Oh technology, thou art a heartless dame! Even though Nikon’s been pumping out digital SLR camera upgrades like crazy over the past year, with the launch of the D60, the D300, the D700 and the D3x to cover the low, high and pro end of lineup, it’s the company’s newest offering in the mid-level segment that’s going to steal the show (and some market share from its expensive cousins!) as the curtains draw on 2008.

Long hailed as the king of the mid-segment dSLR market, the D80 now has a successor worthy of its name, the unimaginatively named and mathematically predictable Nikon D90. Making up for most of the current hot features that the D80 lacked, the D90 packs in a new twist that promises to bowl the camera world over with its significance and utility.

I’ll spare you the suspense, if you haven’t heard already. Ironically enough, the feature on the D90 that got it the most attention isn’t related to still photography at all. The D90 is the first digital SLR on the planet with the ability to record movies, and it can do it in high definition, no less.

None of that VGA (640 x 480 pixels) output that has been the standard for compact cameras for years now. Nikon’s gone straight for 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixels), recorded in AVI format at 24 frames per second, and you can record all the way till you hit the 2GB file size limit.

On this resolution, that takes about five minutes — of course, you could drop the resolution to either 640 x 424 or 320 x 216 (at the same frame rate) to record upto 20 minutes of continuous video at both of these settings. This is a digital SLR we’re talking about, and the jump from the absolute lack of video in the last generation to HD-resolution video in the D90 is impressive, any which way you look at it.

And the results? Rather impressive, when you compare them to the output from compact cameras, capturing a lot of detail and performing brilliantly in low light conditions — that’s down to the sensor really. And the real clincher — because it’s a dSLR, the awesome effects that the interchangeable lens system allows you to produce is now available for video as well — snap on your favourite lens, and the D90 can work wonders in the right creative hands.

It’s clear that the D90 is a milestone in digital camera innovation, but it’s hard to escape the impression that this is first generation, and the rather early signs of things to come. For example, aperture (and hence depth-of-field) must be selected before entering Live view mode for video recording, and autofocus is also only available prior to recording, using the less-than-responsive contrast-detect mode that is popular in smaller point-and-shoots.

It’s not easy, especially if you’re switching to the dSLR world with this camera — if you want to zoom in or out, or if you subject is moving, you will need to focus the lens — manually. This takes a lot of getting used to, especially if you’re coming from a point-and-shoot camera that does it automatically.

Sound recording is nothing to write home about, using a fairly low sampling rate (11 kHz, Mono, compared to the 48 kHz stereo sound recorded by most dedicated video cameras). This is collected through an internal microphone (with no option for an external one), and you’re usually going to get no more than the sounds of the person operating the camera.

Honestly, this is not a camera you’d buy for its video capability, but undoubtedly, video is an interesting extra feature to have and it’s been included in such a seamless fashion that it is both very usable and doesn’t come in the way of using the rest of the camera.

Good thing then that as much as things change, some things are best left untouched. The D90 is still very much a competent piece of kit, and builds on the D80’s features by including many of the high-end options from the D300. The automatic Chromatic Aberration correction is just one example — without ever having to think about it, it instantly improves the results of every JPEG, regardless of the lens used.

The image quality is excellent, the viewfinder and the LCD screen best in class — when I reviewed the D80, I gave it a high rating, reflecting its unique ability to put features together in a manner that it feels ‘right and all sorted out’ from the word go. The D90 has taken over that mantle, and video or no video, the core still photography features are fantastic and make the D90 a great platform for any amateur photographer, possibly even the best in its price segment.

Quick Specs:

• Effective pixels: 12.3 million
• Image sensor: Nikon DX format (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CMOS sensor
• Image size: 4,288 x 2,848 [L], 3,216 x 2,136 [M], 2,144 x 1,424 [S], D-movie: 1280 x 720 / 24fps, 640 x 424 / 24fps, 320 x 216 / 24fps
• Sensitivity: 200 to 3,200 (ISO equivalent) in steps of 1/3 EV, plus HI-0.3, HI-0.7 and HI-1 (ISO 6400)
• Storage media: SD memory card, SDHC compatible LCD monitor: 3.0', 920,000-dot low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD
• Exposure metering: 3D colour matrix metering II, colour matrix metering II ,centre-weighted and spot metering
• Exposure modes: 1) Digital Vari-Program (Auto, Auto [Flash Off], Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Close-Up, Night Portrait), 2) Programmed Auto [P], 3) Shutter-Priority Auto [S], 4) Aperture Priority Auto [A], 5) Manual [M]
• Interface: USB 2.0 (High-speed): Mass storage and MTP/PTP selectable, GP-1 (GPS Unit)
• Power sources: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e, AC Adapter EH-5a (optional)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): Approx 132 x 103 x 77mm
• Weight: Approx 620gm without battery, memory card, or body cap or monitor cover
• Rating: 9/10
• Price: Rs 69,950 (body only, kit lens extra) plus taxes
• URL: http://nikon.co.in/productitem.php?pid=1281-86d7b52026

Cool drive

Yes, yes, the annual ‘official’ day for romance is a month away, but plan well in advance, and you could be surprising your significant other with more than a bunch of roses this year. The T806 Kissing Octopus Flash Drive from A-DATA, true to its name, is an eight-legged drive available in light pink and sky blue, and in capacities of 2 / 4 / 8GB. The nose, which also houses the USB port, has a magnetic end which can be used to make a pair of octopuses a couple! Or you could use them to stick notes on the fridge, if you’re single…

• URL http://www.adata.com.tw/en/product_show.php?ProductNo=AT86ZZZBU
• Price: $65 for 4GB

Watch out!

Dick Tracy would have been proud of this baby. The Phenom watch looks like a regular calculator watch, doesn’t it? You ain’t seen nothing yet, kid. Under the hood is a fully capable GSM phone, and the Phenom also does duty as an MP3/MP4 player. Storage is handled via a MicroSD port, and it also includes a 1.3-in touchscreen display, Bluetooth, speakerphone and a camera! It can even record video, and the iPhone still doesn’t!

• URL: http://www.phenomwatchphone.com
• Price: $295