Review of the Nikon d90.

I have used several Nikon D90 cameras at various times. In whatever conditions they were not: I constantly carried cameras with me in hikes, reinstalled lenses millions of times, in the rain, in the cold and on hot days - but the cameras worked like clockwork. Of course, I understand that good copies of Nikon D90 may have come across, but still, many years of trouble-free operation and mileage of over 130.000 (one hundred thirty thousand) of one copy and over 250.000 (a quarter of a million) of the second copy only gives rise to positive reviews.

Review of the Nikon D90. View of the camera itself.

Review of the Nikon D90. View of the camera itself.

To fully understand and understand the camera, you just need read the instructionsIt’s long and boring, but I don’t see another way. The quality of the pictures very much depends on the lens and the methodology of your shooting, as well as image control mode, therefore, to say that the camera shoots better or worse is blasphemy, we can only talk about its ergonomics, technical characteristics and direct work experience. Always remember that important how to take pictures, but not by what means.

Sample photos on Nikon D90

Sample photos on Nikon D90

And so, the camera belongs to the class of digital mirrors mid-range cameras... The Nikon D90 is often said to be an advanced amateur camera. Therefore, please note that this is not a professional camera, as they often write on the Internet (especially in online stores), professional cameras - is D300(s) D200, D700, D3(x, s), D4, D800(E) - therefore, you need to understand that the device is more aimed at amateurs than at professionals. The main feature of the camera is that the set of functions allows you to use the Nikon D90 just as well as professional technology, but with some limitations.

Sample photo on Nikon D90

Sample photo on Nikon D90

The main parameters of Nikon D90, which are worth paying attention to
1. Live view
2. HD video 1280 * 720 24k \ s
3MP CMOS sensor
4. Aluminum-magnesium case with a bunch of buttons
5. Built-in autofocus drive
6. Additional screen
7. 4.5 frames \ second
8. Flash operating in Comand mode and FP mode
9. Lithium-ion battery
10. Matrix cleaning system
11. Bracketing exposure

Example photo on Nikon D90

Example photo on Nikon D90

Now let's go through each item from a practical point of view.

1. Live View. Under live view it means “Live View” and in Nikon D90 it is quite a strong point.
First: made for the D90 very large screen (920.000 points - the same as in professional D3, D700) from which you can not tear yourself away. He even knows how to show slide shows to music!
Secondly: very convenient button to switch to live view - just clicked and the incomprehensible digital SLR turned into an ordinary soap box (useful for people who just switched to SLR cameras and just can't figure out what to see through the viewfinder).
Third: this mode allows clearly control focus at any point in your frame. Let’s take a closer look - when sighting you can select any area in the frame with the joystick and zoom it in on a scale of 1 to 1 - that is, select any point for focusing. This mode is indispensable when working with manual (non-autofocus lenses) and a tripod.
True, it takes time to get used to the work of the mirror, which adds unnecessary sounds and clinks when working. The mirror and shutter clicks when Live View is enabled, and when shooting, they click twice. It may seem that the camera is taking extra frames. A huge disadvantage of this mode is that autofocus works very, very slowly, and in video mode it does not work at all.

Photo on Nikon D90

Photo on Nikon D90

2.HD video 1280 * 720 24k \ s without autofocus - absolutely unnecessary thing for a photographer
Why not necessary - because who will watch the video without autofocus? Okay, you can still take photos somehow in manual focus mode, but video with manual focus, when the scene changes at the speed of light, is a very difficult task. I recommend shooting video only with a tripod. A couple of times I shot a video with my hands - you can shoot, but again, it's very, very difficult. One more camera - Nikon D5000 - has video without autofocus.
The video itself is quite solid, in Motion JPEG format - which means that it “weighs” a lot. I advise you to immediately distill it into any of the popular formats after shooting - save a lot of disk space. Also, I advise you to block the exposure when shooting a video so that there are no tonal differences when changing the composition in the frame. Another serious problem with video is limiting the duration of the clip in 1280*720 up to 5 minutes. On the one hand, 5 minutes is quite enough to create short video selections, but I had to film my friend's performance once, and the 5 minute limit made the process very difficult. Also, after several 5-minute clips, the camera starts shooting clips up to 30 seconds long and turns off automatically, most likely due to the sensor overheating. The Nikon D90 is the first camera from Nikon with the ability to shoot video, so you shouldn't ask more of it. If you need a Nikon camera that shoots videos well and has automatic focus, then I advise you to look at the model Nikon D3100, Nikon D5100 и Nikon D7000.

Photo on Nikon D90

Photo on the Nikon D90. At high ISO.

3MP CMOS - just right
Why more? The more pixels - the higher the density and there may be more noise, due to the fact that the matrix cell is smaller and smaller - which means that it can catch less light. I advise you to read my article Battle of Megapixels.
The matrix is ​​excellent. Of course, I already see noise at ISO 400, but at ISO 1600 they are still quite tolerant.
A very important point I noticed when working at high ISO, that the noise increases sharply after ISO 2500, that is, at ISO 2500 you can still squeeze something out, but then the quality of the photo drops dramatically. I recommend shooting at the proven ISO 200 and not raising ISO above 1600. ISO LO-1 (100) should be enabled only on a bright day, when you need to get some kind of portrait with an open aperture in order to keep within the shutter speed of 1 / 4000s. The values ​​of ISO Hi1, Hi0.3, Hi0.7 are a kind of software wrapping of ISO, at such values ​​it is practically impossible to get a low-noise picture.

Sample photo on Nikon D90

Sample photo on Nikon D90

4. Aluminum-magnesium housing (part)
In the introduction, I wrote that I constantly use, drag, ride with this camera and it feels quite adequately. Aluminum-magnesium alloy (although I did not find such information on the manufacturer’s website, but by weight, it’s not plastic) and one rubber insert, make the camera very practical, well-knocked down and provide excellent weight balance with different lenses. Perhaps for little hands it will be a little bit wrong, but for the serious hand of the photographer it’s just lovely.
On the body is a whole bunch of buttons. In the camera - the more the better. You can get quick access to all the basic functions and not scroll through the huge menu. I configured the programmable button to change the type of focus.

Wildlife Photo on Nikon D90

Wildlife Photo on Nikon D90

5. Built-in autofocus drive
A panacea for saving money and a panacea for professionals. The Nikon D90 camera has a built-in auto focus motor (screwdriver) for working with lenses marked AF. This allows you to use optics without a built-in focusing system (which means that you can use any autofocus lenses). Usually such optics are cheaper, for example, you can buy Nikon 50mm F1.8D AF for only $ 150 and feel like a real professional. Also, a huge portion of professional optics simply go without an auto focus motor. For example, there is simply no analogue for the Nikkor 135 DC with a built-in autofocus motor. More details about the compatibility of Nikon lenses in my article - Lens difference.

Photo on Nikon D90

Photo on Nikon D90

6. Optional monochronous screen.
Recently I read on the Internet that the small monochrome display on the D90 is archaism, I was very surprised by this. In fact, it is not, the additional display is very good ergonomics and saves time, battery power, unnecessary movements. Let me explain - the display is always on top and you do not need to turn the camera upside down to look at the main display, secondly, it has a very high contrast in the sun (everything is visible), thirdly, it does not consume the battery (even the backlight mode of the additional screen uses a lot less charge than the main display). In general, the camera looks even more impressive with him. By the way - the backlight mode is turned on by turning the camera switch to the right. He himself then returns to its original position. Below is one of the most serious disadvantages associated with this lever.

Photo on Nikon D90

Photo on Nikon D90

7 - 4.5 frames / second
Someone can say, they say, stamps from Kenon are shot at 10 frames per second, the same D3 shoots 8 frames per second, but what can I say, D300 with a battery pack squeezes 8 frames per second. And now the question is - why do you need it? Burst shooting is very rare. 3 frames per second is already quite enough, the rest is only for specific tasks. Therefore, almost 5 frames per second is a pretty strong point. Conduct an experiment - at what speed can you press the camera button in the frame shooting mode? The same 5 times plus or minus will come out. In any case, the Nikon D90 has a higher rate of fire than the new, very expensive professional Nikon D800which can shoot at speeds up to 4 fps.

Sample photo on Nikon D90

Sample photo on Nikon D90

8. Comand mode flash and FP support
Classics from Nikon. No need to buy expensive flash units or synchronizers - just go to the bracketing \ flash menu and select flash control mode C. Set the channel and group and control external flash units, such as SB-600, SB-700, SB-900, SB-800 и SB-910. Also do not forget that you can configure the built-in flash so that it gives only commands and does not take part in the shooting itself.
Then the most interesting - quick sync mode... With external flashes, you can set any shutter speed, up to 1/4000. Those who have not encountered such a problem will not understand; who knows, they will be glad. Few cameras support this mode. Why you need this, you can find, for example, in my article - 'flash in the afternoon '.

Sample photo on Nikon D90

Sample photo on Nikon D90

9. Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e
Great armor-piercing battery. Also suitable for D700, D200, D300(s) etc. Withstands flash without over 2000 frames. The instructions say that it can provide work for 1200 shots, a third made with the flash - somewhere it is. The number of shots is greatly affected by the type of lens (e.g. VR mode), delay modes of the main display, etc.

Sample photo on Nikon D90

Sample photo on Nikon D90

10. Matrix cleaning system
A very useful thing. I recommend setting the cleaning when you turn off the camera, because when you turn it on, you often need to take pictures right away, and when you turn it off, let it clean for yourself. I advise you about cleaning the matrix read here.

Sample photo on Nikon D90

Sample photo on Nikon D90

11. Bracketing exposure
Bracketing allows you to shoot without fear for the correct exposure. True, this requires additional time, battery wear and fast filling of the memory card. It is under bracketing 4.5 frames per second are useful. I recommend not much use bracketing, it’s better to adjust the camera (especially the amendment exposure) and make one frame in RAW, and then, if anything, hold it out programmatically rather than slam the shutter on expo.

Nature photo on Nikon D90

Nature photo on Nikon D90

I would like to note a number of huge advantages: wA wide range of functions to improve the picture - noise reduction functions, D-lighting etc.

Nikon D90 photo

Nikon D90 photo

The disadvantages of the Nikon D90:
The strongest minus when working with the camera, I consider a strong return of the shutdown lever - that is, when you turn on the backlight of the additional screen, the lever moves back to the “ON” position, but its inertia is very strong and it goes further and turns off the camera (to the “OFF” position), therefore, you need to smoothly remove your finger after turning on the backlight of the additional screen. Very unpleasant stories are associated with this glitch, when at night, at important moments, the camera simply went out after setting the settings on the external display. Also, this switch is pretty loose, but it still works stably.

Also, after active work for a year, the rubber band, which is located to the right of the display, fell off, it expanded slightly and peeled off. I noticed that the rubber band covers the activity indicator of the memory card, that is, there is a fear of pushing the indicator deep into the camera and damaging it. The disease was treated by cutting off excess rubber and superglue. D90 got this disease from D200 and from D80. But, of course, I use my D90 camera a lot.

Exposure in 1/4000 second - if you haven’t understood yet, then when shooting with fast lenses starting with aperture of F / 1.8 and lower, you will miss the shutter speed, even at the lowest ISO.

Metering (exposure meter) does not work with non-chip lenses. It would be nothing, but this is just the camera and inferior to professional ones, such as D200 and older, almost any lens can be attached to them and the camera will operate in semi-automatic aperture priority mode or in good old manual mode. This really limits the operation of the camera with completely manual (without processor contacts) lenses, for example, Soviet ones - and you have to completely set all the settings “by eye”. Personally, I would very much like this function, since I am a fan of photographing with Soviet (and post-Soviet) optics.

Photo on Nikon D90

Photo on Nikon D90

For 3d tracking focus, there are not enough points (focus areas), and indeed, not enough focus points for such a solid camera.

No one wants depth of field view button imaged space. I use it very rarely, for example, in macro photography, but usually in 99% it is not needed. A funny thing that I advise you to check is to raise the flash and press the depth of field button (it’s located below, under the lens mount) and you will see that for a couple of seconds the flash works as a flashlight (using the strobe effect)

I consider one more unnecessary button \ property focus point lock button. It was useful to me only a couple of times, when I very strongly brought the camera to my face and accidentally pressed the joystick, thereby changing the focus point, in other cases, the point retains its position. It would be better instead of it to set the lever for changing the metering (as in older models), and so you have to press the top button near the external display and turn one of the selectors.

Photo at Nikon D90

Photo at Nikon D90

Brief comparison with Nikon D80:

D90 is a descendant Nikon D80, which has an increased rate of fire, a different type of sensor (CMOS VS CCD), a central multi selector button is added, there is a Live View function and the ability to record video, and the display is also enlarged. Battery, menu navigation, ergonomics and other important functions remained the same. If you Nikon D80 I do not recommend upgrading the Nikon D90, as the main functions of the cameras are the same.

A brief comparison of Nikon 90 with D300, D300s:

D300, D300s Are professional cameras from Nikon, and the amateur D90 cannot compete with them. IN D300, D300s stronger body excerpt up to 1/8000, a professional camera control interface, high rate of fire and the ability to work with manual lenses, this is where the main differences end. I do not recommend overpaying for D300, D300s unless you have to shoot 1000 frames every day.

A brief comparison of Nikon 90 with D7000:

D7000 surpasses even the Nikon D300 in a number of parameters, D300s, and especially Nikon D90, because as an upgrade I recommend only Nikon D7000 or already ff Nikon D700, D600, D800.

Photo at Nikon D90

Photo at Nikon D90

Fit in the Nikon D90 Camera I think control with infrared remote Nikon ML-L3It costs a penny, and gives a lot of opportunities.

Attention: The final result of the image in the photograph depends very much on a large number of factors and the camera does not play the first role in this quantity, therefore, when photographing, remember - important how to take pictures, and don't try hard to find the best camera.

Sample Photos

The photos in the gallery below were shot on a budget lens Yongnuo 35mm f / 2 (model YN35mm F2N for Nikon cameras) and shown without treatment. Part of the photos is the conversion of the source RAW files by the original Nikon ViewNX-i utility without any additional adjustments, the other part is the original on-camera JPEG.

Download source files in format JPEG can at this link (114 files in the '.JPG' format, 735 MB).

More examples of photos, as well as source files, can be found in the reviews:

  1. YONGNUO LENS YN50mm F1.4N E
  2. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6GII ED SWM Aspherical
  3. Nikon N AF-S Nikkor 58mm 1: 1.4G Nano Crystal Coat SWM Aspherical
  4. YONGNUO 50mm 1: 1.8 (YN50mm F1.8N)
  5. Tokina VCM-S AT-X PRO SD 70-200 F4 (IF) FX N / AIS
  6. Nikon AF Nikkor 28mm 1: 2.8 (MKI)
  7. Tokina AT-X 80-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6 (AT-X 840 AF-II)
  8. Nikon AF Nikkor 20mm 1: 2.8D
  9. Tamron PZD Di 28-300mm F / 3.5-6.3 Piezo Drive VC Model A010
  10. Nikon Zoom-NIKKOR 80-200mm 1: 4.5 (AI, MKII)
  11. SIGMA ZOOM 28-105mm D 1: 2.8-4 DG
  12. Nikon AF Nikkor 28-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5 (MKI)
  13. Sigma 135-400mm 1: 4.5-5.6 D APO
  14. Tokina SD 24-70 F2.8 (IF) FX AT-X PRO Aspherical
  15. Nikon AF Micro Nikkor 105mm 1: 2.8 (MKI)
  16. Tamron 16-300mm F / 3.5-6.3 Di II PZD VC Model B016
  17. Tokina 107 Fisheye 10-17mm F3.5-4.5 DX AT-X Internal Focus
  18. INDUSTRAR 22U-1 1: 3,5 F = 50mm P
  19. LOMO RO501-1 F = 100 1: 2
  20. Nikon ED AF Nikkor 80-200mm 1: 2.8 (MKI)
  21. LOMO RO500-1 F = 90 1: 2
  22. Tokina AT-X PRO AF 28-70mm 1: 2.6-2.8 (Tokina AT-X 270 AF PRO)
  23. Nikon Lens Series E Zoom 75-150mm 1: 3.5 (MKII)
  24. Sigma DC 17-70mm 1: 2.8-4.5 MACRO HSM
  25. Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-20 F2.8 (IF) DX ASPHERICAL
  26. SIGMA ZOOM 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6 DC HSM
  27. TAIR-3 4,5 / 300A
  28. Nikon DX AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm 1: 4-5.6GII ED VR II
  29. QUANTARAY TECH-10 NF AF MULTI-COATED 1: 4-5.6 f = 75-300mm
  30. Nikon NIKKOR-SC Auto 1: 1.2 f = 55mm
  31. Sigma DC 18-50mm 1: 2.8 EX MACRO HSM
  32. Tamron AF Aspherical 28-80mm 1: 3.5-5.6 177D
  33. Quantaray 70-300mm 1: 4-5.6 D LDO MACRO for Nikon AF, MACRO (200-300)
  34. SIGMA ZOOM 28-200mmD 1: 3.8-5.6 UC Aspherical
  35. Quantaray 70-300mm 1: 4-5.6 D LDO MACRO for Nikon AF
  36. MC PANCOLAR 1,8 / 50 CARL ZEISS JENA DDR
  37. YONGNUO 40mm 1: 2.8 (YN40mm F2.8N)
  38. Sigma 70-300mm D 1: 4-5.6 APO DG
  39. TOKINA AF 70-210 1: 4-5.6
  40. Sigma 70-300mm 1: 4-5.6 D DL MACRO SUPER
  41. Quantaray for Nikon AF 28-300mm 1: 3.5-6.3 LDO Multi-Coated (28-300mmD Ashperical IF)
  42. SIGMA ZOOM 28-300mm 1: 3.5-6.3 DG MACRO
  43. YONGNUO LENS YN 14mm F 2.8 N
  44. Tamron AF Tele-Macro 70-210mm 1: 4-5.6 158DN
  45. I-26m-U 2,8 / 52
  46. Sigma Zoom DC 18-200mm 1: 3.5-6.3 II HSM OS
  47. Yongnuo YN 85mm F1.8N
  48. INDUSTRAR 22U-1 1: 3,5 F = 50mm P
  49. SIGMA ZOOM 18-50mm 1: 2.8 EX DC (D)
  50. Nikon IX-NIKKOR 60-180mm 1: 4-5.6
  51. YONGNUO LENS 100mm 1: 2 (YN100mm F2N, for Nikon)
  52. PROMASTER DIGITAL XR EDO AF Aspherical LD ​​(IF) 18-200mm 1: 3.5-6.3 Macro
  53. Tamron Di II SP 17-50mm F / 2.8 VC
  54. MC HELIOS-44M-4 58mm 1: 2
  55. YONGNUO 35mm 1: 2 (YN35mm F2N)
  56. Sigma DC 17-70mm 1: 2.8-4.5
  57. Nikon ED AF-S Nikkor 300mm 1: 4D IF Silent Wave Motor
  58. Yongnuo YN60mm F2NE MF MACRO

Prices for modern Nikon cameras in popular stores can look at this link.

Video review, retrospective

Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

Conclusions:

In general, the Nikon D90 camera is simply lovely, a wide range of functions will allow both professional and amateur to work. The speed of work and the quality of the picture are very pleasing.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 1 359, on the topic: Nikon d90 review. Reviews of Nikon D90 from Radozhiva

  • Valerii

    Hi all. Maybe someone will be useful. Incorrect operation of the D90 with the Godox X2T-N TTL synchronizer has been noticed. Tested on two cameras. It manifests itself on one camera in turning off and on the synchronizer every 7-10 seconds, similar to a “reboot”. In the flash control mode, TTL overexposes a lot, in manual mode, the power can be adjusted, but this is of little use, since while you focus, the synchronizer will already “reboot” and the setting will fail. On the other carcass it was checked without flashes, it also constantly twitches, overloads. It's not hibernating, if anything. The D32 has no problems with Godox xpro, Godox xt-90 synchronizers. Godox X1T - Not tested. On the Internet I found information about the same problem with one person, he overcame the situation by replacing it with x-pro.

  • Alex

    Nikon D90, bought from hand, with a very nice mileage. in auto mode it works flawlessly, but when switching to other modes P A M S does not work (turns in both directions, but does not react in any way) the main control dial, not displayed either on the panel or through the monitor. The auxiliary disk is serviceable, performs its functions.
    What's the catch with the main control dial?
    thanks in advance

    • B. R. P.

      The service will tell you. Mechanical failure most likely. Do not buy used without the possibility of verification.

  • Anatoly

    And how do you manage to shoot with ISO100 on a Nikon D90 camera if this camera has a minimum ISO200?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Lo1 equivalent to iso 100, handlers often treat it as base 100

  • Eva

    Hello. Tell me how to turn off the built-in flash when it is needed only as an igniting circuit?

    • Eugene

      In the settings, item e2 “Manage. built-in flash” -> C (Control mode)

  • Volodimir

    Good day. How can you use live view as part of visual exposure adjustment for manual lenses?

    • Arkady Shapoval

      No, it will not. This only works with some models like the D5500

  • Liolia

    Good afternoon, Arkady! My question may seem a little stupid, but please answer. This applies to photos with the D90 + Yongnuo 35 mm f2 lens. Do I understand correctly that many of your photos in the review, taken with this camera and this lens, were cropped after shooting? For example, a photo with a bumblebee on a flower, a photo with a cat, a baby, a lily, and, in principle, a photo with a more or less large object in the center (or not quite in the center) of the frame. After all, this is a fixed shot, and the only way to bring the subject closer without distorting the proportions (even if slightly) is either by getting closer to the subject directly during the shooting process, or by already cropping the finished photo, right? The EGF of 35 mm on a crop sensor is about the same as 52,5 on a full-frame one. And then, when you shoot at 52,5, roughly speaking, the object is too far away and too small. Did you just move closer to your subject or did you shoot from afar (within reasonable limits) and crop the photo later? In particular, I'm interested in this when you shot the lily, for example in the last photo. It's small, but it takes up almost the entire frame. Or the second portrait of a girl in a white blouse (where she is shot as if from the side). Thanks in advance for your answer. I hope that I was able to express clearly what interests me in my question, and not in a very crumpled way.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      The review clearly, clearly and unambiguously states “The photos in the gallery below were taken with a budget Yongnuo 35mm f/2 lens (model YN35mm F2N for Nikon cameras) and shown without processing. "
      There is also link to the archive with original photographs in large size.
      35mm on crop is a standard focal length, visually it gives a slight “distortion” of proportions at different focusing distances, this is not 10mm wide :)

      • Liolia

        Arkady, I'm an amateur, so don't judge strictly, please! Does this mean that you just had to get close to the cat in the photo in order to take a photo as close as you did to the lily?

        • Arkady Shapoval

          yes, just the shooting distance was small

      • Liolia

        I have the same camera and the same lens, but it doesn’t focus so close. That's why I want to understand how you managed to focus so closely.

        • Arkady Shapoval

          We bet it's focusing

          • Liolia

            Thank you very much for access to the photo, dear Arkady! Of course, I won’t argue, but I’ll still try to focus at close range. I'm probably doing something wrong.

            • Arkady Shapoval

              You can use manual focusing mode on the lens, force focus to the minimum distance

              • Liolia

                Thank you! I'll actually try focusing in manual mode!

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Copyright © Radojuva.com. Blog author - Photographer in Kiev Arkady Shapoval. 2009-2023

English-version of this article https://radojuva.com/en/2010/12/obzor-nikon-d90-otzuvu/

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