Nikon D90

      Photo Review 8.8
      -/
      leadpic_D90

      In summary

      The first enthusiast-level DSLR camera to support high-definition video recording.It was only a matter of time before one of the camera manufacturers figured out the Live View mode on a DSLR required a video image and then came up with some way to record it. Olympus was hinting at this potential back in January 2006, when the E-330 (the first camera with live viewing) was announced. But Nikon was first to the post with the D90 and Canon is following with the just-announced EOD 5D Mark II. . . [more]

      Full review

      -
      leadpic_D90

      It was only a matter of time before one of the camera manufacturers figured out the Live View mode on a DSLR required a video image and then came up with some way to record it. Olympus was hinting at this potential back in January 2006, when the E-330 (the first camera with live viewing) was announced. But Nikon was first to the post with the D90 and Canon is following with the just-announced EOD 5D Mark II.
      The 12.3-megapixel D90 captures HD video at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 24 frames/second with the clarity and depth-of-field control that only a DSLR can provide. Clearly, Nikon doesn’t place a high priority on this capability (and neither do we, seeing it as more of an adjunct you’d use now and then, than a primary motive for purchasing the D90). However, as it’s a ‘world first’, Photo Review will deal with it before moving on to other more important features.
      No user manual was supplied with the review camera but (after a few hassles) we were able to download a PDF version from the Nikon Europe website. Interestingly, the manual only devotes one-and-a-half of about 270 pages to movie recording functions and about two thirds of a page to video playback. Less than half a page is given over to the movie frame size and sound options – a full 120 pages after the initial explanations of the movie mode.

      Video Capabilities
      Video in a DSLR is a significant advance – particularly at the D90’s price point. Previously, if you wanted a video camera with interchangeable lenses, you were looking at around $7000 for a model that couldn’t even record high-definition, widescreen video. But the D90 provides a lot more for a much lower price tag by giving users with the same kind of control over focusing, exposure and depth-of-field as they get with a DSLR camera, along with the ability to shoot with virtually any Nikkor lens.
      However, the D90’s video system is not perfect. Since video can only be recorded in Live View mode, you’re stuck with the restrictions that implies (see below). The sound is recorded monaurally and the video format is AVI which, although it’s compatible with most editing applications, consumes a huge amount of memory (roughly 400MB per minute). In our tests, a 24-second clip recorded in 1280 x 720 HD mode at 176 kbps was 42.7MB in size.

      -
      D90-LCD-movie-settings

      The Movie settings menu provides three capture options.

      -
      D90-video-menu

      Four HDMI playback options are supported.

      Thankfully, the camera is compatible with the largest memory cards. A 32GB SDHC will enable you to record up to 80 minutes of video, although another limitation is that clip lengths are restricted to five minutes in HD mode or 20 minutes in standard definition.
      Worst of all is the fact that the autofocusing system – plus some other key controls – can’t be used when you’re shooting video. You can focus automatically before recording the clip and use the manual focus ring on the lens while shooting. But if the subject moves towards or away from you while you’re shooting, blurring is inevitable.
      Other functions that must be set before recording a video clip include exposure compensation, white balance and sensitivity settings. If you’re using aperture-priority AE, you can change the aperture settings while recording a video clip and also zoom in and out – although it’s risky as maintaining focus is difficult.
      Before embarking on video capture you must select the desired recording mode from the Movie Settings sub-menu in the shooting menu. Three options are provided: 1280 x 720 (16:9), 640 x 424 (3:2) and 320 x 216 (3:2). You can also turn the sound recording on or off (the default setting is ON).
      A typical video shooting sequence operates as follows:
      1. Set the camera to Live View mode by pressing the LV button.
      2. Focus on the subject by half-pressing the shutter button if you’re in autofocus mode; otherwise focus manually.
      3. Press the OK button in the centre of the arrow pad to start recording.
      4. Keep the subject framed and focused during the recording process. If you’re in manual mode, you can change focus manually as you move towards or away from the subject. You have to be particularly careful when shooting close-ups as small differences in the focus point will show up as blurring in the subject. (To complicate matters, it’s difficult to see whether the image on the LCD is pin-sharp in bright ambient lighting and you can’t use the viewfinder in Live View mode.)
      5. To stop recording, press OK again.
      Playing back recorded video clips is simple. Press the LV button a second time to disengage Live View then press the review button. Use the arrow pad to select the clip you wish to play and press OK to start and stop the video playback.

      Other Features
      Physically, the D90’s body is similar to the D80, which continues in the company’s line-up – at least for the time being. Aside from the D90 logo, the front panel only differs from the D80 in having a triangle of three small microphone holes above and left of the logo. The rear panel sports a larger LCD and subtly restyled buttons.
      There’s also a new Live View button and the locking switch for the arrow pad is now a lever (not a slider). The D80’s OK button has been moved to the centre of the arrow pad and replaced by an Info button. Most other controls are in the same locations as the D80, giving the new model a very familiar feel.

      -
      D90_18_105VR_frt34r_l

      Front view with the 18-105mm lens that will be offered with the D90 (and which was used four Photo Review’s tests).

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      D90_back_l

      Rear view showing the large, high-resolution LCD and control layout.

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      D90_18_105VR_top_l

      Top view with the 18-105mm lens.

      Although both cameras have the same sized sensor (DX-format) and use SD/SDHC recording media, the D90 forges ahead of the D80 in the following respects, which are highlighted in italics in the table below.

       

      D90

      D80

      Effective pixels

      12.3 million

      10.2 million

      Sensor dust removal

      Vibration of low-pass filter in front of sensor, Image Dust Off reference data acquisition (Capture NX 2 required)

      Image Dust Off reference data acquisition (Capture NX 2 required

      Image processor

      EXPEED (12-bit)

      12-bit, 2 channel (based on D200)

      Sensitivity

      ISO 200-3200 in 1/3EV steps, extendable to ISO 100 (LO-1) and ISO 6400 (HI-1)

      ISO 100-1600 in 1/3EV steps, extendable to ISO 6400 (HI-1)

      Image sizes

      4,288 x 2,848 [L], 3,216 x 2,136 [M], 2,144 x 1,424 [S]

      3872 x 2592 [L], 2896 x 1944 [M], 1936 x 1296 [S]

      Video recording/format

      Yes/ AVI Motion JPEG with monaural sound

      Not supported

      Video resolution

      1290 x 720 (HD720p), 640 x 480, 320 x 240

      n.a.

      Focusing modes

      Single-area AF (S); Continuous-servo AF (C); Auto servo, Predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status, Manual focus (M) with electronic rangefinder

      Single Area AF (S); Dynamic area AF (C); Auto-area, Manual focus (M) with electronic rangefinder

      Exposure control

      Digital Vari-Program (Auto, Auto [Flash Off], Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Close up, Night Portrait), Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter-Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M]

      Digital Vari-Program (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Macro Close up, Sports, Night Landscape, Night Portrait), Programmed Auto [P] with flexible program; Shutter-Priority Auto [S]; Aperture Priority Auto [A]; Manual [M]

      Sequence shooting

      4.5 fps for 23 JPEG or 6 NEF.RAW

      3 fps for 23 JPEG or 6 NEF.RAW

      Active D-lighting

      Yes; Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, Low and Off modes

      Post-capture only

      White balance

      Auto (TTL white-balance with 420-pixel RGB sensor), 12 manual modes with fine-tuning; colour temperature setting (Kelvin); preset white balance; white balance bracketing

      Auto (TTL white balance with 420-pixel RGB sensor), six manual modes with fine-tuning, colour temperature setting (Kelvin), preset white balance; white balance bracketing

      Picture Style/Control settings

      Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome; storage for up to nine customised settings

      Normal, Softer, Vivid, More vivid, Portrait, Custom and Black-and-white image optimisation

      In-camera effects

      Straighten, Distortion control, Fisheye effects (10 levels), NEF.RAW processing, Small picture, Vignetting control, D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Image Overlay, Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Colour balance)

      D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Image Overlay, Monochrome settings (Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype) and Filter Effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Colour balance)

      Live View

      Yes with Face Priority AF; hand-held & tripod modes

      No

      Other features

      GPS support, Face Detection, Scene Recognition System, HDMI output

      n.a.

      Viewfinder

      Fixed eye-level pentaprism; 96% coverage; magnification 0.94x (50mm f1.4 lens at infinity); dioptric adjustment -2.0 to +1 dpt; 19.5mm eyepoint; Type B BriteView Clear Matte II screen

      Fixed eye-level pentaprism; 95% coverage; magnification 0.94x (50mm f1.4 lens at infinity); dioptric adjustment -2.0 to +1 dpt; 19.5mm eyepoint; Type B BriteView Clear Matte II screen

      LCD monitor

      3-inch low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with approx. 920,000 dots (VGA), 170-degree wide-viewing angle, 100% frame coverage

      2.5-inch LCD230,000-dot, low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with brightness adjustment, allows up to 170-degree viewing angle

      Weight (without battery)

      620 grams

      585 grams

      Both cameras have the same 420-segment RGB 3D Colour Matrix Metering II system and Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 AF module with 11-area TTL phase-detection. Both cameras retain the autofocus screw drive, enabling them to be used with older lenses as well as the new electronic lenses. (This feature is absent from the entry-level D40, D40x and D60 models.)

      -
      D90_Shutter_unit_l

      The shutter unit of the D90.

      They also support a shutter speed range of 30 to 1/4000 seconds, which is adjustable in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV. A dedicated Bulb setting is provided, with x-synch at 1/200 sec. Flash settings are essentially unchanged and both cameras’ pop-up flash units have similar power levels.
      The D90 offers the same Picture Control settings as other recently-released Nikon DSLRs, with settings for Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape styles. All are user-adjustable and modified settings can be saved as new Picture Controls by using the text-entry dialog screen to input the new name. (By default, new Picture Controls are named by adding a two-digit number to the name of the existing picture Control. These default names can be changed by the photographer.)
      Adding Live View to the D90’s functions has also provided the same hand-held and tripod shooting modes as other Nikon cameras. The D90 also shares many functions introduced with the D3 and D300 models and carried into the D700. These include the high-resolution 3-inch low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD, which supports VGA-quality viewing, the large-bright viewfinder and Nikon’s Active D-Lighting and Scene Recognition systems.
      The Info button is also the same as the D700’s and covers the same suite of functions as well as accessing a new data display mode that shows shooting data and camera settings on the large screen (which is easier to read than the viewfinder display.

      -
      D90-LCD-menu

      The new shooting data display on the LCD menu, which is accessed by pressing the Info button.
      Sensor & Image Processing
      The D90’s DX-format CMOS sensor is a new chip developed specially for the camera with technology derived from the D300 (INSERT LINK). With an effective resolution of 12.3 megapixels, its pixel pitch is approximately 5.5 microns, which is the same as the D300 and large enough to provide a wide dynamic range and good high-sensitivity performance. As in the D300, Nikon’s Integrated Dust Reduction System is included.

      -
      D90_Sensor_unit_l

      The D90’s sensor unit.

      The EXPEED image processor, introduced with the D300, is also used in the D90. Unlike the D300 and D700, the D90 only provides one NEF.RAW option – with 12-bit colour depth and lossless compression. Compression ratios are higher in the D90 than the D300 and the buffer memory is about half the size of the D300’s. Continuous shooting speeds are also slower in the D90, although they can match the D300 when the optional Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D10 is fitted.
      Three image sizes are supported for JPEGs: 4288 x 2848 (L), 3216 x 2136 (M) and 2144 x 1424 (S). Although NEF.RAW files are a little smaller than similar files from the D300, JPEG files are slightly larger, suggesting compression rates are slightly lower. Both cameras claim JPEG compression ratios of 1:4 for the Fine setting, 1:8 for the Normal setting and 1:16 for the Basic setting. The table below shows typical file sizes for each of the resolution/quality settings provided.

      Image quality

      Image size

      File size

      Buffer capacity

      NEF.RAW12-bit

      10.8MB

      9 shots

       

      NEF+JPEG Fine

      L

      16.9MB

      7 shots

      M

      14.4MB

      7 shots

      S

      12.4MB

      7 shots

       

      NEF+JPEG Normal

      L

      13.9MB

      7 shots

      M

      12.6MB

      7 shots

      S

      11.6MB

      7 shots

       

      NEF+JPEG Basic

      L

      12.3MB

      7 shots

      M

      11.7MB

      7 shots

      S

      11.2MB

      7 shots

       

      JPEG Fine

      L

      6.0MB

      25 shots

      M

      3.4MB

      100 shots

      S

      1.6MB

      100 shots

       

      JPEG Normal

      L

      3.0MB

      100 shots

      M

      1.7MB

      100 shots

      S

      0.8MB

      100 shots

       

      JPEG Basic

      L

      1.5MB

      100 shots

      M

      0.9MB

      100 shots

      S

      0.4MB

      100 shots

      Two types of noise reduction processing are provided, separately covering long exposures and high ISO settings. When Long Exp. NR is turned on, all exposures longer than eight seconds are processed by default. Dark-frame subtraction appears to be involved in this mode as image processing times are roughly doubled.
      High ISO NR suppression can be set to High, Normal or Low levels or switched off. Processing kicks in at ISO 800 with the On setting and at HI 0.3 and above when Off is selected. We observed little or no effect on processing times with any of the levels selected.

      Playback
      The default camera setting displays shots for approximately four seconds after they have been taken. You can disable auto playback via the Image Review setting in the playback menu. The playback menu can also be used to switch auto rotation of vertical shots on or off.
      Movie clips are displayed on the camera’s monitor when you press the OK button. This button also pauses and resumes playback. You can advance or rewind by pressing the horizontal button on the arrow pad and adjust the audio volume with the ISO button. Half-pressing the camera’s shutter button exits playback andsets the camera to shooting mode.
      Playback options for stills are pretty standard and include full-frame display, four-, nine- or 72-shot thumbnail index views, playback zoom (up to 27x) and slideshow play. Users can hide or reveal selected pictures, protect them from deletion and apply DPOF tagging via the Print set function. A new Calendar playback option enables users to view all images taken on a selected days.
      Auto image rotation can also be selected. Images can be deleted individually or all pictures in a folder can be deleted as a batch. The camera also allows shots to be selected for batch deletion. The Pictmotion setting in the playback menu allows users to create and view slide shows with custom transitions and background music from images in the selected playback folder. Five music files are pre-loaded in the camera, covering High-speed, Emotional, Natural, Up-tempo and Relaxed themes. Transition effects include zoom bounce, zoom in/out, blend, wipe and zoom out fade. When movie files are selected, only the first few seconds of each clip are displayed.

      -
      D90-Pictmotion-1

      Creating a Pictmotion slideshow involves three steps: first select the images;

      -
      D90-Pictmotion-2

      Then choose the background music;

      -
      D90-Pictmotion-3

      Finally select the transition effects.

      The Display mode setting accesses controls for displaying pictures with detailed photo information, RGB histograms and blinking highlight alerts. GPS data can also be displayed if it was recorded. In-camera ‘retouching’ facilities are the same in all four cameras, allowing users to apply D-Lighting and red-eye corrections, add monochrome or filter effects and trim shots. In all cases, the adjusted images are saved as separate files with the header changed to make them easy to identify. Examples of D-Lighting adjustments are shown below.

      -
      DSC_0171_no-d-lighting
      -
      CSC_0183_d-lighting

      Backlit scene.

      -
      DSC_0142_no-d-lighting
      -
      CSC_0182_d-lighting

      Strong backlighting. In both cases, the picture on the right shows the effect of D-Lighting processing on the original shot.

      In-camera NEF.RAW conversion allows photographers to create JPEG copies with straightened horizons, adjusted colour balance and exposure compensation. You can also create copies with reduced peripheral distortion (useful with ultra-wide lenses) or simulate the effects of fish-eye lenses. Image overlay allows users to combine two NEF.RAW images to create a single image that is saved separately. It’s handy for subjects with a high dynamic range. Side-by-side comparison of two shots is also possible. You can also create small copies (VGA, QVGA or QQVGA size) of JPEG images for emailing.

      -
      D90-image-overlay

      The Image overlay settings.

      Output Options & Software
      While providing the same USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, PictBridge and PAL/NTSC selectable video connections as its competitors, the D90 comes with a Type C HDMI terminal that enables video clips to be played back from the camera on a suitably-equipped HD TV set. A separate Type C cable is required and users can select from auto connection (where the camera selects the appropriate format) to one of three progressive-scan format or 1080i (interlaced). The camera’s monitor switches off when an HDMI device is connected.
      The D90 is also compatible with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System and works seamlessly with the SB-900, SB-800, SB-600 and SB-400 flash units and the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander to allow control over multiple off-camera Speedlights. It has interfaces for several remote control accessories, including tethered and wireless remote triggers and the GP-1 GPS unit, which allows location data to be automatically recorded in image files. DPOF image tagging for automated printing is supported, along with PictBridge direct printing.
      The supplied software disk contains the same applications as other Nikon DSLRs offer: Apple Quicktime, Nikon Transfer, Nikon View NX, Picture Control Utility and DirectX 9, along with links to Nikon’s website where buyers can download 30-day trials of Capture NX and Camera Control Pro 2. We’ve already covered these applications in reviews of the D300 and D60 (INSERT LINKS). D90 owners can also take advantage of Nikon’s my Picturetown online photo management service.

      Performance
      Once again, Photo Review has been impressed with the outstanding performance of a Nikon DSLR at high sensitivity settings. In both available-light shots and flash shots in low light levels, the test camera turned in an outstanding performance, recording images with little visible noise and no sign of blotchiness. Imatest confirmed our subjective assessments and showed only a slight decline in resolution as ISO sensitivity was increased. The graph below shows the result of our tests.

      -
      D90-Res-vs-ISO-graph

      Subjective assessment of test shots showed colours to be accurately recorded. Saturation and contrast were modest with the default standard Picture Control setting. The test camera performed extremely well when photographing wide brightness range subjects, with the Active D-Lighting function ensuring adequate detail was recorded in JPEG shots in both highlights and shadows.
      Imatest showed resolution to be up to expectations for a 12 megapixel camera. However, interestingly, we found NEF.RAW files converted to TIFF format in Nikon View NX software were only slightly higher in resolution than JPEG files. (At the time of this review, raw files from the D90 could not be processed in Adobe Camera Raw, Photo Review’s preferred raw file converter.)
      The default conversion settings in Nikon View NX tended to push up saturation, particularly in reds and blues but made only minimal changes to skin hues, which were a little off-the-mark for both JPEG and converted raw files. Lateral chromatic aberration was at the ‘negligible’ level throughout our Imatest tests. We found no evidence of coloured fringing in any of our test shots.
      Video quality was good, particularly with the 1280 x 720 (16:9) setting. However the associated sound quality was pretty ordinary. In practice, we found shooting video worked best when clips were kept relatively short and the camera was set up to record a subject at a particular distance before recording commenced. If the subject is moving, you’ll need to put the camera on a tripod so you can keep re-focusing the lens. The same applies if you want to zoom in and out while shooting.
      The test camera’s auto white balance failed to totally remove the inherent orange cast of incandescent lighting but came close to neutral colour reproduction with Fluorescent lighting. Both manual pre-sets over-corrected slightly but it was easy to tune out colour casts with the in-camera controls before taking shots and also to correct colour casts with editing software.
      The built-in flash required an ISO setting of 800 before it could illuminate an average-sized room. However, close-up flash shots showed consistent exposures from ISO 200 right up to ISO 3200 and only slight under- and over-exposure outside of the normal sensitivity range. Noise became visible at ISO 3200 and shots taken at ISO 6400 without noise reduction showed some colour noise.
      The test camera powered-up ready for shooting in about 0.2 seconds and we measured an average capture lag of 0.35 seconds without pre-focusing and no lag when test shots were pre-focused. For our timing tests we used an ATP Pro Max SDHC card with 4GB capacity. This card is Class 6 rated, which means it can support a minimum sustained data transfer rate of 6MB/second.
      It took 0.4 seconds to process each JPEG file and 6.2 seconds to process a burst of 10 JPEGs, which were recorded in 2.9 seconds. NEF.RAW files were captured with the same speed as JPEGs, although the test camera’s capture rate slowed after eight shots in high-speed burst mode. No slowing occurred with the low speed continuous shooting mode. It took 9.9 seconds to process a burst of 10 raw files.

      Note: For details of the AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens, which will be offered as part of the D90 kit, see the separate review by clicking here (INSERT LINK). Additional sample images can be found at the end of that review.

      IMATEST GRAPHS

      -
      D90-JPG-DSC_0067_colorerror

      The graph above shows the Imatest results for a JPEG file direct from the camera.

      -
      D90-RAW-DSC_0060_colorerror

      The graph above shows the Imatest results for a NEF.RAW file after conversion in Nikon ViewNX.

      -
      D90-JPG-DSC_0067_colors

      The graph above shows the Imatest results for a JPEG file direct from the camera.

      -
      D90-RAW-DSC_0060_colors

      The graph above shows the Imatest results for a NEF.RAW file after conversion in Nikon ViewNX.

      -
      D90-DSC_0067_YBL77_ca
      -
      D90-JPG-DSC_0067_YR23_cpp
      -
      D90-DSC_0067_YBL77_cpp

       

      SAMPLE IMAGES

      -
      D90-AWB-Tung

      Auto white balance with incandescent lighting.

      -
      D90-AWB-fluoro

      Auto white balance with fluorescent lighting.

      -
      D90-night-ISO-HI-1

      35mm focal length, ISO HI 1.0 (ISO 6400), 10 seconds at f/14.

      -
      D90-night-ISO-3200

      35mm focal length, ISO 3200, 20 seconds at f/13.

      -
      D90-105mm-250-F14

      105mm focal length, 1/250 second at f/14. The test camera produced accurate colour rendition even with traditionally difficult colours like purples.

      -
      D90-70mm-3200-F5.6

      70mm focal length. 1/3200 second at f/5.6.

      -
      D90-70mm-60-F20

      70mm focal length, 1/60 second at f/20.

      -
      D90-80mm-200-F13

      80mm focal length, 1/200 second at f/13.

      -
      D90-DSC_0065-portrait

      65mm focal length, 1/80 second at f/13.

      -
      D90-DSC_0057-close

      92mm focal length, ISO 200, 1/50 second at f/6.3.

      -
      D90-62mm-25-F5.3-ISO200

      62mm focal length, ISO 800, 1/25 second at f/5.3.

       

       

      Specifications

      -
      leadpic_D90

      Image sensor: 23.6 x 15.8 mm CMOS sensor with approx. 12.9 million photosites (12.3 megapixels effective)
      Lens mount: Nikon F bayonet mount with AF coupling and AF contacts
      Focal length crop factor: 1.5x
      Image formats: NEF (RAW) with 12-bit compression; JPEG; RAW+JPEG
      Image Sizes: DX format, 4288 x 2848, 3216 x 2136, 2144 x 1424
      Image Stabilisation: lens-based only
      Dust removal: Vibration of low-pass filter in front of sensor, Image Dust Off reference data acquisition (Capture NX 2 required)
      Shutter speed range: 30 to 1/4000 sec. plus Bulb; X-synch at 1/200 sec.
      Exposure Compensation: ±5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
      Self-timer: Electronically controlled timer with duration of 2, 5, 10 or 20 seconds
      Focus system: Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus module with TTL phase-detection, 11 focus points (one cross-sensor)
      Focus modes: Single-servo AF (S); Continuous-servo AF (C); Auto servo, predictive focus tracking automatically activated according to subject status, Manual focus (M) with electronic rangefinder
      Exposure metering: 3D Colour Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses); Colour Matrix Metering II (other CPU lenses); Centre-weighted, Spot metering (approx. 2%)
      Shooting modes: Program AE, Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual; Advanced Scene Modes (Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Close-up, Night Portrait)
      Picture Style/Control settings: Four options: Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome; storage for up to nine customised settings
      Active D-Lighting: Yes
      Colour space options: sRGB, Adobe RGB
      Custom functions: 50
      ISO range: ISO 200 to 3200. Sensitivity can be increased to HI 1 (ISO 6400 equivalent), or decreased to Lo 1 (ISO 100 equivalent)
      White balance: TTL white balance with main image sensor and 420-pixel RGB sensor; Auto plus 12 manual settings with fine-tuning; colour temperature setting; bracketing of 2 to 3 exposures in increments of 1, 2 or 3
      Flash: Manual pop-up type; GN 12 (ISO 100, m)
      Flash exposure adjustment: -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
      Sequence shooting: 1-4 frames/second in [CL] mode, up to 4.5 fps in [CH] mode
      Storage Media: SD/SDHC memory cards
      Viewfinder: Fixed eye-level pentaprism; 96% coverage; magnification 0.94x (50mm f1.4 lens at infinity); dioptric adjustment -2.0 to +1 dpt; 19.5mm eyepoint; Type B BriteView Clear Matte II screen (non-interchangeable)
      LCD monitor: 3-inch low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with approx. 920,000 dots (VGA), 170-degree wide-viewing angle, 100% frame coverage
      Live View: Yes. 100% FOV; Handheld and Tripod modes
      Movie: AVI format with monaural sound; 1280 x 720, 840 x 424, 320 x 216 all at 24 fps
      Data LCD: Yes; displays full photographic and digital settings
      Playback functions: Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, Pictmotion, slide show, histogram display, highlight alert, auto image rotation, and image comment (up to 36 characters)
      Interface terminals: USB 2.0 Hi-speed, Video Out (PAL/NTSC); Type C mini connector for HDMI; GPS terminal; 10-pin remote control terminal
      Power supply: EN-EL3e Li-ion battery (included)
      Dimensions (wxhxd): 132 x 103 x 77 mm (body only)
      Weight: 620 grams (body only)

       

      Retailers

       

      CamBuy

       

      www.cambuy.com.au
      Digital cameras, lenses and accessories with 100% genuine Australian manufacturer’s warranties.
      Ph: (02) 9029 2219

      Camera House

       

      -
      CH_Logo120

      www.camerahouse.com.au
      Ph: 133 686
      The largest speciality photographic retail chain in Australia.

      Camera Pro

       

      www.camerapro.net.au
      CameraPro Pty Ltd
      Suite 607, 180 Queen St, Brisbane 4000
      Tel: 07 3333 2900
      Australian owned and run company based in Brisbane.

      Camerasdirect

       

      -
      CamerasDirect133

      www.camerasdirect.com.au
      Retailer of digital camera equipment and more.
      Secure online shopping and delivery across Australia.
      Ph: 1300 727 056

      Camerastore.com.au

      Camerastore.com.au
      Ph: 1800 155 067

      Camera-Warehouse

       

      -
      camera-warehouse120

      www.camera-warehouse.com.au
      Comprehensive range of digital cameras and accessories online (www.camera-warehouse.com.au) and an online print service (www.royalexpress.com.au).

      Digital Camera Warehouse

       

      www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au
      174 Canterbury Road 367 High Street
      Canterbury Northcote
      NSW 2193 VIC 3070
      Ph: 1300 365 220

      Electronics Warehouse

       

      www.electronicswarehouse.com.au
      1300 801 885
      Australian retailer of Vapex rechargeable batteries offering factory direct prices and fast, free shipping Australia wide.

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      Photographic Equipment & Supplies – Retail & Repairs. Click here for list of stores.

      Ted’s Cameras

       

      -
      Teds-Logo120

      www.teds.com.au

      1800 186 895
      Big range of cameras and photographic products with stores in most states and online.

      Rating

       

      RRP: $1549 (body only); $1649 with 18-55mm VR lens

      Rating (out of 10):

      • Build: 9
      • Ease of use: 8.5
      • Image quality: 9
      • OVERALL: 8.8

      Buy