New Nikon D90 Discovery - Live View Zoom

All of us has been busily shooting with the view finder that one hardly bothered to explore the Live View option of the Nikon D90! Shooting with the minute view finder for macro or odd-angled shots can sometime prove too challenging for me, and I am beginning to accept the use of the big but slow focusing live view.

Just yesterday while shooting macro shots, I discovered that you can actually use to "+" button on the back of the camera to zoom in on the point of focus! (maybe not that new to some of you) And with the gorgeous live view screen, I can see exactly how the subject is being properly focused. No more eye-pooping strain on the eye, many less defocused shots!

That's cool to me.

Best Lens to Take Videos on Nikon D90

Of the six lenses I possess today, two are FF-ready primes. Prime lens often bears the strong traits of speed, sharpness and good value, and such positive traits are also excellent candidates for video recording on the Nikon D90.

Here, I attached a short ant colony migration clip that I chanced upon in one of the park I frequent, but it simply shows the sharpness, clarity of the Nikon D90 movie mode with the Nikkor 35mm F/1.8G glass. Enjoy!

Watch Ant Colony Migration in Web Series | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Download the full video via veoh player to see video in full native resolution.

Nikon D90 HD Video Recording Time Reviewed

Being in every family occasions where many people are involved, I would usually switched over to the Video mode of the Nikon D90, mount it on my tripod and start recording every laughter, screams, conversation that ever happened on a 18mm angled lens. This way, I am free to do what I want, without missing too much that day.

But, videographer be warned! The Nikon D90 is not designed to take extended video even if you want it to. It will simply shut down when it overheats (or encountered a full buffer), regardless of how much space is still available on your SD card. Time and again, I have to break a 30 minutes video shoot into three video segments. The first being a full twenty minutes (on DVD quality mode), the next for five minutes and the last for around three minutes, before you are forced to take a ten-minutes break.

What Nikon D90 Owners Are Missing Out from Nikon D300

Thought of doing this trivial article for a long time but never got the chance to do it until today - compare Nikon D90 against the Nikon D300 from the functional perspective (not image quality perspective).

Here's a complete list of what we, Nikon D90 owners do not have on our camera

1. 1005-segment RGB sensor
2. Lens data input capability of non-CPU lens for color matrix metering
3. Up to 9 frames bracketing capabilities between -5/+5 EV
4. 51-point CAM 3500DX AF module
5. 1/8000 second shutter speed
6. 150,000 shuttle life
7. 100% frame coverage viewfinder
8. 14-bit file format
9. 6 to 8 FPS release mode
10. Tripod Live view Mode
11. Ten-pin remote terminal
12. Weather-sealing body
13. Magnesium Alloy construction

For all that, you will need to pay an additional $400 from a Nikon D90. Quite neat if you think about it...

Nikon D-Movie Screening Room

Looks like the trend of using a DSLR for cinematography is set to only deepen as Nikon recently launched a mini web area to hopefully rally interest in owners of Nikon D90 and D5000. To come to think of it, I have been faithfully switching between D-movie mode on my Nikon D90 to capture the fun of the families.

In all, I must have shot about coming to fifty movie clips with my camera, most of which are in HD. However, its highly recommended that a smooth ball head and tripod be used to capture each video more professionally. Click [here] to check it out.

Still No New Nikon D90 Firmware in Sight

Routine check today reveals nothing on the horizon for our Nikon D90 still. Very strange indeed, even though the Nikon D700 firmware has received her revision.

O well, maybe, it doesn't need one?

Custom Nikon D90 Picture Control Files

The moment you may be waiting for...more customized picture control for the Nikon D90! Now, to check out how the Kodak Ektachrome effects your shots, simply download all that you want [here] and import them into your Nikon D90 via any SD card today.

The effects are fabulous!

The Nikon D90 Hits Prime Time

Film maker Noah Harald uses the Nikon D90 D-SLR to create professional video content for clients. This [podcast], including sample footage, was captured with the Nikon D90.

Extend Your Video Shoot in Nikon D90!

Just when five minutes is insufficient, the Nikon D90 allows us to shoot close to DVD-quality video for twenty minutes, stretching those tripod mounted video commentary into something meaningful.

Simply switch to the Shooting Menu -> Movie Setting, readjust video mode to "640x424".

Optimized Active D Lighting Settings on Nikon D90

Significant difference abounds if we are to simply turn the auto d-lighting from auto to normal. In auto, you can hardly see it at work. All our pictures lack the much needed contrast.

So flick it to normal or high and be suprised to notice the big difference!

How Tough is Nikon D90 Actually?

This is what we can expect from our Nikon D90!



Who needs weather sealing when the Nikon D90 can thaw back to life on the heated car radiator after a deep-freeze night out?

Best Way to Use AF-ON on Nikon D90 - Part II

Seldom do I need two parts to an article topic but this is one that demands it. So you find it laborious to switch between the realm of autofocus and manual? It does take time and its something we may not have when we want to capture that precious second.

Here's how to combine both manual and autofocus feature of our Nikon D90 without needing to flick the AF/M switch ever again! But note this only applies to the Nikon D90 kit lens and perhaps the newer lens lineup. (Will not work on the 50mm F/1.8D)

Go to Menu F4 to switch the AE-L/AF-L assignment button to AF-ON. Switch your AF mode to AF-C. Done. Now, if you want manual focus override, simply turn the focus ring (on the kit lens) to obtain focus and depress the shutter release. If you fancy autofocus suddenly, depress the AE-L/AF-L button to get auto focus. Depress shutter release to shoot.

Now, in your hands, lie the power to shoot automatically and manual in a split second response time with the Nikon D90!

Best Way to Use AF-ON on Nikon D90 - Part I

On a greater camera like the D700 and above (D300 included), you get a dedicated AF-ON button at the back of the camera body. That helps me confirm today that the Nikon D90 can also configure the AE-L/AF-L button to perform similar role.

But what's the point exactly of using the AF-ON button when half-depressing the shutter release does the same job?

Here's the best answer I hope would be useful to you... adapted from a D300 user.

"From a wise man on another forum; this is now how I have my D300 set up:

1. Change your menu such that AF is activated ONLY with the AF-ON button, and
2. Change to AF-C release priority.
3. Put your focus mode switch in AF-C and leave it there.

Now, on the fly, you can:

• Manually focus: just don't touch the AF-ON button
• Focus and recompose: put the focus point on subject, push AF-ON and release. Recompose and press shutter release.
• Continuously focus: Track target with focus point while holding down AF-ON. Fire at will."

UPDATED - Will perform some experiment to achieve identical effect on the Nikon D90 and share.

Barrel & Pincushion Distortion Control Found in Nikon D90!

We already know that the Nikon D90 has both Lateral Chromatic Aberration Correction and Peripheral Illumination Correction features built-in, thanks to the "L" series firmware found in the Nikon D90.

However, what I don't know till today is this - our Nikon D90 can also perform both pin-cushion distortion control and barrel distortion control right from within our Nikon D90 Retouch Menu. With Ken Rockwell constantly preaching about the above distortions, I think its about time we input this information for better image results!

Now, for best results, we ought to now shoot RAW (NEF) that the post processing be done with minimal loss and best result. Wow, I am surprised I can still be surprised with my 8-month old D90. Personally, I would recommend the "Auto" of such distortion control and leave it to the camera to work it out. Indeed, based on the RGB histogram, the picture has indeed been "worked" on.

Amazing...

Nikon "L" Version Firmware Demystified

Only when I recently compared the firmware revision of my Nikon D90 with other older camera that I realized there's an additional "L" version number! All "A", "B" and "L" are currently at 1.00. Probing deeper on the Internet revealed however that this firmware contains the invaluable lens information needed to optimize its use on the Nikon D90!

No wonder when I first picked up to shoot with a Sigma lens, all hell broke loose without one single accurately focused image. And according to the Internet, some blokes who bought newer lens (e.g. Nikon 35mm F/1.8) found it difficult to get crisp images via the Nikon D90.

New Favorite Picture Control Mode - Monochrome

When colors get boring, the occasional use of monochrome picture control can put your subject in stronger focus. In fact, that's what I plan to do for this upcoming wedding assignment, in moderation that is.

To top it off, I just realize that in this PC mode, a set of four additional filter effects are available for our use, coupled with another 63 toning control tint for that next shoot! Wow! To recall, I was originally wondering if the Sepia picture control of Canon DSLR is ever coming to a Nikon DSLR. It has all along been hiding in the monochrome Picture Control mode!

Improving Videography with Nikon D90 Movie Mode

Turn on AE Lock (Hold)

This is a personal preference of mine, but you might like to set Custom Function f4, Assign AE-L/AF-L button, to AE lock (hold). This way, when you want to lock the exposure on the D90 (which is especially useful when you don't want the exposure to jump all over the place while shooting movies with the D90), all you have to do is press the button once, and you can let go of it - the exposure remains locked. To have the camera re-meter an exposure, simply press the button again.

Calibrating Nikon D90 and Nikkor Lens - A Need or Want?

So the saga continues, and I finally got back all my three lenses with the Nikon D90 today. All lens were calibrated with the body now and the sensor is now spanking clean after a thorough sensor cleaning via liquid solutioning. I am ready to do some serious shoot again after that whole one week of not doing so. This coincidentally matches up with the upcoming public holidays in my country. O yes!

As for the front/back focusing discrepancies I encountered, I am specifically told by the Nikon Engineer that I should engage AF-S mode to avoid unintentional recomposition focus error. Manual selection of the 11 AF points are still preferred after all. Hmm...so much for using AF-A all this while.

Lens calibration will become a need as the lens wears down and remains more of a want for me at this point of time. I was told that for my case, the re-calibration was but a very small marginal reset. Anyway, better to do this every 6 months, being still within the warranty period.

Nikon D90 Awarded Best Digital SLR Advanced Award

Drum roll please...and the best digital SLR advanced award goes to...the Nikon D90!

It's indeed an honor to obtain this greatly coveted TIPA award 2009.

Check out the full award winners [here]

Price Increase of the Nikon D90 Soon?

With the rising strength of the Japanese Yen, we will also see a gradual price increase of the Nikon D90 by about 10% next month.

Hmm...sounds good to me that my camera is appreciating in value for now.

For those outside the Nikon D90 camp, perhaps its a opportune time to jump on the D90 wagon?