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August 29, 2008
Look mom... video!
Pity the poor people over at Canon. No sooner do they announce the new 50D than Nikon responds with the groundbreaking D90
Not only does the latest Nikon release have the same high ISO/low noise technology found in the Nikon D300, D3 and D700 cameras, but it is the first DSLR to shoot video.
From Nikon's site:
A new idea for D-SLRs, the D90 offers a movie function, allowing you to shoot movies in three different motion JPEG formats: 320 x 216 pixels, 640 x 424 pixels and 1,280 x 720 pixels. Now you can capture life’s moving moments with added drama by using many of Nikon’s NIKKOR lenses, including the AF DX Fisheye 10.5mm f/2.8G ED and the Micro-NIKKOR lenses.
You'll find Chase Jarvis' sample videos here.
The inclusion of video on what is essentially a camera designed for the serious amateur is significant for a variety of reasons. First, while point and shoot cameras such as Canon's popular IXY have long captured video, this is the first time that a DSLR has included such a feature. This means still photographers will now be able to use different lenses to capture a moving image, blurring backgrounds or showing the whole of a scene with a super-wide lens. While camcorders can sometimes be fitted to use lens adapters, Nikon has made the process much simpler.
There can be no doubt the worlds of video and still photography are merging. The use of video is becoming increasingly popular on the web and even the photo sharing site Flickr recently introduced a video feature. Video cameras such as those made by Sony, meanwhile, now include the ability to take stills.
Nikon has thrown down the gauntlet to its larger rival Canon and it will be interesting to see how and when they will respond. Consumers meanwhile continue to benefit from the rivalry between the two dominant DSLR manufacturers.
Posted by Marcus at August 29, 2008 8:46 AM
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