Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent camera and still comparable if not better than newer models
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2013
I've owned this thing for 4 years or so now. Nikon has introduced a few models since then, but this thing is still just about perfect for the picture taking I do. Lots of lens choices, tons of features, ergonomics just fit my hands like I designed it for myself. I've looked at the newer stuff, and for the few things they've "improved" on, I still think this was and is the best fit for me. Only reason I could ever see moving it to second camera status is if I ever decide to go full frame. I'd love too, but tough to justify the price when this D90 does such a fine job even with the reduced sensor size.
Here's some points to consider if looking at one of these to buy. Its a 12.3 megapixel camera. Smallish by recent new cameras, but more than enough to print very nice pictures 11x14 or larger in some cases. If you are using it for 4x6, you will have excellent results. The camera does shoot HD video, but it is limited to the 720, it will not shoot 1080. In my experience, autofocus during video shoots leaves something to be desired. The camera, with the kit lens, 18-105, has very decent low light capabilities. Of course, the kit lens is slow, so a faster lens would improve low light capabilities. On a nice bright day, without using flash, the camera pops off 4.5 or 5 frames a second. I have used this camera a lot at the drag strip and have captured lots of great wheelie action using the continuious shooting. My daughter was also a polevaulter, and this feature allowed me to catch lots of great action shots as she went up and over the bar. I used it a few times, indoors, for high school basketball, with the 18-105 lens, it was slow and not so great. With a faster lens, excellent results indoors shooting action shots. The camera itself has lots of choices to select the type and heat range of the lighting you're shooting in, so great results are possible with incandesent, florescent, halogen, sunlight, moonlight, you name it, the camera can shoot in it.
There are quite a few in camera editing functions to correct, um, operator error. LOL. Camera shoots in both color and black and white. There are various settings which allow quit, low grade snapshots, fine picture quality, and up to RAW settings. RAW allows, actually demands, that you have computer capabilities to edit the photos. RAW prints cannot be processed at your local Wal-Mart. The detail possible and editing possible in RAW is unbelievable. Be forewarned tho, RAW eats up lots of storage on your SD cards. There is an option to shoot both fine and RAW at the same time, which allows easy printing of the fine, and the capability to edit and change appearances in the RAW format.
This camera has an internal focusing motor for the autofocus lens'. Nikon 3000 series does not have this feature. What does this mean? Not all lenses will autofocus on a 3000, where practically all autofocus lenses will function on the D90. There is also an auto/manual switch on the camera body which allows you to manually focus any lens attached to the camera if you desire more control than the autofocus feature allows. Speaking of lenses, the mounting design Nikon is using has been around since the late 70s. This means that some really nicely made Nikon lenses that you may have laying around from the 80s or 90s have a really good chance of working great on the D90. In the first part of my review, where I give my personal likings of the camera, I mention its a reduced sensor camera. This sorta works to your benefit. The reduced sensor has a multiplying effect on the lens rating. This is approximately 1.5 times. So, a 100mm lens on a D90 is equivalent to a 150mm lens on a full framed camera. 400mm is equal to 600mm, and so on.
The camera has a nice large screen on the back to select options in the cameras menu. You can also change to live view which allows the screen to function as the eye piece. The screen is stationary, it does not tilt, swivel, flip, etc. Using it in live view also slows down the reaction of the shutter a bit. On top of the camera is a small simple screen that shows many of your settings at a glance. Using the small screen and function buttons you can switch shot quality, ISO, check battery charge, number of shots taken and number remaining on card, F stop, flash, etc.
The camera also has two dials in very well placed positions. A front dial right below the shutter release, and a rear dial behind the shutter release. These dials do quite a few things, such as changing ISO, flash, and using both front and rear dials, you can change F stops and shutter speeds without pushing any other buttons first. So, for those desiring manual operation instead of auto, everything is very easy to change while looking through the eyepiece.
The camera has a pretty decent built in flash and the capability of adding external flash attachments.
In this review, I've only touched on a fraction of this cameras capabilities. I highly recommend this camera if you can get ahold of one new or used.
