Harley Ogier gets to grips with a new hybrid camera from Nikon that blends dSLR looks with the ease of use of a compact

A renowned manufacturer of professional and amateur dSLR cameras, Nikon also produces a respectable range of digital compacts. The P90 is a mix of the two, packing a digital compact camera into a lightweight dSLR-style body.

Construction

The P90 has a solid look and feel reminiscent of Nikon’s high-end dSLR family. The construction is good, with metal screen hinges, strap loops and a metal tripod socket. Rubber finger and thumb pads make the grip particularly comfortable, and the controls are smooth and responsive.

The lens is protected by a solid cap with a good locking mechanism to prevent it falling off in transit. The camera will refuse to power on if the lens cap is in place — an annoyance if you just want to view images, but a power saver if something hits the start button inside your bag.

Image quality

Image quality is good for a digital compact, with sharp edges and vivid colours. In high-contrast situations the colour depth can be amazing, and the P90 is the best compact camera with which I’ve ever shot a sunset.

Despite a large, quality Nikon lens, the P90 has a tiny 1/2.33-inch 12 megapixel image sensor. That many pixels in a small sensor is going to result in noise, especially when the lights dim. The P90’s lens does provide great zoom, but it’s not going to give you dSLR performance.

Modes

The P90 offers a wide range of shooting modes, including the full range of manual modes not found on lower 
end compacts (aperture priority, shutter priority, program and full manual). The preset shooting modes 
are definitely useful, and the manual modes provide access to a number of optional settings that aren’t usually visible.

Choosing the right mode for your scene can make a huge difference, more so than on many digital compacts where the auto mode can handle pretty much anything.

Viewfinder

The P90 features a variable-angle LCD monitor. It doesn’t swing around horizontally and nor can it be flipped closed as seen on several Canon models, but it does provide a good range of vertical adjustment. This is a real help when shooting from above or below eye level. The LCD’s resolution isn’t great, but images do appear sharp and colours are true.

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is equal in quality to the monitor, though you can make out individual pixels when it’s right up against your eye. The EVF does provide dioptre adjustment, which some compact cameras such as the Pentax X70 do not. The bespectacled may find this a major advantage, as the EVF certainly has its uses.

Conclusion

Nikon’s Coolpix P90 offers a wide range of features and a zoom level uncommon among digital compact cameras. It’s not ideal for those who never leave the auto mode but makes a great choice for photographers who love to delve into manual settings yet don’t want to stretch to dSLR hardware.

NIKON COOLPIX P90 – Specifications

• Manufacturer: Nikon

• Model: Coolpix P90

• Effective Pixels: 12.1 million

• Lens: 4.6-110.4mm (35mm equivalent 26-624mm)

• Viewfinder: 0.24-inch TFT LCD, 230,000 dots, dioptre adjustment

• Monitor: 3.0-inch variable angle TFT LCD, 230,000 dots

• Shutter: 1/2000 to 8 seconds

• Aperture: f2.8-f5.0

• ISO: 64-6400

• Shooting Modes: Auto, scene, scene auto selector, P, S, A, and M exposure modes, best shot selector, optimize image, flash exposure compensation, noise reduction, distortion control, date imprint, black border, movie mode, sport continuous mode, voice memo, voice recording

• Exposure Metering: 256-segment matrix, centre-weighted, spot, spot AF area

• Focus Modes: Auto (9-area automatic selection), centre, manual, face priority

• Internal Memory: ~47MB

• Media: SD

• File Format: JPEG, AVI, WAV

• Flash: Built-in popup

• Interface: USB, composite 
video out

• Batteries: Rechargeable Lithium-ion, approx 200 images

• Dimensions: 114 x 83 x 99mm

• Weight: 490g with battery

Contact

www.nikon.co.nz

PROS

• High image quality

• Variable-angle LCD

CONS

• Some issues with noise

Design                      19
Performance             17
Features                   18
Image Quality           17
Value for money       17

TOTAL     88/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 30.

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