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Nikon debuts D90 DSLR... and short-shooting camcorder
720p recording
Nikon has unveiled a digital SLR snapper that lets you shoot HD video - provided you like short movies.
Nikon's D90: shoots 720p video
The D90’s ability to capture video at resolutions up to 720p and at a 24 frames per second in Motion JPEG format is, according to Nikon, a world’s first for a DSLR camera.
It’s worth noting, though, that the camera only shoots up to five minutes of video at 720p, rising to around 20 minutes at lower resolutions. This is a self-imposed technical limitation by Nikon which, it’s believed, is necessary to prevent the image sensor from overheating.
The camera has an HDMI port, allowing you to connect the shooter directly into your HD TV. You're not limited to silent movies, but the microphone on the front of the camera only picks up mono, not stereo, audio.
JPEGs are snapped at up to 12.3Mp
Of course, the snapper can still capture “fine details, smooth tones and rich colours” with its 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor. The D90 has a 3in LCD sat just below a viewfinder on the camera’s rear.
The D90’s maximum ISO sensitivity is 6400 and six pre-set scene modes are included, in addition to five-face face-detection technology.
Images are stored onto SDHC memory cards and can be retouched within the camera.
Nikon’s D90 can be snapped up next month, with the body only option set to cost £700 ($1300/€880) and the kit version including the 18-105mm lens priced at £850 ($1450/€1050).