Nikon D90 arrives in the market with most features not present in any Nikon D80 ever hadlacked, plus a new twist that will bowl them all over with its relevance and utility.

With a 12.3-megapixel sensor, the Nikon D90 rises to the resolution of the more professional D300. It also shares the same sensitivity as the D300, ranging from ISO 200 to 3,200, plus L1 (100) and H1 (6,400).

Another essential upgrade on the Nikon D90 is the move to a high resolution 3-inch LCD screen. The 920,000-pixel display has a 170-degree viewing angle and appears to be as nice as the new screens found on the D3 and D300.

It makes checking focus and using Live view mode that much more pleasant.

The Nikon D90 feels just about identical to the Nikon D80. It's smaller and lighter than the D300, but still has a good grip, with a good dent inside the grip for the tips of your fingers.

• World's first SLR capable of recording HD-resolution video
• Camera automatically corrects chromatic aberration in camera JPEGs, further increasing the apparent quality of the lens
• Excellent high-ISO performance
• Active D-Lighting (brought over from the D300) is a worthwhile feature
• Excellent user-interface design
• Fast AF system, good shutter response
• Higher-endurance, 100,000-shot rated shutter mechanism
• AF system works down to very low light levels, even without the AF-assist light
• Bright AF-assist lamp does not require flash to be deployed
• Autofocus in Live View mode is slow, limited to contrast-detect only; no phase-detect AF option with Live View
• 1/200 second x-sync speed for flash isn't quite as high as some competing models
• Maximum frame rate of 4.5 fps is lower than competing models
• Adding battery grip doesn't increase shooting speed
• Auto white balance setting doesn't handle household incandescent lighting well
• AF assist lamp may be blocked by your fingers when holding the camera
• AF point is easily changed accidentally by hitting the four-way control pad while shooting
• Accurate and consistent metering, works to very low light levels (but only in manual mode at the darkest levels)

• Resolution: 12.30 Megapixels
• Kit Lens: 5.80x zoom 18-105mm (27-158mm eq.)
• Viewfinder: Optical / LCD
• LCD Size: 3.0 inch
• ISO: 100-6400
• Shutter: 30-1/4000
• Max Aperture: 3.5
• Memory Type: SDHC / SD
• Battery: Custom LiIon
• Dimensions: 5.2x4.1x3.0in (132x103x77mm)
• Weight: 25.2 oz (713 g)
• Power-on Time: 0.3 sec
• Shutter Lag, Full Autofocus: 0.208 sec
• Shutter Lag, Pre-focused: 0.067 sec
• Shot to Shot time: 0.36 sec
• Continuous Speed: 4.50 fps (20 shots)
• Best Macro: 4.21x2.80 in 107x71mm
• Viewfinder accuracy (Optical): 96%
• Viewfinder accuracy (LCD): 100%
• Distortion (Wide Angle): 1.1%
• Distortion (Telephoto): -0.5%
• Battery Life (CIPA standard): 850 shots

This is an impressive creative tool that can greatly handle difficult shots that might mean the difference between a good and bad one.