Nikon's New D90 Steals Canon's 50D's Thunder 21 comments
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Well no sooner is Canon (CAJ) out with its EOS 50D than Nikon creatively is out with its D90. However, for most consumers, at least at first blush, the D90 sort of blows the more expensive 50D out of the water.
The killer feature on the D90 is that it shoots video (1280x720, .avi format, HD720p). In addition to being a kick ass DSLR, it also shoots video. If video wasn't a big enough bell and whistle for you, it also includes GPS geotagging. As far as I know, this is the first DSLR to include both video and geotagging on the market today. Amazon lists the price for the new D90 at $999.95 here (but it's out of stock). 
Personally I've always felt that Nikon and Canon are an either/or sort of thing, sort of like Lightroom or Aperture for processing. Whenever someone asks me what camera they should buy I usually suggest that they choose either a Nikon or a Canon system depending on their price point. Mainly I suggest these two systems because they are the two most popular DSLR systems and both have fantastic camera bodies and even more importantly a fantastic range of great lenses. Because they are both popular systems, you are likely to run into other people/friends etc who are also using those systems and who can give you advice, share lenses, etc.
Another cool thing that Nikon did is that it released the news on its new camera through Pro Photographer Chase Jarvis. It's a hip well-produced video with great music by the Blakes targeted squarely at the advanced amateur market (complete even with an iPhone ring that interrupts the video shoot at one point). How did Canon release their news on their new 50D yesterday? Through a dry, boring old Canon, press release. Yeah, maybe, just maybe, some of the leaks through Photography Bay earlier were planted (screen grabs from a Chinese site), but Chase's personal introduction of the Nikon D90 is so much cooler. It just goes to show you that Canon, their PR and marketing teams still just don't get the web.
Anyway, here are the basics (from Jarvis):
12.3 megapixels (the same luscious chip that’s in the Nikon D300)
D-movie function (that’s right, MOVIE function. 1280x720, .avi format, HD720p)
High ISO/low-noise performance (Nikon’s ace in the hole. I shot this at 3200 and dug it.)
4.5 frames per second
3 inch, 920dot LCD with Live View
Pop up flash with ‘commander’ mode to interface with Nikon's lighting system
GPS tagging
More details on the new camera can be found on Jarvis' site.
Disclosure: None
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This article has 21 comments:
the 5d mk 2 will not compete with the d90. they are in different classes. that the d90 has video and geotagging does not mean that "Canon is going to have one heck of a challenge when they finally release their 5D Mark II". the 5d/2 will be able to produce far superior imagery than the d90. if canon adds geotagging and video capability to the 5d (or to a1d in the future) it will not be in response to nikon's consumer-model bells and whistles.
early tests show the d90 noise levels to be pretty poor at high iso. this nikon will probably not be able to compete with the 50d. from what i've seen it barely holds its own (at high iso) against the 40d.
while nikon may have come 'creatively out' with the d90 they certainly did not steal canon's thunder.
it's clear you don't really know cameras. you only make it worse with your ham-fisted writing. you tailor the facts to suit your point. first you cite how the d90 is "$400 *less* than the suggested retail price of Canon's 50D", implying it is a better deal. then, you refer to the d90 and the 50d as being direct competitors occupying the same price range (when you said "At least at the D90 50D-price point). this isn't all. your prose is clunky at best and grammatically incorrect at worst. when you turn a phrase like "you are likely to run into other people/friends etc who..." you need to separate 'etc' with a comma. also, etc is short for et cetera. it's not written 'etc' it's written 'etc.' -- you put a period after etc. even if it appears in the middle of a sentence.
if you had followed these elementary rules your phrase would have been "you are likely to run into other people/friends, etc. who..." almost the same thing but your version represents laziness and/or apathy at best and, at worst, hints at a lack of basic education.
i could go on. almost every sentence offers up a new target. for instance, you don't capitalize 'pro photographer'. oh, here -- let's take your first three words. you should have separated well from the rest of the sentence with a comma, as in: "Well, no sooner is Canon..." you manage to set the tone right off the bat, don't you. okay, i guess you get the point.
your review is for gadget lovers, not photographers. from the level of writing and your poor understanding of the technical aspects of photography i'd say semi-literate gadget lovers. please stick to what you know, whatever that may be. perhaps you could write a column about video game cheats, or your favorite burger/soft drink combo, or which superhero would make the best rock drummer.
looking forward to it.
the 5d mk 2 will not compete with the d90. they are in different classes. that the d90 has video and geotagging does not mean that "Canon is going to have one heck of a challenge when they finally release their 5D Mark II". the 5d/2 will be able to produce far superior imagery than the d90. if canon adds geotagging and video capability to the 5d (or to a1d in the future) it will not be in response to nikon's consumer-model bells and whistles.
early tests show the d90 noise levels to be pretty poor at high iso. this nikon will probably not be able to compete with the 50d. from what i've seen it barely holds its own (at high iso) against the 40d.
while nikon may have come 'creatively out' with the d90 they certainly did not steal canon's thunder.
it's clear you don't really know cameras. you only make it worse with your ham-fisted writing. you tailor the facts to suit your point. first you cite how the d90 is "$400 *less* than the suggested retail price of Canon's 50D", implying it is a better deal. then, you refer to the d90 and the 50d as being direct competitors occupying the same price range (when you said "At least at the D90 50D-price point). this isn't all. your prose is clunky at best and grammatically incorrect at worst. when you turn a phrase like "you are likely to run into other people/friends etc who..." you need to separate 'etc' with a comma. also, etc is short for et cetera. it's not written 'etc' it's written 'etc.' -- you put a period after etc. even if it appears in the middle of a sentence.
if you had followed these elementary rules your phrase would have been "you are likely to run into other people/friends, etc. who..." almost the same thing but your version represents laziness and/or apathy at best and, at worst, hints at a lack of basic education.
i could go on. almost every sentence offers up a new target. for instance, you don't capitalize 'pro photographer'. oh, here -- let's take your first three words. you should have separated well from the rest of the sentence with a comma, as in: "Well, no sooner is Canon..." you manage to set the tone right off the bat, don't you. Okay, i guess you get the point.
your review is for gadget lovers, not photographers. from the level of writing i'd say semi-literate gadget lovers. please stick to what you know, whatever that may be. perhaps you could write a weekly column about your favorite burger/soft drink combo, or which superhero would make the best rock drummer.
looking forward to it.
www.techdirt.com/blog....
Yes I guess it's not for the pro-market ... except as a utility / vacation camera.
lol @ Grammer Nazi
Well written Mr Hawk. Yes the D90 is one kick-arse unit. If you must compare it with a 50D, but you got it about right.
As for performance, D90 is right up there ... unless you are a real hard-arse pro, but then what are you fiddling with a D90 for ? ... not that it won't be in many pro's kit-bags as a lightweight versatile backup, or their #1 vacation camera/videocam.
For some clues : watch Chase Jarvis's video ... D90 matches some of the D3's world-leading abilities. Of course you can't compare it to the likes of a D3 ... but when it comes close to that type of performance AND throws in HD video around $1k ... wow!
"Bells-and-whistles" :)) ... call it that if you must ... but these bells and whistles have LONG been missing in good kit, and trust Nikon to implement it AND keep it affordable. Why not have a HD video capability on a camera? ... it makes pure clean sense. Surely there can be NO-ONE under pro-level looking at a new camera and videocam that won't be better off with a D90 to cover both.
Why should all camera's follow the tradition design to be accepted by hardarses ... Nikon has traditional models, let them lead the market into new areas as well. If you don't like the D90 with video, try a D700.
This camera is blowing the market open and sets a new yardstick. Unless competitors hurry similar options to their models, expect a serious shift in revenue - there is a large market right where this camera is aimed ... hobbyist / semi-pro. And yes, the 50D launch is seriously tainted by this ... whether or not it outperforms the D90 on a few areas (no doubt the D90 will do well in some if it matches D3 in some capabilities!).
Me, I'm just looking for a new camera ... was considering Nikon and Canon models, thankfully never put my money down yet ... which has been partly due to how close the markets have been ... but they are no longer! I definitely know where its going now!!! No doubts at all! I have older models of both - and tbh have prefered the Nikon so am happy its gone this way. I've LONG wondered why a combined cam/video is not avail.
To quote Chase Jarvis ... who IS a pro (pro photographer not grammar-nazi) : "HD720 video in an dSLR is really big news. It’s so cool that we’re seeing the merging of high quality still and video pictures into the same camera. Sure, for us pros, we’ve got the RED camera. But for everybody else? This is the future. People: this is an SLR that shoots killer video! It’s the merging of features that the pros are using and it’s made accessible the the amateur at a price point of $1200+ bucks.
Trust me, I played with this feature at length...all of us on location did, for that matter. It's going to be a powerful tool. You can control your own depth of field so beautifully using the manual focus ring, the audio capture is solid, the high ISO capabilities in video?! Way cool... Long lenses, fisheyes, zoom lenses...versatility. I’m a BIG fan of the D-Movie."
I guess that means this article was written just for people like you and I after-all ;))
Priceless.
Likewise I don't think the d90 is going to affect sales of the 50D too much. It's aimed at people who prioritize squeezing the best possible still image quality out of a cropped frame DSLR, can use weather sealing and value more rugged construction. People who would like a pro DSLR but can't justify or afford the cost of the gear. If early reports about the gapless lenses over its 15mp sensor are proven correct the 50D will be formidable. Now, that said, the D90 does comprehensively pee all over the 40D feature wise, but I'll wait to see DPR's tests before I make up my mind on which to buy.
As far as Mr Jarvis, well yes, he is a professional photographer, but as he is part of the camera's launch campaign, I think his gushing praise might be taken with a touch of salt..unless of course he is about to sell off all his other gear...
For stills, however, the 50D's buffer, build, speed, performance (both AF and fps), better low light performance and added detail simply blows the D90 out of the water.
a.img-dpreview.com/new...
To comment on the original post, I think its a bit silly to say the D90 blows the 50D out of the water. Does the D90 blow the D300 out of the water? Clearly Nikon doesn't think so; yet the D90 has video and (optional) GPS... Hmm, what to make of this. The 50D will likely hold an edge over the D300 in picture quality in both resolution and noise (reserve final judgement until the scores come in). Many will be attracted to bells and whistles of the D90 (and get a good camera in the bargain) but people needing or wanting higher quality cameras and pictures will move up the ladder. Some will stop at the 50D or D300 and some will move up to full frame sensors.
Something you should consider before purchasing your first SLR are lenses. Think about what kind of pictures you want to take. Explore the lenses offered by the different manufactures. Both Nikon and Canon have a good selection of great lenses but each has different strengths in their portfolio. It might help to plan out a few future lenses that you’ll want to buy and compare prices and quality.
Both Nikon and Canon make excellent cameras. I have owned extensive camera outifts in each brand. At the time, one or the other offered what I needed to provide customers with their desires. Both the D90 and the 50D and whatever is around the corner for either company (and others) will have pros and cons.
Pick what features are most important to you and try to find the camera company that best fulfills that objective. If you want video - get the D90 or a video camera that provides even more capability. If you want more megapixels - get the 50D. They will BOTH be able to probably shoot better still pictures than your ability if you are reasonably new to the art of photography. Enjoy what you get and take the best pictures you can.
It is mostly the person behind the camera that determines the quality of the picture. A fantastic camera will not make you an excellent photographer. Get out and shoot pictures and develop an eye for what you are doing. Go to your library and read some books. Take a class at your local college. All will help your ability more than the latest camera with the latest gee-whiz feature.
Learn to use the features of whatever camera you decide to buy. Almost every DSLR on the market has so many features and capabilities that many owners never learn them.
Get a camera.
Learn what makes it work.
Use every feature you can.
Take lots of pictures.
Have fun.
Life's too short.
I was forcust on the following feature to move onto DSLR.
1. Price.
2. Picture Quality (Includes higher sensitivities)
3. APS-C
4. Quick response.
5. Live View
6. Dust Reduction
7. SD Card
8. Viblation Reduction (Image Stablization)
9. Not so heavy weight.
10. Fun to own.
The D90 has enogh to cover all of my requirment.
50D has much more feature than D90, but it is too much for me.
I do not need 6.5 shoot / second.
I do not need 15M Pixel.
I do not have money to pay $1,500 for the body.
I am satisfied to have D90 over all 80%, not 100%.
Is this make sense?
However, to the extent the potential market for these two very different cameras overlaps, a comparison is warranted.
Advanced amateurs may be evaluating the question, "Do I spend a little more and get the 50D which is a significantly better camera, or do I save some money and get the D90 which I will still be extremely happy with and gain some interesting consumer-oriented features which I will use?"
I bought the camera with the 18-200 EF-S F3.5-5.6 IS lens kit for $1588 total. After the 1.6 crop factor, this lens is the equivalent of a 29-300mm lens. That range is so versatile that I might not need another lens.
Price does matter to me, but my philosophy is that it's extremely expensive to invest in really fast lenses, so I won't be buying any of Canon's legendary F1.2 lenses any time soon. (Okay, maybe one.) But with a faster image sensor, absolutely every lens will gather more useful light by default. So whatever lens I put on there will in a certain sense work much like a faster lens would with a slower sensor.
The most frequent frustration I've had as an amateur photographer is with the adequacy of available lighting. So to me, the sensor speed is paramount. It is an overriding concern.