Nikon has unveiled its latest mid-range DSLR, the D90 ? the world?s first to incorporate HD video capture.

The model?s announcement comes just a month before this year?s Photokina exhibition, and follows a string of successful DSLR releases for the company.

Pitched at ?photography enthusiasts of any level?, the D90 features a newly-designed DX-format 12.3MP CMOS sensor, matching its older D300 sibling for resolution but in a smaller, lighter and cheaper body. The sensor is joined by the company?s Expeed processing technologies, allowing a maximum burst rate of 4.5fps and a sensitivity range of ISO 200-3200 ? the latter extendable to equivalent settings of ISO 100 and 6400.

Nikon?s Active D-lighting, Scene Recognition and face detection technologies are also present, but the headline feature is the camera?s 1280 x 720p HD movie capabilities. The camera can record up to five minutes of video capture at its optimum setting, dropping to 20 minutes at a reduced resolution, with a microphone for sound recording and speaker for playback built into the body.

Other features of note include a 3in VGA-resolution LCD screen, and a range of post-production effects such as Distortion Control to amend lens barrelling and a Fisheye setting to add creativity to images. The camera?s pentaprism viewfinder, meawhile, offers 96% coverage of the scene, while a new button for direct access to live view has also made its way onto the rear of the body.

In addition, a new Nikkor lens has also been announced which will be sold as the kit lens to the D90. The AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR incorporates both aspherical and low-dispersion elements, as well as Nikon?s Vibration Reduction system said to offer useable shutter speeds of up to three stops lower than would be otherwise possible.

The model will go on sale towards the end of September, with a body-only price set at £699.99 and a kit price at £849. The AF-S DX 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens will also be available separately at a guide price of £199.99. For further information see the press release below or visit www.nikon.co.uk


PRESS RELEASE


NIKON?S NEW D90 TAKES YOU TO THE MOVIES
~ The world?s first D-SLR that shoots High Definition video ~


27th August 2008:
Nikon UK today announces another great step forward in its mid-class DX-format D-SLR range: the D90.

As the world?s first D-SLR with movie function, this remarkable camera offers truly cinematic results, stunning image quality and innovative high-performance features inherited from Nikon?s new-generation DX-format flagship D300. The D90 will open new doors for photography enthusiasts of any level.

With 12.3 megapixels, the newly-designed DX-format CMOS image sensor and Nikon?s proprietary EXPEED image processing concept, the D90 is a quality-guarantee. Advanced features such as Live View, Scene Recognition, Active D-Lighting, Picture Control and an ISO sensitivity range of 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1), allows creativity in almost any setting. And to ensure all these features are easy to use, they are packed in an ergonomic body with an intuitive operational layout.

Toru Uematsu, Senior Manager Product Planning at Nikon Europe B.V says: ?The D90?s combines imaging technology inherited directly from our D300 and innovative features like Live View, D-Movie, Scene Recognition and Picture Control – once again confirming Nikon?s leadership in cutting edge imaging technology. Add its innovative, high-performance features such as the CMOS image sensor, and the extremely wide ISO sensitivity range, we are convinced that this new camera will appeal to all passionate photographers looking for the next step in creativity.?

Stunning image quality
The D90?s EXPEED technology has been optimised to realise the high-quality, high-speed image processing capability for which Nikon?s professional D-SLRs are renowned. The D90 delivers images with extraordinary detail and expanded enlargement capacity, thanks to its improved DX-format CMOS image sensor and an effective 12.3 megapixels. The ISO sensitivity ranges from 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1) providing low-noise images that are rich in detail and offer tonal gradation beyond expectation. It also enhances the performance of other powerful features such as Live View and the new Face Detection System. To address the issue of lost detail in high-contrast lighting situations, Active D-Lighting adjusts the contrast between images? light and dark areas by localising tone control as an image is captured. And for extra creativity, Picture Control allows you to customise the look and mood of your images by choosing from six settings, including new Portrait and Landscape modes.

A helping hand
First introduced on Nikon?s D3 and D300 flagship cameras, the D90?s Scene Recognition System uses a 420-pixel RGB sensor to analyse scene and colour information of the subject being photographed. Based on these readings, the camera optimises its focus, exposure and white balance just before the shutter is released. The D90 also recognises human faces to render up to five faces with newfound sharpness and accuracy and more natural skin tones in your images. In the camera?s 11-point AutoFocus mode, it uses the subject?s colour information to maintain a sharp focus as the subject moves in the frame.

Once you?ve got the composition you want, the D90 incorporates image-editing functions that make it easy to enhance images within the camera. There are several new retouch options: ?Distortion Control? adjusts lens aberration, ?Straighten? corrects the inclination of the image, whilst ?Fisheye? produces optical effects similar to that of a fisheye lens. There are also ample options for viewing and selecting the right shot, including 72-frame playback, calendar playback and histogram display for a magnified portion of the image.


Live and living
The D90 is the first mid-class D-SLR to offer a movie function, allowing you to capture creative movie clips in motion JPEG at superb quality levels. Compared to the average camcorder, the far larger image sensor on the D90 offers higher image quality, a shallow depth of field and exceptional ISO performance while recording in low-light conditions. NIKKOR?s wide range of lenses offers great variety from fisheye to wide-angle to super-telephoto, adding more scope for creativity and emotional impact to your movies. Movies can even be played on the camera with sound, thanks to its uniquely powerful speaker / microphone system.

The D90 has been designed with an eye-level pentaprism viewfinder, offering some 96% frame coverage. However, when looking through the viewfinder isn?t practical, simply press the D90?s Live View button and the 3-inch LCD with 170˚ viewing angle and approx. 920k-dot LCD support your Live View shooting with three contrast-detect AF modes: Face Priority, Wide Area and Normal Area. When you?re not sure which camera settings are appropriate, try the advanced scene modes like Active D-Lighting and Picture Control for beautiful, crisp images every time.

Get every shot
There are few things more annoying than a flat battery as you?re about to capture that winning shot, so Nikon has made the D90?s extremely efficient, allowing you to capture approximately 850 images on a single charge of the camera?s battery. Accurate exposures rely on precise shutter release, so the D90?s electronically timed shutter mechanism has been specifically engineered for long, accurate service and has undergone exhaustive 100,000 shutter-release cycle testing. For ever-ready shooting, the impressive 0.15-seconds start-up time, 65-millisecond shutter release time and its 4.5 fps means you won?t lose that crucial shot. And with a thumbnail display of up to 72 images, Pictmotion slideshows with soundtrack, the option of image tagging through geotags with GPS, instant online upload to ?my Picturetown? and HDMI-compatibility, sharing and organising your images has never been easier.

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