Nikon D90 DSLR Camera Review

If you haven't heard already, the Nikon D90 is the world's first digital SLR capable of recording video—which is why we're reviewing it on Camcorderinfo.com. The video feature has grabbed a lot of attention in the gadget world simply because it represents an innovation in the industry. It has excited videographers and enthusiasts yearning for the ability to change lenses and adjust every last setting.

Unfortunately, the D90 suffers from first generation syndrome, and runs into all sorts of problems when recording video. Manual controls are peculiar or unusable, auto focus is non-existent, and its 1280 x 720 maximum picture quality just doesn't cut it when compared to a dedicated HD camcorder. Recording videos for extended intervals also caused the D90 to run into overheating issues—prompting a swift shutdown of video mode. With Canon releasing the EOS 5D Mark II (a DSLR that records full 1920 x 1080 video) right on the its heels, it might not be long before the D90 is just another digital camera with an unsatisfactory video performance. The D90 retails for $999.95 (body only), or for $1299.95 if purchased with a new, Nikkor 18-105mm ED lens.

We'll be focusing most of our review on the camera's video features (also called D-Movie mode). If you want detailed information about how the Nikon D90 performs as a digital still camera, check out the review at our sister site—Digitalcamerainfo.com.

The Front (5.25)
The body of the Nikon D90 really doesn't look any different than that of a traditional digital SLR camera. Its design and function is suited towards photography; D-Movie mode is really more of an afterthought. There's really nothing on the body of the D90 that shouts out, "I can record video!"

The front of the D90 shows off its most prominent feature—the lens mount. Being an SLR, the camera gives the option of changing between a large variety of lenses. This is probably the single most intriguing feature the D90 has to offer as a video recording device, mainly because very few camcorders in this price range have this feature. Those that do are expensive, high-end, prosumer, and professional products, making the D90 a low budget option in comparison.

Depending on what lens you have attached, the appearance, weight, and dimensions of the D90 will be drastically altered. We did all our testing with the kit lens—the AF-S Nikkor 18-105mm ED with Vibration Reduction. Lenses connect to the mount by lining up the matching white dots and giving the lens a slight counterclockwise twist to lock it in place. On the body of the camera, around the lens mount, are three buttons: to the right is the lens release, at the bottom left is the depth of field preview button, and the upper left is a programmable Fn button (which allows you to choose the button's function).

The left portion of the front is made up of a rounded, protruding grip—where your right hand will be doing most of the work holding up the camera. At the top of this grip is the power switch which wraps around the shutter button. Just below is a ribbed adjustment dial and to the right is the autofocus illuminator. Most of the front, especially the portions where your hands will be doing a lot of gripping, is coated in a textured material that makes the camera less slippery.

The front of the Nikon D90 (without lens)

The Right Side (4.5)
The D90's right side is mostly bare, with the textured material found on the front also coating much of this side. At the top is a metal hook for attaching a camera strap (the camera does come with one and you'll need it). Taking up a good portion of the right side is a port cover that slides open to reveal the SD/SDHC card slot. The sliding door has a spring hinge and an overall solid construction. Underneath the port is a small, collection of dots in a circle—the underwhelming built-in speaker that delivers sound during video playback.

The right side of the Nikon D90 is mostly used for gripping.

The Back (7.5)
The back of the D90 has a lot going on. Taking up over half of this side is the large, 3-inch, 920,000 pixel LCD screen, which is the same LCD featured on Nikon's D3 and D700 models. A provided plastic monitor cover keeps the screen safe from scratches and smudges—a feature that is popular amongst some digital SLRs, but not available on traditional camcorders. Engaging the LCD is simple, just press the LV button to the right of the screen and the camera goes into "live view" mode. In this mode, the camera's viewfinder is disengaged and the LCD becomes your guide for capturing images. Live view mode is very important to us, as it must be enabled for the D90 to record video.

Above the LCD, surrounded by a rubber eye-piece, is the camera's viewfinder. To the right is the diopter adjustment dial, which can be used to set the focus of the viewfinder.

The right part of the back side, the area where your thumb rests, has more of the textured coating that gives the camera extra gripping ability.

The rest of the back of the D90 is an assortment of buttons, switches, and dials. On the upper left, next to the viewfinder, is the delete/format button. If pressed alone, this button will delete clips or images while in playback mode. Pressing the delete button in conjunction with the metering button on the top of the camera (also sub-labeled with format), erases and formats the camera's memory card.

To the left of the LCD are a column of five buttons: Playback, Menu, WB, ISO, and Qual. Pressing Playback brings up your clips and images on the LCD for viewing purposes. The Menu button accesses all the D90's main menu settings. The WB button (also labeled with a question mark and a key) has a variety of functions—it allows you to adjust white balance during shooting, provides info on menu items, and can lock images and clips during playback.

The ISO button allows you to adjust ISO settings during shooting. In playback mode, pressing this button controls how many thumbnails are displayed on the screen. The Qual button lets you adjust image quality while shooting. These last two buttons function differently while in live view mode—letting you zoom in and out on an image to assist with fine focusing.

To the right of the viewfinder is the Auto Exposure/Autofocus Lock, which allows you to lock the camera's settings at a certain level, even if you move the camera into different light. At the far right, near the top of the camera is another control dial. Making their way down the right side of the LCD are the LV (live view) button, a directional pad with an OK button at center, the focus selector lock (allows you to move the focus point of the camera around), and the info button (which brings up detailed information about the camera's settings).

The problem is, many of these functions either don't work at all, or have a very quirky relationship with the D90's video mode.

The back of the D90 is loaded with buttons.

The Left Side (5.0)
A large port covering takes up the bulk of the left side of the D90's body. The cover houses the DC input, USB, HDMI, and AV output. Underneath is a small, separate covers a GPS connector that also doubles as a remote control port. Both port coverings are made of the same textured material found on the areas you grip the camera. The covers are solid yet flexible and provide an excellent seal.

There are a few buttons on the far edge of the left side, right next to the lens mount. At the top is the flash release button, which pops up the internal flash when pushed. Underneath is the BKT button that adjusts flash bracketing and exposure. Next is a bump where the lens release button sticks out in the front, and at the bottom is a switch for turning off the autofocus feature.

On the left side of the kit lens, you'll also find two switches: a separate auto/manual focus button, and a vibration reduction (VR) on/off switch.

The left side of the D90

The Top (7.0)
The top is another area where many controls call home. The round mode dial on the left allows you to switch between various shooting modes—auto, no flash, portrait, landscape, close-up, action, nighttime, manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and program modes. Just to the right of the dial is where the camera's internal flash lives (it pops up when you press the flash button, or if the camera detects a low light scene in auto mode), as well as the hot accessory shoe. Further to the right is a display box that lists shooting information and settings. Above and to the right of the display box are a number of buttons: metering button, exposure control, release command, and auto focus control button. Further above the information box, at the very front tip of the camera's right-sided grip is the on/off switch and shutter button. Flicking the on/off switch all the way to the right illuminates the information box with a greenish light.

The top of the D90

The Bottom
The battery slot is in the bottom of the D90, inside the base of the large grip on the camera's right side. Also located on the bottom is the camera's tripod mount.

The bottom of the D90