’s highlights which allows for greater exposure accuracy.  If you as the user select AF with Face Recognition Priority, the camera will automatically seek out faces, evaluate them for lighting, contrast and color and provide more realistic exposures as well.  This is a very well designed and delivered capability, especially in a consumer grade dSLR.

Active D-Lighting:  In photography, whether with film in the past or digital in the present, details are often lost in areas of shadow or when strong lighting increases contrast between light and dark areas in a frame.  In the D90, Nikon helps to correct these losses by correcting tone control as you shoot.  The user has the ability to choose from four (4) levels of control including one called Extra High.   The Nikon D90 allows the user to set Active D-Lighting manually, or by setting it to Auto mode.  Active D-Lighting allows the user to bracket pictures as well.  In this mode, one image would have D-Lighting and one would not.

Picture Control:   The Nikon D90 user has the ability to truly customize the method and style of their shooting.  The camera features six (6) settings that include Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Monochrome and Portrait and Landscape.  There is also a “Quick Adjust” feature that allows the user to make changes related to your needs and shooting styles, as well as the conditions you may encounter at the time of shooting.  Your preferences can then be saved as Custom Picture Controls.

This Camera Has LIVE VIEW!
 
One of the problems almost all photographers face is the inability to get a camera and lens combination to do what they need done when they need it done.  Using the D90, the user can shoot using the camera’s Live View mode.  This mode can be accessed with the pressing of the Live View mode button.  The camera’s 3 inch, 920,000 dot LCD with a 170° field of view provides the venue for the user’s Live View shooting.  The three  contrast detection AF modes permit you to focus on “any” point in the frame while the face detection priority feature can detect five (5) faces, while focusing on the one the camera detects as the closest.  Wide area AF makes the camera a suitable platform for handheld shooting, while normal area AF is available with very, very sharp accuracy when using a tripod.  I’ve used this camera on a tripod with some fairly long lenses, to include the Nikkor 300 mm f2.8 and am always amazed at how tack sharp the images are.
  
Fast Shooting:  The D90 “hunts” less when attempting to obtain focus during AF operation.  This will be appreciated in less than optimal or lower light conditions.

The camera starts up in less than 15 milliseconds and has a 65 millisecond shutter lag time.  The camera can shoot at a sustained rate of 4.5 frames per second up to the point of 100 frames when set to Normal Large file setting and using a high speed SD card.

The View Finder:  The D90’s view finder covers approximately 96% of both the horizontal and vertical areas of the frame you are shooting.  The VF is bright and I found it significantly brighter than Nikon’s first commercially successful consumer grade dSLR, the now vintage D70.

Camera Ergonomics:  The D90, while larger than the D60 and D5000 is still considerably smaller than Nikon’s DX format flagship, the D300.  The camera weighs in at 1 lb. 6 ounces/620 grams.  The camera fits well into just about any sized hands and most users will find it compact and easy to access its controls.  For additional gripping area and battery options, the D90 can be fitted with the MB-D80 vertical grip & battery pack.  I’ve used Nikon’s accessory battery packs on all of my film SLR bodies where they were available, as well as the D200 and D300 that I owned and will not shoot without them.  The D90 is no exception and I appreciated that this camera was capable of being fitted with this accessory that enhanced the camera’s capabilities and offered an additional battery, AF focus button and command dial.


Highly Rated Shutter Units:  Nikon film and digital SLRs have long been known for the reliability of their shutter mechanisms and the D90 is no exception to that generally accepted reputation.  The shutter unit is rated for 100,000 activations and while considerably less than the 150,000 activations for the Nikon D3, the figure is still a commendable one, especially in a consumer quality camera body.

Energy Consumption:  The D90 is a very efficient user of battery power and it also uses the same battery as the D300, namely the EN-EL3e.  Nikon estimates that the average user will see 850 shots with the camera when paired with the Nikkor 18-105 mm f3.5 – 5.6 ED VR and when 50% of those images are shot using the camera’s built-in, pop-up flash.

Flash Compatibility:  The D90 is designed to be supported by the following Nikon flash units:  the SB-600, the SB-800, the SB-900 and the recently introduced  SB-400.  I’ve used the D90 with the SB-600, SB-800 and SB-900 and continue to marvel at the complete interchangeability, the seamlessness of use, the flexibility contained within the camera and flash units and the end results.  This Nikon camera, when paired with the latest generation of Nikon strobes really is an amazing photographic tool.

 What I Like About the D90

The Nikon D90’s flexibility and compact size make for a very well designed ergonomic package.  The controls are placed logically and where they seem to belong, even for those making the switch from film to digital bodies.  I’ve spoken to owners and users of other brands of dSLRs and they always seem to comment favorably on the logical layouts of Nikon controls and the thoughtfulness of what is offered.   For me, after having owned a D200 and a D300 and using the D2x, and D3, I realized the commonality of design across Nikon dSLR camera bodies made a great deal of sense, while also making my photographic endeavors easier and more enjoyable.

The D90 is considerably lighter and more compact than the D300, the D3 or the D3x.  It is also less costly than its next nearest company sibling and thusly more accessible to a larger number of digital photographers.

For folks making an upgrade from a point and shoot cameras, Nikon offers the D90 in a couple of different “kit” configurations.  These would, I believe, be useful for beginner SLR users as the kits would offer one or two lenses, thereby relieving the buyer of the costs associated with buying lenses after having already purchased the camera body by itself.  Personally, I am not a huge fan of most of Nikon’s lower end kit lenses, so if I were buying the D90, I’d purchase just the camera body.

What I Don’t Like About the D90
 
Having used several higher end Nikon dSLRs, to include my own D200 and D300, as well as government owned D2s, D2Xes and D3s, I purchased quite a few Compact Flash (CF) cards in various sizes and speeds.  The D90 uses SD and SDHC cards.  This fact may be OK for folks used to using them with smaller point ‘n shoot digicams, but I then had to go out and acquire a couple.  It was an inconsistency and inconvenience that I did not appreciate.  However, if one starts with SD compatible cameras, or are just starting out with no prior gear, then the use of SD cards should not be detrimental.

The D90 is not as robustly built as the D300, D700, D3 and D3X.  That said, it should also be remembered that this is a “consumer” grade camera and not intended for the harsher environments and bumps and knocks that most professionals subject their equipment to.  The body of the camera is polycarbonate with less of the rubber armor found on higher end dSLR bodies from Nikon.  The camera is also less well sealed against dust and moisture than its company siblings.
  
Like almost all consumer grade dSLRs from Nikon, the D90 retains a top deck command wheel that shows the various shooting modes with the now well known scene pictures for Still Life, Landscape, Night Landscape, Night Portrait, Sports/Action and so on.  These pictures are a dead give away that the D90 is a consumer camera where many users will utilize these settings to obtain desire results without having to go through any kind of decision making process or manually over-ride the camera’s pre-programmed and metered settings.  While I am generally critical of these “idiot-proof” settings, for many users, they allow quicker shooting with better than average results.  I never use these settings and instead, opt for manual shooting or the Program mode where I can manually over-ride what I see on the top deck LCD and through the Viewfinder.


Who Is This Camera For?
 
The D90 is a great camera for those who want to improve their photography beyond the limits imposed by point and shoot digicams, for those who realize there are some very real limits and restrictions placed on them when using the Nikon D60 or D5000 or for those who, late to digital SLR photography and possessing other Nikon lenses want to make the switch, but don’t want to break the bank to do so.
The D90 without the accessory battery pack would also be appreciated by hikers/backpackers for whom weight is a consideration, bicyclists who stop along their travel routes to do photography, campers and others where space and weight are factors when packing for travel or for those who might otherwise have to choose between a little point and shoot or not taking a camera at all.

The Nikon D90 makes for a great “back-up” camera body for wedding photographers or others, who may not have the financial wherewithal to be able to buy a second D300, but who still need reliability in a feature rich camera body.  However, when used as a back up to a higher end Nikon body, remember that the D90 requires SD rather than CF memory cards.


Recommended?
 
Yes.  This is a very good camera for all but the most demanding photographers.  Having shot film for years and only buying my first dSLR in February 2006, I can say that if I did not already own a D300, that I would give serious thought to buying the D90 as my primary digital SLR camera body.  The difference in cost may be a serious cut-off point for many buyers as the D300 is (depending on the market) upwards of $600 more.  That alone could be the single biggest reason to opt for the D90.

The D90 offers a very serious advantage over Nikon’s two lower end dSLR bodies offered to the mass market – the D60 and the newer D3000 and D5000.  The D90 has its AF motor in the camera body itself allowing it to use almost ALL of Nikon’s earlier lenses.  The D60 and D3000/5000 utilize AF-S technology and don’t have AF motors in the bodies of the camera.  Instead, these cameras (and the D40 and D40x before them) have their AF motors built into the lenses.  Should you use non-AFS lenses, you will then be forced to focus manually.  For that reason alone, I cannot and do not recommend Nikon’s lower end camera bodies.

The Nikon D90 will allow almost all users, from novice to highly experienced enthusiasts to grow while also offering professionals a very viable back-up camera body for use in all but the most extreme and harsh environments.  The D90 is a very worthy camera for everyone who enjoys beautiful photographs but who can't afford the most expensive gear available. 

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 999.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts