 "Don't discount the lens mount error" | 2009-11-08 |
| - Reviewed By nordichunk |
The D90 was my first step into DSLR and I chose Nikon because of 20+ years of good past experience with a rock-solid (and very basic!) N2000 and later the digital Coolpix 950. I bought my D90 in June 2009 and for several thousand images it fell in the category "you shouldn't ever feel this close to an inanimate object". I like the way it feels in my hand and its weight isn't a problem for me, although I've seen a few negative comments about that. I'm happy with the bright display. The batteries have lasted well. The controls are where they should be for a Nikon. It was solid: you can easily freeze the hummingbird in the air and the water droplets falling from a dolphin at its apex. It had the kind of responsiveness that you'll recall if you've worked with plain old SLRs (and minus the "lag" of the older non-SLR Coolpix!).
It'd be safe to say I love almost everything about the camera...*except* that I've recently run into the F-- lens mount error. I'd read Amazon reviews before buying the camera, but blew off what people had written
You can read more about the problem (and 18-135 lens kit) here:
[...]
and in the results of a Google search of "d90 lens error" or similar.
I've removed the lens, cleaned the contacts, etc. but quite often now I'll be squeezing a shot and nothing...sometimes jiggling the lens or remounting fixes the problem. Even slight pressure on the side of the zoom can correct the problem.
All I can really say about the problem is that if you don't have it, you'll probably love the D90. If you *do* have it, it's really a deal breaker. In any situation with a moving/changing subject, you almost never have a second chance once you've nudged the lens a bit and tried to clear it. And having that confidence in your equipment that it will work reliably when you need it is unspeakably important.
Without the lens mount/electrical contact error, I'd give the camera the highest rating. As is, I now have to figure out what the Nikon terms are on servicing the camera, determine where to send it, etc. All I really want now is to have this camera back working correctly because I think it's a beautiful piece of technology when working. |
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 "Great camera for the enthuisiast." | 2009-11-05 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2T4J7BUTF9JQU |
I got this camera for my wife because she has an unexplored interest in photography, and she absolutely loves it. She went from not knowing the difference between iso and aperture to being able to fine tune the camera to get the image she wanted. The shots are far from perfect but they definitely have a beautiful professional look to them.
I work in video and film production and so i have a great appreciation for the tremendous level of control the camera gives you. Huge iso/shutter ranges, it would be nice to have a quicker lens though. We have figured out a majority of the controls thanks to the easily accessible manual and quick manual and good old fashioned playing around.
The best part we've found is that even without painstakingly setting manual settings the camera takes beautiful pictures on it's automatic settings. Our real gems up to this point have come from manual settings, but that just means we have lots of room to improve.
An SDHC card is a good addition for quick read/write functionality.
This is a fantastic camera to help the photography enthuisiast or professional to create stunning photos well above it's price. |
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| "Getting F-- ERROR on my D90 camera..." | 2009-11-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A17JDUU5VKPGIS |
| Over all the Camera is good. it takes great pics and the quality is good. But my camera is just 2 months old and it already started acting up. The most annoying was, I see the error F-- very often right in the middle of taking pictures.. i went through all online blogs and tried everything and the problem still persists.. I think lot of people are having this issue, Is Nikon aware of it and doing anything about it?. |
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| "Great shooter" | 2009-11-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3ONJX5O2SKK96 |
| This is a great camera. I've been shooting with point-and-shoots for years, opting for the Canon Digital Elph line of cameras. The limitations of the point-and-shoots in action sequences, low light, or difficult lighting became too frustrating, so I finally made the plunge and bought a D-90. The camera is beautifully capable of handing all the situations I find myself in, for example hiking, at parties, cycling, and for portraits. The ability to shoot at 4.5 fps, take photos in low light, and adjust any function on the fly to try different approaches have made my experience of photography much more gratifying. |
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 "Issue with this Kit lens and Poor customer service." | 2009-10-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3G7QO8N4XM0CH |
| I purchased this camera and lens on 12-Sep-09 from Amazon. I read rave reviews about this camera and It was my dream come true to own a D90. Within few days I realised that there is something wrong with the lenses. .The lens started to rattle and it started giving rattling/grinding noise while auto-focussing.Then I mailed Nikon service centre and they told me it was a issue with the Vibration reduction function and may need a repair, )(yes a 'repair' for a brand new lens, not even a replacement!!!). I sent the product to the service centre and it reached them on october 2nd. But somehow this was entered in their registry only on october 07th. Then they updated the service order number saying they need a major part replacement(Service Repair Rank B2) in the lens which will fix this issue.And it has been lying in this state for more than 3 weeks with no proper end-time for resolution. When contacted, the replies have been more blunt than encouraging.They say they are yet to receive the replacement part. I purchased this camera well ahead of thanksgiving season just because I wanted to capture the colors of Fall in my neighbourhood. But now, its almost getting over and am totally frustrated for having invested in Nikon.I was terribly dis-appointed after having spent 1139$ for this dream.Since this is a Kit lens, I think Nikon felt they were giving these lenses for free that they didn't care for the quality.And now their service delay is even more agonizing. |
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| "Best camera for the $$$" | 2009-10-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: ALPMPJQ7SQSBX |
I've owned a point and shoot camera for 2 years now, and I have always been jealous of the quality and versatility of DSLR cameras. I didn't want to chunk down $1K on a camera without knowing about them, so I did a lot of homework. Before purchasing the Nikon D90 w/ kit lens, I researched several web sites along with other photographers and artists alike. All sources pointed to the Nikon brand for it's high quality build, reputation and ease of transition from newbie beginner shots to the professional arena. I opted for this model in lieu of previous cheaper Nikon's so I can use older glass prime lenses with the D90, thus potentially saving me money in the future when it comes to buying different lenses. The kit lens is an excellent beginner lens, however after 500 or so pictures, I can see it's limitations, and will be looking for a 50mm f/1.4-f1.8 lens for better portrait pictures. I would not, however, go and buy a ton of expensive lenses before you use the kit lens and determine if it is enough for you or not. I searched several competitor web sites and stores and Amazon offers the best price for this kit. Other web sites are roughly $120-200 more for the same kit (October 2009). I knew that a camera of this caliber would be a challenge, so I bought a book on digital photography specifically around the D90 prior to purchase. I have the grasp of the basic functions, and regular day pictures, however night photography is a little trickier. I would highly recommend a tripod if you plan to shoot a lot in low light conditions. Even though the camera has VR, it does not fix all movement/exposure issues in low light conditions.
MAIN PROS:
- Great price
- Ease of use (with basic features)
- Interchangeable with older lenses for better future value
- Live View
- Great 12.3 megapixels for very sharp photos
- In camera photo editing
- Shoots in RAW & JPEG
MAIN CONS:
- Nikon software is TERRIBLE! I use a Mac running 10.6 snow leopard and the software crashes constantly. Nikon's web site has no solution for this, even after the software supposedly updates itself after install. Apple's Aperture, iPhoto and Adobe products have no problem recognizing the camera and quickly importing the photos.
- Kit does not include a SD card, therefore preventing you from taking pictures right out of the box. Prepare to make a run to the store for a minimum of 4GB SD card (takes about 1K JPEG photos). |
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Expedited Available
