![Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Lens [Outfit] + 4GB Card + EN-EL3e Battery + Case + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cNwnILefL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
I am far from a professional photographer, but I take it as seriously as possible while still referring to it as a hobby. I take mostly pictures of people at events and many of my baby son without flash in low light situations.
I had been using a Nikon D40x for 1 year and very early reached my limitation with that camera. The Nikon D40x has very nice image quality, but the camera’s interface is not suited for a more serious shooter who wants quick single button or dial access to such shooting parameters such as white balance, shooting mode, metering mode, etc. I also felt very limited by the D40x not having an in-body focus motor that would allow me to use non AF-I/AF-S lenses (which are lenses without the focus motor built-in).
The Nikon D40x limitations were severe enough that I was about to consider purchasing a Canon 40D until the Nikon D90 appeared just in time.
PROS:
1. Fantastic set of separate buttons on the camera to control parameters like ISO, white balance, metering, autofocus, image quality, shooting mode, etc.
2. Two command dials
3. High resolution 920K pixel LCD screen (like the one on the Nikon D300)
4. 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor
5. Low noise high ISO capability (for low light shooting) I can shoot ISO 1600 with good image quality with this camera, while on my D40x I could only shoot with ISO 400 and obtain acceptable IQ.I will even use ISO 3200 frequently with very usable results!
6. Separate top-viewing LCD screen in addition to the rear high res screen, to show shooting parameters constantly
7. In-body focus motor which allows the use of Nikon’s non AF-I/S lenses, including wonderful and CHEAP prime lenses such as the Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (~$100 lens!)
8. Continuous shooting of 4.5 frames per second
9. Small size, although larger than the D40/D40x/D60, it is still substantially smaller in the hand than the D300/D3
10. 720p 24fps MPEG video shooting capability with incredible ability to use depth of field that I cannot achieve with my Sony High-Def camcorder.
11. Eleven auto-focus points (not as nice as the 51 points on the D300, but substantially better than my D40x with its 3 points)
12. GPS option
13. HDMI output
14. Enormous number of options to customize camera and shooting settings to fit your style of shooting
15. Fantastic image quality right out-of-box if you don’t want to do any post processing
16. Terrific build quality
17. Top notch camera ergonomics (but this will be a very personal opinion that differs for each shooter)
CONS:
1. “Rolling shutter” phenomenon while recording video: The D90 CMOS sensor has the same problem that other CMOS video recorders have when recording video. If you move the camera, especially horizontally, you get a “jelly” or “rubberbanding” effect where the image wobbles significantly. It is nice to have the video features, which looks very sharp at 720p, but it is NOT a substitute for a video camera. If you use a tripod, and do not do quick zooms/pans, the video quality is excellent. Without a tripod, however, you may get nauseas watching a wobbly video. The sound is also in monoaural.
2. 1/200 flash synch: Not a problem for me, but it might be for you.
3. No weather sealing: This is found on the Nikon D300/D3 and even on similarly priced models from other camera companies
4. The buffer will fill up after about 8 continuous RAW + JPG (FINE) shots.This number differs depending on the shooting parameters that you will choose.If you shoot primarily JPG, the buffer seems to allow a very large number of continuous shots, but I have not quantified this for JPG only.
TIPS:
1. Get the FREE Nikon ViewNX software from Nikon’s site as your 1st step in your workflow. This will let you examine your RAW images that you can process for either Nikon CaptureNX2 to do further RAW processing or just export to JPG for a JPG editor such as PhotoShop.
2. Recommend buying the Nikon CaptureNX2. It is a RAW converter (if you shoot in RAW) that will read the camera settings properly for export to JPG. Capture NX2, however, is not as slick as the Adobe products and Capture NX2 requires a fairly powerful computer, otherwise it can run pretty slowly on a PC > 3 years old.
3. If you use JPEGs out-of-camera, consider increasing the sharpness above the default 3 or 4.Nikon uses a very conservative sharpening default setting.Nikon has decided to change the default JPEG images to match the higher end D3/D700/D300 cameras which produce more neutral images. Consequently, the D90 images that are less punchy than the D40/D40x/D60/D80, so you may also want to turn up the in-camera saturation and contrast.
The Nikon D90 has all of the interface features that serious and even professional photographers need with wonderful image quality.
Product Description
Kit Includes:
♦ 1) Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera Body
♦ 2) Nikon 18-105mm AF-S DX f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Nikkor Lens [Outfit]
♦ 3) Transcend 4GB HC SecureDigital Class 6 (SDHC) Card
♦ 4) Precision Design USB 2.0 High Speed SecureDigital (SD/SDHC) Card Reader
♦ 5) Nikon EN-EL3e Li-Ion Battery Pack
♦ 6) Nikon SLR System Case
♦ 7) Image Recall Digital Image Recovery Software
♦ 
Precision Design Memory Card Storage Wallet
♦ 9) Precision Design Deluxe 6-Piece Lens & Digital SLR Camera Cleaning Kit
The Nikon D90 SLR Digital Camera, with its 12.3-megapixel DX-format CCD, 3″ High resolution LCD display, Scene Recognition System, Picture Control, Active D-Lighting, and one-button Live View, provides photo enthusiasts with the image quality and performance they need to pursue their own vision while still being intuitive enough for use as an everyday camera. Nikon’s EXPEED image processing engine delivers outstanding images featuring fine details, smooth tones, rich colors and low noise across a wide ISO sensitivity range. The D-Movie mode records 720p HD movie clips. Nikon’s Scene Recognition System advances precision in auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance in diverse shooting situations. The Live View mode allows for users to frame their images on the large 3″ high resolution color LCD – providing for easy image framing, even when shooting at odd angles.
The Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm VR lens features built-in Vibration Reduction II system providing equivalent shutter speeds 3 steps faster than standard lenses. It also has one ED glass element and one aspherical lens element, optimized for use with DX-format SLRs. The VR system & ED glass allow you to make highly-resolved, crisp images with minimal chromatic aberration. Lastly, the lens’ ultra-compact Silent Wave Motor allows for blazingly quick, silent autofocus.
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I recently purchased the Nikon D90 and an 18mm – 200mm lens, it’s a wonderful set-up.I purchased the instructional DVD to learn the subtleties of using the camera as I am not much of a manual reader, I’m a doer…Great Camera, great images & the battery seems to last forever.
