NIKON D90 REVIEW

Awhile back I did a review of the Nikon D300, and concluded that for professionals it was an ideal back-up camera, but also a very acceptable option for professional and amateur travel photography. In the past I would take a very large camera while traveling (such as the D2x), which increased the weight I had to carry, and made me quite conspicuous on the streets. With the advent of the Nikon D300 I had a smaller camera body, but with a great 14-bit chip to record images that had challenging lighting.

The Nikon D90 is my new travel companion for a number of reasons. Here are a few:
1. It is inexpensive compared to similar 12 MP DSLR's
2. It is very lightweight, and small, which is great for traveling
3. It takes SD cards which are more readily available than CF, and are cheaper
4. While not 14-bit, the 12-bit sensor creates imagery almost as good as the Pro D3
5. It records manual focus HD video, great for travel locations

The video has some issues that would keep it from being used professionally, however it is excellent for creating fine art short films, travel videos, and family films. I have had great success using a 50mm lens shooting video at f1.4, which gives the final product a more film-like appearance as opposed to the plasticky look of video.

The less than $1200 price tag makes this a great camera for all levels. Professionals will find it helpful as a back-up in case of emergencies, travel photographers will like it because of the quality and because it is a "safer" camera to have on the streets, and amateurs will like it because it is simple to use and very effective. To sum up: It is cheap enough to not be a disaster if it was broken or stolen, and good enough for many professional applications. That mix makes the camera ideal for travel, as you need both elements (quality and expendability) for a successful trip.

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