Nikon D90

[vision]

Used our new D90 with the stock 18-105 lens this weekend. Quite pleased with the ease of use and user interface and excellent pictures. The glass in the stock lens is not great, but for the price, it is not bad.

The 720p movie feature is quite convenient for a quick video of something that a still image does not do justice.

Here is an non-zoomed (HS 180) image and sunset lit zoomed in image (doubles) to give you a better idea of the quality. These are with the stock lens at 75 feet. I posted a really short video example at http://www.vimeo.com/1791011

[Blair]

woah woah... is that a DSLR with video??? i think im in heaven... do i even want to know how much that costs

[Bodyshots]

D90 MSRP is 1k,give it a few months and youll see the price drop.
Picked up a D80 off ebay 4 months ago and love the quality.
A couple of Nikon pictures i took a couple months ago in Maui.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u62/Oz_Seattle/HyattPool1.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u62/Oz_Seattle/HyattBeach-1.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u62/Oz_Seattle/HyattBoardWalk.jpg



I dont know ish about cameras but even i can take a great pic with a nikon
Enjoy :D

[bigmac]

Canon also just announced their 5DMkII dSLR. It's a full-frame 21 megapixel sensor in a slightly improved 5D consumer/prosumer body and it will ALSO take video at 1080P HD as opposed to the D90's 720P. The 5DMkII is going to be about $2700. I'm not sure why the general consumer would want 21 megapixels, or even full-frame, for that matter, but Canon marketing knows that most camera buyers will be impressed by such high resolution. That and its video are the big marketing hooks. The Canon camp seems to be kind of split on the issue, with many buying it on the basis of 21 megapixels, and many de-camping because they feel that that sensor in a low-level body is pointless. It's being characterized in some camps as a BMW engine in a Ford Pinto.

[stuartmcnair]

Canon also just announced their 5DMkII dSLR. It's a full-frame 21 megapixel sensor in a slightly improved 5D consumer/prosumer body and it will ALSO take video at 1080P HD as opposed to the D90's 720P. The 5DMkII is going to be about $2700. I'm not sure why the general consumer would want 21 megapixels, or even full-frame, for that matter, but Canon marketing knows that most camera buyers will be impressed by such high resolution. That and its video are the big marketing hooks. The Canon camp seems to be kind of split on the issue, with many buying it on the basis of 21 megapixels, and many de-camping because they feel that that sensor in a low-level body is pointless. It's being characterized in some camps as a BMW engine in a Ford Pinto.

that camera is more suited to wedding / studio photography. Not very usable for sports with the small burst rate. The video seems neat but sort of pointless.

[bigmac]

that camera is more suited to wedding / studio photography. Not very usable for sports with the small burst rate. The video seems neat but sort of pointless.
I agree - video isn't something I want or need in my still camera, but I'm sure that are many people who would view it as a really neat thing to have. Likewise, 21 megapixels sounds really impressive until you find yourself trying to manage those behemoth files on your laptop (I realize there is a 10 megapixel option too).

It seems to me that the 5DMkII represents a triumph of Canon's marketing department over their engineering department.

[stuartmcnair]

I agree - video isn't something I want or need in my still camera, but I'm sure that are many people who would view it as a really neat thing to have. Likewise, 21 megapixels sounds really impressive until you find yourself trying to manage those behemoth files on your laptop (I realize there is a 10 megapixel option too).

It seems to me that the 5DMkII represents a triumph of Canon's marketing department over their engineering department.

think how fast your laptp would fill up with a Hass and a digital back...my 10 MP generates 60 MB for each print quality pic so I am having a heck of a time with storage...and that is with over a TB sitting on the desk.

[vision]

Fortunately, H.264 compressed short video clips are smaller than a raw image files from the D90.

The video feature is what sold me over the D300.

I can both capture a 5 second video to allow a rider to review a trick and get a complete real time feel for their position from cut to landing, and capture 8 to 10 high res stills to more critically look at body position at specific times in the trick. Great camera to help you improve your riding.

The D300 does give you 8 fps high res images whereas the D90 only gives 4.5 fps, but the lower cost of the D90 and advantage of short 720p video made the D90 a better choice for our needs.

[Bodyshots]

http://vimeo.com/1791011

Video was taken with a D90