It’s that time of year again. Time to push out one year and bring in another. And on this, the last day of 2008, I offer up the nominees for dSLR Dad Camera of the Year 2008 (listed in chronological order): (more…)
The image quality is steady as a rock. Excellent color reproduction and superb dynamic range combined with Nikon’s 3D Matrix metering ensure an outstanding DSLR. Nikon shows to be able to swiftly integrate innovations coming from the professional DSLR in the amateur market, making this segment also stand out from the crowd. The D90 is definitely worth its money and well worth stepping over to from the D80. Although the Nikon D90 is not completely perfect, it offers good value for money. A superb DSLR camera
Nikon has the latest NEF RAW Codec, version 1.5, available here for download. This codec is for Windows only (XP and Vista) and supports NEF (RAW) images captured with the recently released Nikon D90 dSLR Camera. After installing this Codec, you will be able to easily view and work with Nikon’s NEF RAW images as you do JPEGs.
Almost exactly two years after the D80 was announced comes its replacement, the rather predictably named D90. The D80 has been one of Nikon’s quiet successes, and even today, despite being positively Methuselah-like in digital camera terms it continues to sell and often makes its way into our top 10 most clicked on cameras. Because it looks so similar to the D80 the D90 appears at first glance to be one of those rather subdued incremental upgrades, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find there’s plenty to keep Nikon fans happy.
This is clearly a first generation product. Nikon saw an opportunity to add video capability to the DSLR and did so in a simple manner with little intention of creating a new type of hybrid camera. The D90 is a stills camera (and a very good one) at a very reasonable price, that happens to also shoot moderate quality video.
There’s little doubt that stills / video convergence is on the way. The Nikon D90 though is simply a harbinger, and shouldn’t be seen as much more than that. As discussed above, while it is no replacement for a camcorder (even a consumer grade one), in the hands of Indy film makers it will likely turn out to be a productive tool, filling in when shallow DOF or special lens use is required.
Popular Photography Magazine has published their review of the Nikon D90 dSLR Camera:
Borrowing its 12.3MP APS-C sized CMOS sensor from the higherend D300, the D90 is the fourth successive 12MP Nikon DSLR. Clearly, the company has eased off the megapixel race, instead focusing on other areas of image quality, such as low noise at high ISOs and convenient features. And the results are impressive. In our lab tests, the D90 scored Excellent in overall image quality right up through ISO 3200….
Given the announcements and release of still cameras from “others” that now shoot video, RED is excited to enter this game. From our vantage point, it is a lot easier to enter the still market from a motion background than visa-versa. The biggest issue that needs to be solved by the still capture group is skew… slow read-reset of CMOS imagers. This “typical” CMOS issue shows itself by moving the camera during motion capture. It is seen as “jelly movement”. Red has overcome this issue with a rapid read-reset CMOS sensor program. The Monstro Mysterium sensor is the fastest read-reset CMOS known to man enjoying the same motion characteristics as a film camera.
The World’s First Digital SLR that Shoots High Definition Video
Yes you read that correctly. The new Nikon D90 digital SLR Camera is the world’s first dSLR to also shoot video. With the ability to record up to 5 minutes of High Definition 720p, 24 frames-per-second, mono-sound video, the Nikon D90 is definitely a game changer.
True, the 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, expanded ISO range, and Live View shooting is nice, but it’s the HD video that really makes a dSLR Dad eager to use this camera. The Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera will be available in two versions this September.
Nikon hopes to hammer that point with the release of its latest digital single-lens reflex camera, the D90, expected in stores next month for $1,299 with a lens. Nikon is billing the D90 as the first SLR with video capability…
……”The big plus is that you can now shoot video with a great lens,” says Steve Heiner, Nikon’s senior technical manager.