Nikon announces D90 with video capabilities.
Following on Canon's news of its 50D, Nikon has announced the launch of its D90, destined to replace the D80.
A day after the announcement of Canon’s EOS 50D designed to compete directly with Nikon’s D80 digital SLR, the Japanese firm has revealed details of its updated model – the D90, which features, for the first time in this market segment, a video mode.
The new model, which will retail at the end of September, sees Nikon take the lead with the introduction of a new feature not available in similar models from its competitors. While Nikon UK admitted that the firm will gauge interest from professional photographers before expanding the feature to more professional cameras, the D90 is expected to gain greater interest from enthusiast photographers.
The 12.3 million pixel resolution DSLR features a newly-designed DX-format CMOS sensor, which coupled with Nikon’s Expeed image processing system provides a higher ISO sensitivity that ranges from 200 to 3200 (expandable to an ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 on Lo1).
The Expeed technology also allow for better performances in Live View mode and with the newly-introduced Face Detection System, inherited from Nikon’s Coolpix point-and-shoot cameras.
The D90 also shares some of the Nikon’s D3 and D300 flagship cameras’ features, such as the Scene Recognition System that uses a 420-pixel RGB sensor to analyse scene and colour information of the subject photographed. Based on these readings, the camera optimises its focus, exposure and white balance just before the shutter is released. In addition, in the camera’s 11-point AutoFocus mode, it uses the subject’s colour information to maintain a sharp focus as the subject moves in the frame.
But maybe the D90’s most surprising feature is the introduction of video capabilities. Claimed to be the first mid-class DSLR to offer a movie function, the D90 can record up to five minutes of high definition 720p, and an additional 15 minutes in other modes. The video mode is compatible with Nikkor’s range of lenses from fisheye to telephoto glasses. The D90 can also record sounds in mono.
The camera also features a three-inch LCD screen with 170° viewing angle. Autofocus can be controlled in Live View mode with three options available – face priority, wide area and normal area.
The D90 will retail at £700 (body only) and £850 with the new 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens. For more details, visit
www.nikon.co.uk.