[44 of 48 customers found this review helpful]

Nikon D90 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 18-105mm VR Lens Review

Wonderful for Wedding Photography!

"So why would a pro, who can write off any camera in his taxes, settle for a mid-grade camera? Size, weight, feel, and reasonable costs on accessories (MB-D80 battery pack is half the price of the one for the D300)! Prosumer cameras also seem to have far more usable whistles and bells! Nearly two years ago, I chose the D80 over the D200, because the D200 felt (and weighed) much like a brick. When shooting a wedding, one has the camera around one's neck for 6 hours, so I really didn't want to add any chiropracters to my contact list. Besides, I baby my gear, and I don't need it constructed from Adamantium. Leave that for the paparazzi. The mid-grade line is also more user-friendly, with wonderful toys like Night-mode, perfect for capturing the newlyweds against white christmas lights with a star filter on the lens. The D90 has a cross filter in it's software! Now I don't have to keep that filter in my pocket, which tends to blur and halo the photos anyway. With active D-lighting, I have wider dynamic range than ever before. The biggest reason for me to upgrade from the D80 was the noise reduction from switching to a CMOS sensor. Don't get me wrong, the noise is still there at ISO 800 with 65% unsharp masking, but it is far smoother and natural than the D80, far less noticable. You have to look harder to find it, and no one will ever see it on their prints anyway. The second reason for upgrade, is the 3-inch LCD screen, with Live-View capability. I sometimes shoot over the heads of the crowds at receptions, and with Live-View, I can now see what I'm framing, even if from a sharp angle. It is also easier for me to see if anyone blinked in that last group shot. The bride can squint a lot less now to view the photos on the 3-inch screen. NOTE: Set that LCD to -2 in the menu, if you want a closer representation of what you captured. That seems to go for most Nikon SLRs. While you are in the menu, increase the sharpening by a notch or two. Video? Well, useful I suppose, but if video is what you are into, it won't replace a 29 frame-per-second video camera. However, if I find myself shooting nature photos in the woods of Washington state, and see Bigfoot, I will thank the makers for the Hi-def video option! What would I change? How about a Custom setting on the Mode Dial? Portrait Mode is all well and fine, but you can't set it to center spot focus, or spot meter mode. Nor can you limit the auto-ISO maximum. I'm sorry, but I don't see myself choosing ISO 3200 very often, on anyone's camera. I emailed Nikon about it, and they emailed back within 8 hours, with a work-around: Set the camera to Aperature Priority (which I use anyway), set the NEW Picture Control to Portrait, and then cutomize everything I've mentioned so far! Now if I could just save it as a separate custom setting on the Mode Dial... Unlike Canon, Nikons have a better, tighter spot meter, traditional names for their controls, and controls in places that make sense, like the On/Off switch next to shutter, rather than the back 40. I've slept in the Canon camp for years, but switched to Nikon when Canon bacame too cheap to include spot meters on $1000 Rebels and $1500 20Ds. When you Photograph a white-veiled bride against white backlit windows, only a Nikon 2% spot meter will do. Leave the Canons for the Mac community. My Mac friends seem to stick to Canon because it is "the other white meat". Been there, done that.In conclusion: sharpen the photos a notch or two in the menu, and it will be an awesome, easy to use camera that won't break your back or your credit line.*Photos used by permission from bride on model release, shot in Portrait Mode for multi-metering, brightened in Photoshop a tad and downsized for this review."

Bride from last night's wedding, brightness added.

• Nikon D90 Portrait

Bride from last night's wedding, brightness added.