News: Nikon unveils D90 the first DSLR with movie mode

TOKYO – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest DX-format digital SLR, the D90. More than just a new camera, the D90 represents a new era of digital SLR fun and creativity.

The first thing that will amaze photographers about the D90 is its stunning image quality, which takes its inspiration from Nikon’s flagship DX-format digital SLR, the D300. The D90’s image sensor and 12.3 effective megapixels combine with Nikon’s exclusive EXPEED image processing to deliver outstanding images featuring fine details, smooth tones, rich colors and low noise across a wide ISO sensitivity range.

The D90 is the world’s first* digital SLR camera with a movie shooting function that delivers genuinely cinematic results, enhanced by the creatively shallow depth of field made possible by the DX-format sensor. This is further refined by the optical quality and broad selection of NIKKOR lenses — the same lenses relied upon by professional photographers the world over. Thanks to the D90’s large image sensor, D-Movie images exhibit less noise than those of a typical camcorder, most notably in low-light situations.

The D90 also provides remarkable performance and operability, featuring Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System that advances precision in auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance in diverse shooting situations. Live View mode allows shooting while confirming the subject on the large 3-in., approx. 920k-dot high-density color LCD and offers three contrast-detect AF modes to allow photographers to focus on any point in the frame, enabling a greater variety of composition. In addition to wide and normal area AF, the D90 offers face priority AF in Live View mode for even sharper pictures of people.

All of these powerful features and more are housed in a compact, comfortable-to-hold body, with intuitive controls. In other words, the D90 is a camera that will satisfy the requirements of passionate photographers who demand superior image quality and crave exciting new photographic possibilities.



Nikon D90 spec:
-12.3 effective Megapixel CMOS sensor
-Supports all Nikkor F-mount lenses, with a 1.5X focal length conversion ratio
-3-inch LCD display with 920,000 pixels
-Optical viewfinder has a 0.94x magnification
-Live view with contrast detect AF and face detection
-Full manual controls, with ISO range of 200 - 3200, expandable to 100 - 6400
-11-point autofocus system with 3D tracking
-Can take up to 100 JPEGs in a row at 4.5 frames/sec (not sure about RAW yet)
-Can record "D-movies" at 1280 x 720 (720p) at 24 fps, with sound
-The time limit for a single 720p movie is around 5 minutes
-Lower resolutions are available, with longer recording times
-As you'd expect, the zoom and focus must be operated manually once recording starts
-Movies are saved in AVI format, using the M-JPEG codec
-Built-in wireless flash support
-Dust reduction system
-Other features include Active D-Lighting, distortion control, image straightening
-HDMI out port for connection to an HDTV
-Optional GPS unit allows for easy geotagging; the GP-1 ships in November, pricing TBD
-Uses EN-EL3e lithium-ion battery; 850 shots per charge
-Includes new F3.5-5.6, 18 - 105 mm ED VR lens; lens will be available separately for $399
-Ships next month for $999 body only, or $1299 with the 18 - 105 mm lens