HD video

To shoot HD video, it’s first necessary to engage the live view mode; there's no optical-only here. Once the electronic viewfinder is working, the OK button in the center of the multi-controller becomes the shoot/pause button. The video feature invokes image stabilization function that helps to smooth out jitters from the user, but doesn't bring autofocus and therefore requires a near-constant attention to the lens if subjects change their distance. Push the main shutter button, and a still photo will be made at the last instance of recording. Transferring the video to your computer will yield an AVI, which can be edited in most commercially available video editing software.

If the D90 has any sort of major shortcoming, it would be on the video side of the equation. The camera is desperately in need of an audio input jack so that an external microphone can be used when making a video. We think the small mic built into the camera is sometimes too far away from the subject and picks up too much ambient noise to lay down a good audio track outside of very quiet environments. Also, since it scans the picture vertically instead of horizontally -- not unlike a cathode-ray tube TV in some regards -- it causes a "tower of Jell-O" imaging effect in quick panning. Vertical objects appear to lean backwards until the chip has refreshed the image during its 24 frames-per-second cycle, until the frames are able to “catch up” on the next scan. During casual video capture of guitarist Scott Gailor, though, the effect didn't appear even with some substantial movement, suggesting that some users may not actually notice the quirk at all.

When combined, though, the limitations are enough to give one pause before buying it with video as a major focus. For now, Nikon's video mode is most useful for very controlled scenes rather than on-the-move videography. It's also a potential deal-breaker for some users. While it's currently not the wisest course to buy a DSLR solely for video, Canon's admittedly more expensive EOS-5D Mark II can shoot video with autofocusing, and both it as well as the Rebel T1i don't produce the "tower of Jell-O" effect. If casual or experimental video is an important consideration, Nikon does lose its edge.

wrapping up

We were very surprised by the D90’s quality, both in build and image output. It is a camera that, while tailored for the amateur market, in a professional’s hands could continue to bring home a genuine income, day in and out. The camera’s video capabilities are a plus and are definitely the wave of the future, even if it's still in a rough state. We have to remind ourselves that this is only the first generation: it’s a nice bonus to have now, but in a few years, it would make this camera look just as dated as the original, 2.74-megapixel Nikon D1.

And as might be expected, the cautious, evolutionary approach to design and accessories ultimately works in Nikon's favor. The availability of over 50 Nikkor lenses (plus more third-party lenses), Speedlights and other accessories makes for a complete system that can handle almost any photographic situation. We'd be inclined to suggest that virtually any non-professional photographers, and even a few serious pros, can consider the D90 their definitive camera.

by Mark Elias