US $39.99
For the Nikon SLR purists, who have read the Nikon D90 reviews and learned that the latest SLR shoots not only still images, as every Nikon camera before it has, but also HD video, the news must have come as something of a mixed blessing.
On the one hand, the prospect of being able to shoot video with the same device that allows you to capture high-quality photographic images sounds mighty convenient. On the other hand, Nikon has entered a new game and set the course for all future mid to high end Nikon SLR models. The SLR camera has gone the way of the VCR recorder that suddenly found itself also sporting a DVD player unit. One device, now forced to share two technologies.
It is not hard to imagine what might be bothering the Nikon SLR purists. Nikon's engineering department must now divide its time between advances in digital photography, and the development of a video technology which extends its maximum recording duration with each new model. The Nikon D90 shares a lot of its digital photography technology with the higher end model detailed in Nikon D300 reviews - the same 12.3 megapixel sharpness, and the huge and bright 3.0-inch LCD viewscreen that formerly had Nikon lovers drooling.
Now Nikon's customer base can acquire the best parts of the Nikon D300 for a much lower price. And they get high-definition video. But that begs an obvious question. How much less expensive might the Nikon D90 have been had the videoing capability been left out of the design? I guess I must be one of those nikon purists I mentioned earlier because I'd gladly give up high-definition video in exchange for a more affordable camera.
I am sure I am not the only Nikon lover to wonder about this, especially since the video capability of the Nikon D90 has earned itself some serious criticism. Mainly this stems from two problems seen in the D90. The first concerns the fact that auto focusing shuts off in video mode. So you can expect blurred portions of your video shoots if your subjects are moving around a lot. Unless, of course, you happen to be very adept at manual focusing - a skill that is called for less and less these days. The second problem is that you cannot use the Nikon D90's viewfinder in video mode. It blacks out. Instead you must use the LCD screen to compose your shooting. All five to twenty minutes (in low resolution mode) of it.
But this does not mean you can't use the Nikon D90 to capture fantastic video sessions of you kids playing soccer, or capture memorable dialogues with family members. You just have to understand the current limits of the technology. You will, however, have to stock up on the high-capacity memory cards if you plan to get busy capturing video. You will require at least an 8-GB SD card to avoid quickly running out of memory.
And don't forget that compared to the inexpensive Nikon D40, and even the slightly cheaper model discussed in Nikon D60 reviews, with its image-stabilizing 18-55mm Nikkor kit lens, the Nikon D90 is a huge step up. Not just in the performance of the camera body, but also in the optics. The kit lens for the Nikon D90 is the image-stabilizing 18-105mm Nikkor, which means you can shoot wide-angle to short-range telephoto and achieve some of the sharpest photos that you can imagine.
In summary, the Nikon D90 is a superb digital SLR which tosses in a bonus in the form of high-definition video for those who would like to try their hand at mini movie making sessions.
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