Digital Trends

Nikon D90 October 16th, 2008 | by David Elrich

Features and Design

I received the D90 in kit form with its 18-105mm VR lens. Clicking it into position with the supplied lens hood on, the camera looks and feels solid with a substantial grip. The body with battery tips the scales at 25.2 ounces; add the lens and it’s 41. As we always say, carrying a D-SLR around is a commitment but the payoff in picture quality and speed is well worth it.

The front looks like practically ever other Nikon D-SLR with a large logo on the flash cover, D90 nomenclature on the right and the whimsical red accent on the grip. The camera has a Nikon F bayonet mount and all functions work with AF Nikkor lenses. It’ll handle other Nikon lenses but some of the features may not work automatically. The Nikon site has all the details. Since this camera has an APS-C sensor (Nikon calls it the DX format) there’s a digital or crop factor of 1.5x when you attach the lens. So that supplied 18-105mm is actually 27-157.7mm in 35mm terms. Nikon has tons of optional glass but this is a good starter range with a nice wide angle for landscapes and decent telephoto. Play with it before hitting the credit card limit.

On the front you’ll also see the lens release button with the AF/Manual lens switch, BKT (bracket), flash/flash compensation keys on the right side of the lens mount. The three pinhole mic is here too. There’s an AF Assist/self-timer lamp near the grip with the FN (function) and depth-of-field preview button below it. On the grip is a jog wheel for making menu adjustments.

The top of the camera has something that immediately separates it from the entry-level—an LCD readout so you can quickly see your settings. It’s much easier looking down than bringing the camera to your face and checking the LCD screen on the back. If you’re shooting in low light, just flick the on/off ring around the shutter button and it’ll light up, a nice little touch. 

To the right of the display are a variety of buttons. AF lets you adjust the type of auto focus (for still or moving subjects), Release is for single, burst or remote control shooting, Exposure Compensation lets you do that and Metering gives you options for Color Matrix, center weighted or spot. There’s a hot shoe in the center and a mode dial on the far left. The dial has the usual settings: Auto, Program AE, Manual, Shutter/Aperture Priority, Flash Off and a variety of scene modes—Portrait, Macro, Sports and so on.

The rear is dominated by a large 3-inch LCD rated 921K pixels, about the best you’ll see in 2008. This is a major step up from the 10MP D80 with its 2.5-inch display. Nikon supplies a plastic cover for the screen to prevent scratches and you can use a handy sleeve to wipe off finger prints without worrying. This screen shows the very intelligently designed menu system. I hadn’t tested a Nikon D-SLR for some time and the difference between displays was dramatic. Well done, guys. Directly above the screen is a viewfinder surrounded by a rubber eyecup. The viewfinder has 96% coverage and a diopter control for fine tuning to your eyesight. 

For the most part, the controls surrounding the LCD are typical of any D-SLR. On the left are Delete, Playback, Menu, White Balance and ISO. A Quality button lets you adjust image size by turning the jog wheel on the back. On the right are AE-L/AF-L (exposure and focus lock), Lv for Live View and the D-Movie mode, a four-way controller with center OK button, a focus selector lock and an Info button to quickly check your settings.

On the grip side, you’ll find the SD/SDHC card slot and a very tiny speaker. The left has a variety of inputs/outputs under a surprisingly flimsy door—DC-in, USB, mini HDMI and A/V out as well as an accessory terminal in a separate smaller compartment. This door has GPS on it so if you buy the optional GP-1 (due November, price TBA), you can record the latitude, longitude, altitude and so on so you’ll know exactly where you took your shot. The GPS fits into the hot shoe. On then bottom of the camera is the battery compartment and metal tripod. 

What’s In The Box

If you opt for $999 USD body only version, the D90 is packaged with a rechargeable Li-ion battery, quick charger, eyepiece cap, rubber eyecup, USB and A/V cables (no HDMI), strap, LCD monitor cover, body cap, accessory shoe cover and software CD-ROM with Nikon Transfer and ViewNX for handling images. There’s also a 56-page pocket Quick Guide for carrying around and a huge 280-page printed Owner’s Manual for your desk. As a $1,299 USD kit you’ll also get the 18-105mm VR (Vibration Reduction) lens. Since this camera is in pretty high demand, don’t expect huge discounts. We saw it for around $50 off with free shipping from a reputable online source.

Once the battery was charged and a 4 gig Class 4 SDHC card loaded, it was time to capture images and HD video.

Image Courtesy of Nikon