Almost exactly two years after the D80 was announced comes its replacement, the rather predictably named D90. The D80 has been one of Nikon’s quiet successes, and even today, despite being positively Methuselah-like in digital camera terms it continues to sell and often makes its way into our top 10 most clicked on cameras. Because it looks so similar to the D80 the D90 appears at first glance to be one of those rather subdued incremental upgrades, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find there’s plenty to keep Nikon fans happy.

With 12.3 megapixels, the newly-designed DX-format CMOS image sensor and Nikon’s proprietary EXPEED image processing concept, the D90 is a quality-guarantee. Advanced features such as Live View, Scene Recognition, Active D-Lighting, Picture Control and an ISO sensitivity range of 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1), allows creativity in almost any setting. And to ensure all these features are easy to use, they are packed in an ergonomic body with an intuitive operational layout.

The D90’s EXPEED technology has been optimised to realise the high-quality, high-speed image processing capability for which Nikon’s professional D-SLRs are renowned. The D90 delivers images with extraordinary detail and expanded enlargement capacity, thanks to its improved DX-format CMOS image sensor and an effective 12.3 megapixels. The ISO sensitivity ranges from 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1) providing low-noise images that are rich in detail and offer tonal gradation beyond expectation. It also enhances the performance of other powerful features such as Live View and the new Face Detection System. To address the issue of lost detail in high-contrast lighting situations, Active D-Lighting adjusts the contrast between images’ light and dark areas by localising tone control as an image is captured. And for extra creativity, Picture Control allows you to customise the look and mood of your images by choosing from six settings, including new Portrait and Landscape modes.