Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

Several months before the D90 came out, I bought a D60 to hold me over until the D90 was released. Well, I’ve enjoyed using both cameras, but this one is a huge step up and more suited to an advanced enthusiast, like me. It’s a real pleasure to use.

ERGONOMICS – The D90 is solid, tight, and well-balanced with the 18-105 VR lens. It’s always ready and it shoots very fast. I love all the direct access buttons; they’re easy to press, with good tactile feedback. And since you’re not going into the menus as much, you can work faster. It’s heavier than the D60, but that’s OK. It’s still very manageable to carry around and it fits my average-sized hand better too. The shutter sounds different than the D60 (if that matters to you). It sounds more like a professional camera; more like a fast “whoosh” than a “click-click”. And there are so many internal customizations that you can set it up exactly as you want.

LENS – Biggest surprise was the 18-105 VR lens which I expected would be ho-hum, but turned out to be pretty sharp and clear. Better results than the 18-55 VR. We’ve really come a long way from the days (30 years ago) when you were cautioned to ALWAYS to buy a prime lens, NEVER the kit lens because of it’s poor image quality. With computer-aided design and new technology, that’s not true anymore.

IMAGE QUALITY – I shoot RAW for maximum detail and the ability to adjust settings afterward if necessary – like exposure or white balance. Image quality is very good to excellent depending on your RAW converter. To my eye, best results are obtained with View NX/Capture NX, but Adobe ACR/Lightroom still do a very good job (2010 UPDATE; After using Lightroom the past year, raw conversions are beautiful and far quicker to achieve than Capture NX). When shooting JPGs using the Standard Picture Mode, images are sharp and colors are true, without over-saturation. You can always use different Picture Modes and customize any of them to get closer to the in-camera results you want. For example, you can boost saturation and contrast and save the setting as your default if that’s what you like.

LIGHT METER – Metering is fine and seems to be quite accurate in most cases. I use matrix metering mostly. As with any camera, you have to get to know the meter. If I had to be VERY critical, I’d say when it’s pushed, it’s more likely to preserve shadows than highlights, usually when Active DLighting is on. To me that’s a good thing. Another website mentioned a slightly “over-enthusiatic” meter in its review. The good news is: if you really feel exposure results are not to your liking (whether over or under exposed), the meter is fine-tuneable, so go ahead and customize it as you see fit. I would just work with the meter first -get to know the camera and adapt yourself to it before you start making any adjustments. That said, I’ve used the D90 in a very wide range of lighting conditions and I can truly say that while exposures may vary occasionally, they’ve always made perfect sense for the situation. I’ve never been shocked or puzzled by the output.

LIVE VIEW – is great for the occasional high or low shot. I didn’t think would need it, but when I had the D60, I found myself in many situations where I really could have used it. Unlike a point-and-shoot, focus is slower in this mode and shooting seems somewhat clunky. I wouldn’t use Live View if I were in a rush or trying to get an important shot. It’s just a nice little extra.

MOVIE MODE – this is a nice novelty and may be handy in a rare moment, but I’m generally not a video camera person. I’m surprised to read that some people have made movies and commercials with the D90. I keep promising myself to use this feature more, but I don’t have a tripod and I’m just too jittery and uncreative to get good cinema-like results. Moreover, from the little I’ve tried it, I’m not impressed – there’s no autofocus during filming and the movie comes out over exposed and far from HD quality. The user manual is not very helpful either. But I didn’t purchase the camera for this feature, so I’m not disappointed.

ISO – I really like the new wide range of ISO settings, especially when coupled with the Auto-ISO setting. Mine is customized to keep the camera at ISO 200, but kick in at 1/30. In this example, anytime lighting decreases enough for the shutter speed to drop below 1/30, the D90 will automatically compensate by raising the ISO high enough (up to an ISO limit you set) to help keep your shutter speed at 1/30. Once the ISO maxes-out at your limit, the camera has no choice but to start bringing down the shutter speed. Noise at high ISOs isn’t an issue. In fact, you have to zoom in pretty close for it to be even slightly noticeable. I use Auto-ISO mostly all the time. Its an amazing feature! I only turn this feature off when I want to stick to a particular ISO at all times (if its on a monopod or I’ve stabilized the camera in some way).

ACTIVE D-LIGHTING – helps camera to preserve shadow and highlight detail. More important to use when shooting JPG because the exposure has to be right at the time of shooting, when the camera creates the JPG. RAW shooters can always adjust exposure in post processing. Even though I shoot RAW, I usually leave it on Auto so I can double check the exposure details on the LCD screen. It’s available in various strengths from Low to Extra High. Again, another great customization.

CONS

-At this price, Nikon should include a robust image editing software, or at least a decent discount on Capture NX2, which works great, but costs extra.

-Kit lens is thick in diameter (67mm). Also, the front glass of the lens seems somewhat exposed, as if it’s not recessed that much (it’s just enough for a lens cap). I worry that it’ll get scratched easily. Good thing Nikon included the lens hood.

AUTOFOCUS TIP – I customized the D90 to autofocus using the AF-L button instead of the shutter release. Now I can focus with one press of my thumb on the AF-L button and shoot with my index finger on the shutter release. This allows me to focus first, let go, then take the shot. Since the subject is already in focus, I can take multiple shots, recompose or go vertical. I’m not forced to continually re-focus for every shot or move the AF point around in the viewfinder. This minimizes AF mishaps on unintentional subjects. And since the VR system remains off until you half-press the shutter (it activates only when you’re ready to take the shot, not while you’re focusing) you save on battery life as well.

Also, with the D90 set to AF-C mode (continuous autofocus) you can keep a moving subject in focus by holding down the AF-L with your thumb and shooting with your index finger. If the subject becomes still, simply let go of the AF-L button; focusing stops and is locked where you left it. Then shoot when ready. Now your D90 can act as if it’s in Single or Continuous AF mode without you having to change settings all the time. This gives you more immediate control over the behavior of the AF system Try it and you won’t go back!

SUMMARY – Overall I’m extremely happy with the D90! It’s designed for serious shooting, but it’s still fun to use; noticeably heavier than the D60, but still not a burden. You do need to be committed to carrying around a solid DSLR in the first place. Once you get used to that, you’ll come to appreciate that it’s more substantial because it’ll be less shaky during shots. Nikon really packed it with a ton of features and customizations. Now I finally have everything I want in a DSLR, without it being overblown and overpriced. I’m actually surprising myself with some really spectacular shots.

If you have your basic photography skills down, you can make any DSLR sing, however, I believe THIS camera, because of its superb sensor and spot-on feature set, can actually help you improve your technique and get better results. You’ll take more chances and push yourself farther because now you have the tools (ie. features) to help capture more difficult, more creative shots. And you didn’t have to spend $3,000 to get there!

8-MONTH UPDATE: Still love this camera which hasn’t lost any of its original excitement. Very reliable – never frustrating. I’m not craving an upgrade – not contemplating a switch to Canon either – I’m perfectly content. Haven’t discovered any hidden quirks. In fact, the longer I use it, the more I realize how well engineered it is. The only extras I bought so far were a light monopod and a 50mm 1.8 lens.
Rating: 5 / 5

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3KI4NYB2VG4S9 It is an amazing camera by Nikon, expecially for amateur and enthusiast level photographers. The feature list is fantastic, plus the fact that it has the sensor of similar quality as the professional grade D300 model, and of course how can you forget the HD video capabilities? The sensor is highly rated for amazing dynamic range and color depth (the blues and greens are dreamingly rich, see my images in the customer images section). Please watch the video for a comparison with Rebel XSi that I owned before this one.

[+++++]:

- Great sensor, amazing colors out of the camera

- Auto D-lighting to restore shadowed regions

- Feels great in hand, very comfortable to hold… lighter than a Canon 40d/50d.

- The optical viewfinder is bright and big, with great coverage

- AF tracking points are easy to spot and switch to

- Great 320K dots LCD

- Video feature is great.. you can make some really slick short movies after some practice. It is a bit difficult to master both autofocus and zoom and exposure control in video mode, but I guarantee you a huge share of fun with it.. especially with DOF tests:-)

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- My copy of the camera came with one big bright hot pixel that was ON even at low ISOs like 200 and at fast shutter speeds. I was just about to learn to ignore it by using the software to map it out, and 2 more developed within a week of normal usage. Not good for a $1K camera right out of the box. I searched online and found many many others with the same issue. Further, you will have to pay at least one way shipping to a Nikon service center to have them mapped out, and yet they say it may develop more with time. I dont understand why a brand new camera has this issue. And its not just my copy, you can search “Nikon D90 + hot pixels” and you will find many many recent posts on this topic.

- The live view is just a gimmick. It doesnt stand in front of the implementation in a cheaper Canon XSI even. It lacks exposure simulation (the mode which brightens or darkens the LCD view based upon live shot setting changes like ISO/aperture/exposure time etc.). Further, it only goes as high as 6.7X while the XSi and 40D/50D go upto 10X zoom. To add to that, D90 seems to extrapolate the live view image at high zooms from a lower resolution image… showing bad interpolation artifacts like blocks at 6.7X zoom. You have to see it to believe it. Try a Rebel XSi and a D90 live view, and you will know what I mean. Also, there is no exposure scale overlay on the live view image to guide the user whether the shot is under/over exposed. You will have to switch to optical view finder to confirm the shot exposure level. All this renders the live view practically useless for anything but framing a snapshot or a video. In fact it should have been called an LCD view finder and not the live view, which it is not. D90 also only has one auto focus mode in live view which is contrast based, and too slow. Even 40d has a fast phase detect mode. Also, the D90 LCD refreshes only 15 frames per sec while a 40d/50d refreshes at 30 fps – better for sports. If you wear glasses and are hoping this live view will help you take pictures without having to goto the top LCD or the optical view finder, you will be shocked. Having owned an XSi and tried a Canon 50d, I can say with confidence that Nikon really has to improve their live view, or at least stop calling it that. I have let the Nikon customer support know of the interpolation issue at least, and they say it may come as a model update later, probably not an easy firmware update. But their answer was not clear. It took many emails just to explain the problem.

- The zoom (+/-) buttons are for the left hand. They may have been like this for most of the Nikons, but coming from Canon, it was a big discomfort to me to first switch the camera weight to the right hand, then move my left hand to use the buttons to the left of the LCD, then switch the hands back. This can be a pain if you have a heavy lens (like 70-300mm VR) and don’t have a tripod.

- The pixel depth is only 12-bit as compared to 14-bit in a Rebel XSi or a Canon 40d. This is not that obvious, and it is actually surprising that D90 produces great colors for a shorter pixel depth.

- The video mode can possibly age your sensor quicker than it should. Because of prolonged exposures (upto 5 minutes in HD mode), the sensor may develop more hot pixels over time than usual. It is also hard to lock exposure while in video.. else there are jerks when the auto-exposure-compensation mode jumps in as the scene brightness changes.

In conclusion,

- if you can live with a sensor that may come with hot pixels, or may develop more sooner than expected,

- if you don’t mind using both hands to manage controls while also holding a heavy lens,

- if you don’t use live view at all and will only use the optical view finder, and

- if you have about $1200 to spare (as of Jan 12 2009), and a few hundred more down the line for expensive Nikkor zooms,

then this is a great camera for you. You will be more than satisfied with the colors that come flying out of it. Otherwise, allow me to recommend Canon 40d or 50d with pretty much all of the basic imaging done the right way.

The live view and the hot pixel issues are a big reason why I gave this camera only 3 stars. Especially so because it is a still camera first.. and if they ship out defective units (with hot pixels) in a brand new box, and ask you to use a software to take 30 minutes just to wait for them to me mapped out, I think they fail to provide the basic purpose of this camera. Plus the live view isnt useful at all except only for shot framing.

Edit to add: Here is a website that will let you compare the sensor quality between different models for your information. I am not sure how reliable they are, but they seem genuine.. still I advise you to interpret that data at your own discretion: http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/Image-Quality-Database/Compare-cameras/(appareil1)/180%7C0/(appareil2)/267%7C0/(appareil3)/262%7C0/(onglet)/0/(brand)/Canon/(brand2)/Canon/(brand3)/Nikon .

Edit#2: I have since returned this camera and have ordered a Canon 50d. I want to take good still pictures first, and the video mode and the ineffective live view and the LCD werent helping me too much in doing that. Regardless, it may fit your requirements, in which case please enjoy all the features it comes with, and dont forget to share your first video:-) Here are mine:

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Edit#3 (1/19/09): After having owned a 50d, I would add one more star to this review, only the system doesnt allow it now. The reason being, I feel D90 handled noise much better… at least better than the 50d. Also, the 50d gave lens mount error right out of the box too… this is with firmware v1.0.3, the latest available.

Edit#4: 1/21/09. I confirmed that D90 had better noise performance in day-to-day use as compared to Canon 50d. Again, no lab tests, no controlled environment.. but just regular in-house pictures.. and I can see more chroma-noise with Canon 50d pictures. Also, no matter what I tried with the Canon pictures style editor, it was near to impossible to get the ‘punchy’ colors that nikon produces. In all fairness, Canon’s picture style editor is a great idea, and it does help a lot too (see my blog here: http://prashchopra.blogspot.com/2009/01/adding-vividity-to-colors-with-canon.html ). But the limitations are with how we can only select and change 100 discrete/individual colors, and there is no easy way to just plain rotate the color cone for all the possible colors. I decided to return the Canon 50d for these reasons.. plus the fact that it started giving me lens mount errors right out of the box. Come what may, I have re-ordered the D90 kit (I know.. but at least I tried both and found out what I like). I know I will miss the tack sharp live view and the hot-pixel-less sensor from Canon, but I have come to realise that what counts is the ultimate aesthetics of picture-taking, and Nikon D90 gave me that. I caught myself frequently comparing D90’s output pictures with the 50d’s. And no matter what I did, I always spent more time staring at and panning and zooming in the Nikon results. In a way, they ‘called’ me.

I plan to deal with the hot pixels with Adobe Lightroom which automagically maps them out from raw images. Or I will write scripts to map them in batches from both RAW and JPEGs in Capture NX2 (yes.. I found out that Capture NX2 allows you to remap hot pixels even in JPEGS.. so you dont necessarily have to shoot RAWs to avoid the hot pixels. as is the common misconception!).

So if you have read this review so far, please know this: I chose aesthetic pleasure over technical (or specification) superiority.. a personal choice. And if I could change the star rating of this camera, I would now make it 4-1/2. The half points will still be gone for hot-pixels and inferior live view with no exposure simulation.

There. I lived through two great cameras, and embraced one. Its your turn now. Good luck.. and whichever one you choose, make sure you like the end result.. and not just the camera’s specifications or mega pixel count:-)

Rating: 3 / 5

I bought this dSLR after reading a bunch of positive reviews online. Overall I’m extremely satisfied with the purchase. As others have mentioned, it’s not perfect, but it’s probably the best available right now in this price range.

This is my first dSLR and I was impressed with how quickly I was able to jump in and start using it. You can get excellent images right out of the box using the Auto or scene modes. I took it to the USC football game last weekend and was able to get great shots using in Action mode. The images were very sharp, noise free, and because of the 12.3MP resolution, I was able to crop them while still having plenty to work with.

The movie mode is very cool, but the limitations (no autofocus, 5 minute limit for HD) are a bit annoying. It’s definitely not a replacement for an HD camcorder, but it’s good enough for general purpose.

The lens is nice because it’s light and compact, but the 18-200mm lens would be a lot more useful. I’ll probably end up either buying that or the 70-300mm lens so I can get close-up shots.

I’d highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a dSLR in this price range. Even if it’s your first dSLR, you’ll be able to get great shots with it out of the box, and as many users have pointed out, image quality is nearly on par with the more expensive D300. I kept postponing my dSLR purchase because they kept getting better and cheaper, but this one was intriguing enough to make me bite the bullet.
Rating: 5 / 5