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  (Source: Digital Photography Review)

  (Source: Engadget)
Nikon's D90 will feature video capture abilities

It appears that today is a good day for leaks in the D-SLR arena. Earlier today, DailyTech brought you news of Canon's 50D, which sports a 15.1MP image sensor, 9-point autofocus system, 3" LCD screen and DIGIC 4 image processor.

Now we have some early pictures of Nikon's new D90 D-SLR courtesy of a trigger happy Target.com. According to a forum poster on Digital Photography Review, Target.com momentarily posted images from various angles of the new D90.

In addition to the pictures, Nikon Rumors says that it has final specifications for the camera which are sure to impress even the most vocal critic. The D90 will have a 12.3MP image sensor, 3" (900k) LCD, 11-point autofocus system, and Live-View.

Perhaps the most talked about feature, however, is the D90's ability to capture video with its image sensor. Although details are sketchy at the moment, the camera will also have a microphone and speaker built-in for recording and playing back sound with capture video.

According to Nikon Rumors, the Nikon D90 will be formally announced on August 27.

Updated 8/26/2008
Engadget just posted that Circuit City briefly posted the product page for the D90 kit with 18-105mm lens. Circuit City's website showed that the $1,299 D90 will be available on September 6 and that the camera will feature an "HD Movie Mode".

Here are the full specifications courtesy of Gizmodo:

  • 12.3-effective megapixel DX-format CMOS imaging sensor
  • 5.8x AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens included
  • D-Movie Mode - Cinematic 24fps HD with sound
  • One-button Live View
  • Continuous shooting as fast as 4.5 frames per second
  • 12.3-effective megapixel DX-format CMOS imaging sensor
  • 5.8x AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens included
  • Low noise ISO sensitivity from 200 to 3200
  • 3-inch super-density 920,000-dot color LCD monitor
  • Built-in image sensor cleaning
  • 11-point AF system with Face Priority
  • One-button Live View
  • Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II with Scene Recognition System
  • Comprehensive exposure control
  • Auto Active D-lighting
  • Shutter precision and durability
  • In-Camera Image Editing
  • GPS geo-tagging

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WHY?
By Fnoob on 8/25/2008 5:53:20 PM , Rating: 2
Why would they market what appears to be 95% of a D300 while still selling the D300? If this thing comes in at around the cost of the D80, it will succeed at the cost of D300 sales. Especially if the video capture turns out to be 1080p.




RE: WHY?
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 8/25/2008 5:57:19 PM , Rating: 5
Who cares what market it intrudes into -- if it means great features for lower prices, that's all that matters to me :)

Let Nikon worry about the overlap ;)


RE: WHY?
By oopyseohs on 8/25/2008 6:32:10 PM , Rating: 2
Hmm...

Time to replace my D40?


RE: WHY?
By jpeyton on 8/25/2008 8:08:11 PM , Rating: 2
More importantly, this looks better than the 40D and possibly better than the 50D.


RE: WHY?
By Woobagong on 8/28/2008 3:22:38 AM , Rating: 2
I would never EVER give away my D40, this DSLR is just too much fun to work with. It weighs practically nothing and it's dirt cheap. In my Gallery, many of the top 20 shots were done with this camera.

Even though I'll get the D700 soon, there are still enough situations where I would prefer using a leightweight camera like the D40.


RE: WHY?
By Lord 666 on 8/25/2008 9:37:53 PM , Rating: 3
Here is my cracked out plan for the moment as I am very interested in the video feature of the D90.

1. Sell my D300 - Great camera, but frustated about the low light performance.

2. Buy a D700 - Believe it or not, I do make some beer and book money doing architectural/landscape/real estate and wouldn't mind getting into the wedding business. The other focus is the family. The low light improvements and FX size make are the key points for me.

3. Buy a D90 - Here is the interesting part. During the birth of my first child, I sneaked taking video of my child coming out via c-section with Nikon 5400. Very grainy, small, and time limited... yet that video is priceless to my family. The deal with the hospital/covering doctor is you are not allowed to video record c-sections to protect themselves from tort claims. Anyway, the D90 probably has a excellent battery life and hopefully can fill up the SD card to the entire capacity with video. Plus, I can still keep all my same glass. Curious on how it would work with a 18-200VR lens? While I have a few more months until the next little one comes, video will definitely happen during that c-section.

Agreed about the natural trickle down progression of technology as years move on, but cost should not be the final deciding factor.


RE: WHY?
By tdawg on 8/25/2008 11:48:22 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
1. Sell my D300 - Great camera, but frustated about the low light performance.


Huh? This is a surprising comment, given all the rave reviews I've read and the nice low-light images I've seen from the D300. What issues are you seeing? Just curious.


RE: WHY?
By quickk on 8/26/2008 12:53:10 PM , Rating: 2
The low light performance of the D300 is very good, but the D700 is really awesome in this regard.

http://photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00QV2S
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d700/iso-3200-com...

I'm a happy new owner of a D700, and I am constantly amazed at how nice the pictures turn out, even at iso 6400! It's almost magical. I can take a picture in a dark room with virtually no light and get a usable picture. The camera can see better in the dark than I can!

Anyway, sorry for being so enthusiastic. My previous camera was a canon sd700 point and shoot, so that's probably why I'm so blown away.


RE: WHY?
By Lord 666 on 8/26/2008 11:32:14 PM , Rating: 2
Sweet about the D700. Might be a holiday present to myself as I position the above plan.

Thank you for answering the the OP question, as you replied as I would have.

However, I do have a D700 question for you as it pertains to another gripe of mine with the D300; how is the AF? While it depends on the lens, I have noticed that in addition to being slow, the AF on my D300 is inaccurate when in continiuous mode and focuses on random crap. The single mode that displays the boxes is accurate and works reliably so thats where it stays, even for my wife.

My other concern is the CF door not having a latch. Might go torment myself and stop in at B&H for a hands on with the D700.


RE: WHY?
By icanhascpu on 8/26/2008 4:00:50 PM , Rating: 2
Married with a kid and a name like that? Classy bro.


RE: WHY?
By Lord 666 on 8/26/2008 11:37:32 PM , Rating: 2
Ahh, re-read my post.

There is another one on the way; another minion! Was hoping for a girl and boy twin set so we could name them Luke and Leia, but the hormone levels indicate its a single egg at the moment.


RE: WHY?
By eeevan on 8/25/2008 6:51:58 PM , Rating: 2
Simple.

This thing will still only be a watered-down D300, just as the D80 was a watered-down D200. If the specs are indeed factual, it's packing only 1/5 of the AF points the D300 is capable of polling, has less processing power, and is encased in plastic (and not magnesium alloy like the Dx00's)

It's pretty obvious to my why they would keep selling the D300.


RE: WHY?
By soydios on 8/25/2008 7:03:08 PM , Rating: 2
For pros, there is zero comparison between the D300 and the D90. For amateurs, though, absolutely. But not pros.


RE: WHY?
By EidolWays on 8/25/2008 7:21:49 PM , Rating: 2
I'd be surprised if the capture is 1080p. I'll bet it will capture in a 4:3 format instead of 16:9, for starters. Second, I don't know how easily their image processor could be modified to support video, nor how much they'd be willing to modify if to add that feature. Count on stunted video and audio support not unlike what you'd get in a point-and-shoot, if only because that's not what this camera body is really intended for.


RE: WHY?
By wordsworm on 8/27/2008 8:05:25 AM , Rating: 2
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/d...

Better than some camcorders according to their samples. The download rate is atrocious, but what little I could get looked a lot better than a lot of the other cameras that take video. It's really a big selling point to me.


RE: WHY?
By Visual on 8/28/2008 4:02:25 AM , Rating: 2
What is funny about that page is the movie with side-by-side comparison to "typical camcorder".

The darker "typical" image there has much more detail, each of the lights in the background is distinct and separate, while the d90 blurs them all together.

It is high time someone makes a HDR camcorder...


RE: WHY?
By Visual on 8/28/2008 4:15:38 AM , Rating: 2
None of those sample videos show any chances in zoom level while shooting. It would be disappointing if that feature is not available or just too hard to use.

The scenes where they change the focus distance are great... I don't see why zoom can't be changed like that too.


RE: WHY?
By Suntan on 8/25/2008 8:50:02 PM , Rating: 2
The same could be said of the D700 and the D3...

The reality is that the differences between the D300 and the (rumored) D90 are enough to provide market segment differentiation to those who would actually buy them. Even if they look like the same thing to you.

-Suntan


RE: WHY?
By NagoyaX on 8/26/2008 1:02:49 AM , Rating: 2
There still is quite a bit of difference between the D300 and the D90. Plus the D90 is for prosumer while the D300 is semi pro to pro line.

The D90 loses the alloy body and weather sealing as well as the ability to use more of nikons older lens.


Who finds these leaks?
By Solandri on 8/25/2008 7:30:03 PM , Rating: 2
Who is it that's finding these leaks? Do they sit there all day running searches for newly expected model numbers on retail store web sites over and over in hopes of catching one of them making a mistake?




RE: Who finds these leaks?
By Suntan on 8/25/2008 8:46:03 PM , Rating: 2
Partially, but both Canon and Nikon have had a rather "continuous" track record of having their new models "leaked" right before the official NDA time period is up.

Its highly unlikely that it i