Digital Cameras Reviews

Posts Tagged ‘Scene Recognition’

Nikon D90 12 3MP Digital SLR Camera Body Only

Fusing 12.3-megapixel image quality inherited from the award-winning D300 with groundbreaking features, the D90s breathtaking, low-noise image quality is further advanced with EXPEED image processing. Split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4.5 frames-per-second provide the power to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly, while Nikons exclusive Scene Recognition System contributes to faster 11-area autofocus performance, finer white balance detection and more. The D90 delivers the control passionate photographers demand, utilizing comprehensive exposure functions and the intelligence of 3D Color Matrix Metering II. Stunning results come to life on a 3-inch 920,000-dot color LCD monitor, providing accurate image review, Live View composition and brilliant playback of the D90s cinematic-quality 24-fps HD D-Movie mode.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Love this camera
I have been using my D90 for about 10 months now, and combined with the Nikon 18-200 VR zoom lens and SB-600 flash, have been able to get great pictures. If you get this camera you should really consider getting just the body and the buying the 18-200 lens separately. It is well worth the money and gives you much more versatility without having to worry about changing the lens out in the field. So many features built in to the camera that I have yet to try (although I do use the “D” lighting and “Star” effect a lot. Took a lot of night shots at Disneyland/California Adventure without flash to get the colorful lighting and decorations that came out excellent!! Recently purchased a Sigma 150-500 zoom that is dedicated for the Nikon camera, and am very pleased with my sports pictures that I have been taking.

5 Stars Really cool
Everything but the video function is awesome. The button on the front for a custom menu is pretty cool.

4 Stars One of the best cropped sensor DSLRs on the market.
1. Nikon D300s

2. Canon 7D

3. Nikon D90

These are the three best cropped sensor DSLRs in order. If you can’t afford the first two, number three will still make you very, very happy. The Nikon D90 is phenomenal. It’s speedy, it’s accurate, it has brilliant high iso performance for low-light shooting, excellent dynamic range for fixing up pictures that may be under or over-exposed, excellent auto-focus, and just feels good in your hands. The images I get from the D90 impress me time and time again. Couple this camera with the Nikon 35mm 1.8 DX(low light, portraits, semi-wide shots) and the Nikon 55-200mm VR DX(sports, birds, butterflies, nature, surfing) lenses and you will have an awesome set-up that won’t break your bank.

The only downside to all of this is the “HD” video mode. DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA IF VIDEO IS A FEATURE HIGH ON YOUR LIST, GET A DEDICATED VIDEO CAMERA INSTEAD(I recommend the Canon HF100). Some DSLRs are capable of taking “HD” video now; The Nikon D90, Nikon D300s, the Canon 5d Mark II, and the Canon 7D, but guess what? They all suck. Why? They cannot automatically focus while taking video. What does that mean for you? That means you will never be able to film sports or any moving subjects. You will never be able to move the camera out of range without insane levels of care to keep your subject exactly in the distance from were your pre-focused it. You will have rolling shutter aka “jelly video” if you pan the camera too quickly. Yes, you can manually focus while filming to get a professional film look, but that requires a lot of skill and patience. You will never be able to just point the camera and capture your sons football game, or daughters dance lessons. You will have to pre-focus every shot, and keep the camera on a tri-pod or buy expensive steady-cam equipment. The video modes in DSLRs just are not worth it, not yet at least.

Don’t let that deter you from getting a D90 though, the images are astounding! Pictures, remember the reason that you should be wanting a DSLR in the first place, not video.

5 Stars Awesome
I stepped up to the D90 from the D40x, I simply love this camera, low light bright light it performs up to task. Most everything is covered in other reviews so I will leave it that.

5 Stars The right decision for me.
After almost a year of research and soul searching I finally jumped in and purchased the D90. It was the right decision for me because it allows for great photography in auto mode while I learn and gives me room to grow as I expand my photography skills. I waffled between the D60 and D90 for months and the decision came down to the D90s ability to work with an expanded lens selection.

In making this decision I connected with a few friends also looking to buy D-SLRs. We all ended up making different decisions based on our individual needs. For me, the extra capabilities of the D90 were well worth the extra money.

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Nikon D90 DX 12 3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18 105mm f 3 5 5 6G ED AF S VR DX Nikkor Zoom Lens

Fusing 12.3-megapixel image quality inherited from the award-winning D300 with groundbreaking features, the D90s breathtaking, low-noise image quality is further advanced with EXPEED image processing. Split-second shutter response and continuous shooting at up to 4.5 frames-per-second provide the power to capture fast action and precise moments perfectly, while Nikons exclusive Scene Recognition System contributes to faster 11-area autofocus performance, finer white balance detection and more. The D90 delivers the control passionate photographers demand, utilizing comprehensive exposure functions and the intelligence of 3D Color Matrix Metering II. Stunning results come to life on a 3-inch 920,000-dot color LCD monitor, providing accurate image review, Live View composition and brilliant playback of the D90s cinematic-quality 24-fps HD D-Movie mode.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars It’s a D300 for half price.
I had the D300 and loved it until this came out.

The D300 is great, but it can be complicated at times.

The D90 is a D300 in the body of a D70. Sure, there are other features on the D300; metal pro body and seals – but when it comes to speed, handling, and image quality – you will be hard pressed to see a difference.

Buy the D300 to impress people.

Buy the D90 to take awesome photos, and with the money you saved, you can fund that next awesome lens you wanted.

Seriously, it’s that good.

Former D300 owner, have also owned the D80 and D70.

Presently own the D40x, D90 (new – and love), F100 and a FE. Don’t ask me about lenses – I own too many as it is.

ps. I sold my D300 and got the D90.

5 Stars Great for the semi-pro
I have a D40 and a D60 and was about to purchase a D5000, but after looking at all the reviews I could find of each model, I chose to add the D90 to my collection…so glad I did. The quality is great for the price, and the pictures are amazing. I have added a wide angle (11-18) lens and I am so impressed with the results. I belong to a retro Thunderbird club, and getting 70 T-Birds in a clear concise photo was a major concern. Even large prints of the pics I took are of poster quality…which means, blown up, much detail can be seen. Great camera!

5 Stars The D90 Rocks!
I am an amateur photographer by far but got tired of missing the great moments waiting for my piece of junk ‘point and shoot’ to figure out that I wanted it to take a picture. After missing every attempted shot at my daughter’s gymnastics meet, I told my wife we are droppin’ some coin on a nice camera. I did a lot of web research reading reviews and talking with friends who had nice cameras. I had to go to Bestbuy to handle a few cameras because Montgomery ALABAMA does not have a single camera store……capital city too! NICE!

Bottomline – this camera does more cool stuff than I had realized. Download the owner’s manual from Nikon and see for yourself. I will not miss a great moment again. I could go into all of the features but others have done a much better job at writing reviews. I have never owned a Nikon nor a dSLR camera for that matter so I really have nothing to compare it to except my crappy ‘point and shoots (misses)’. Try Cameta Camera on eBay because they offer the same package deal as on Amazon but for $40 less. Still a good deal on Amazon with the extra lens, case, battery, etc.

5 Stars Best I’ve owned
The Nikon D90 is the best camera I’ve ever owned. I currently own a D90 and D700. However, the ease of use, the portability and the utilitarian characteristics are amazing on the D90. The picture quality is equal to professional levels if you learn how to use this camera. I simply took pictures non-stop for six months and began to learn how to adjust settings. While I use the non-automatic settings you can get great pictures using the automatic settings as well despite what the books and critics say. I like nature photography and the fast setting has given me some great shots of birds in flight and animals on the run (horses, coyotes, deer, rabbits, etc). I recommend getting a Nikkor 70-300mm lens for telephoto and a Nikkor Micro 105mm for close-up work. You can use the 70mm-300mm without a tripod because it comes with vibration control. Very nice, indeed. With the 18mm-55mm lens that comes in the kit this is all the lens you will need to cover a wide range of shooting. I have photo’s in galleries from this camera. I am a serious photographer and have read the manuals, books, and watched video’s on this camera. I have also taken some courses on photography in general. While I use the D700 for some of my work I use my D90 for most of what I do. I highly recommend this camera to anyone.

3 Stars After the first 3 days, noticed 3 issues so far…
* Amazon customer service is second to none

* Nikon tech support is very responsive and seems knowledgeable, BUT, they will not tell the truth on certain issues, pretending that they have never heard of it before, which is common practice for most companies anyway, but I wish they would change that.

Aside from the following issues, the camera is perfect in most other respects, and I’m “VERY” picky, when it comes to choosing the right camera for me. I have been in the digital camera accessory business for over 10 years. No camera is perfect, if it was not for these issues, I would’ve given this at least a 4 star.

Here are some of the issues I’ve encountered so far.

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Oct 6, 2009

Received first camera from Amazon

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Oct 7, 2009

Shot about 200 pics, received the “F- -” error. Called Nikon, they instructed to remove and reattached the lens, which worked. They stated that it is a known issue, but they do not know the exact cause.

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Oct 8, 2009

I was reviewing a pic, suddenly, I noticed the AF assist lamp was on steadily, not sure for how long before I noticed it, I then pressed a button, forgot which one, the lamp went off, so I didn’t think of it as anything major.

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Oct 9, 2009

After about 500+ pics. I was shooting in HI continuous mode, when I went back to shoot again, the camera would not focus at all and displayed the “ERR” message. I pressed the shutter all the way, just to see what would happen, I did hear the shutter snapping sound, do not remember if it actually took a pic, then it was completely locked up. Called Nikon, they stated if releasing the shutter does not get rid of the “ERR”, return to Nikon for service. I removed the battery and that fixed the problem for now. Called Amazon, they are now sending me a new replacement, even though it seems to be working fine for now, I prefer not coming across any future issues.

Searched online about this “ERR” message and found a good amount of people having experienced the same or similar error problem, one or more times. Some also stated that by removing the battery will fix it every time, but not all have the same result.

I don’t really like seeing so many posts on this “ERR” message, so I’ll wait for the replacement and see what happens. I have two SanDisk Extreme III 8GB cards used for different devices, while I’m waiting, I’ll swap the cards and see if this “ERR” message comes up again.

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Oct 10, 2009

Called Nikon about this “ERR” issue (surprised they were opened on a Saturday), they stated that by removing the battery will work sometime, but not always. They claimed that “IF” I do need to send it in for service, they “WILL” be able to fix the “F- -” and “ERR” errors “FOR SURE” permanently. So far, from some of the posts I’ve read, that seem to be the case, but you may have to wait about 3 weeks to get the camera back (waiting is the tuff part).

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Will continue with updates…

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Fujifilm FinePix S1500 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Optical Zoom

Introduce a high-performance tracking auto focus and panorama shooting mode in the FinePix S1500. Equipped with the evolved SR Auto (Scene Recognition Auto) and Face Detection, scenes and faces can be captured and optimized even more with the detection functions.Large 2.7-inch LCD screen allows you to find favorite image at a glance displayed in 10 x 10 array. In addition to a wide range of shooting modes, the FinePix S1500 offers a selection of versatile scene positions that ensure optimum results no matter what the scene.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Great camera
I have only used this new camera a few times, but am very excited. Our children both own the same and they sold us on this camera. Thank you Fuji

5 Stars Nice camera – cannot ask for more
Note: This review is after a 15 day use of this camera, which I purchased from Amazon.

Amazon shipping was great. Amazon indicated that the price was $169. However, when I added to the cart, the price changed to $173. I wanted to buy a camera because my old camera died. Thus, I bought it even though I had to pay a little more.

I wanted to have a nice camera with 10x zoom. I could not afford a DSLR. Thus, I compromised with this ultra zoom camera. Even though the reviews on the web were decent enough, I was worried about going for Fuji S1500. I was wrong. The camera came, I loaded the 8GB SD card I purchased and the alkaline batteries that came with it.

* The first photo of my daughter indicated the goodness of the flash and the great pictures this camera could take

* Camera grip is great. I felt that the build is solid.

* For all simple features, this camera is easy to use. The button positions make it easy to configure the most frequently used (by me) functions/features.

* It would have been nice if a camera bag was included. None of my digicam bags take this camera. I have to buy a new one !

* The camera came with 4 Panasonic alkaline batteries. I’ve already taken 180+ pictures using the electronic view finder; the batteries are still going strong.

* The EVF is good. At higher zooms EVF view appears to be noisy. However, the photos look good.

* Looks like the image stabilization is working – never seen a blurred picture due to camera shake

1 Star Really bad quality images… Is not a good option
In the past i use to have a fujifilm, very good quality cameras; so i decided to change my actual Canon A620 buying the S1500. I am really disapointed… the quality is really bad… grainy all the time. ISO settings only can be changed in manual modes. If you want to change the ISO settings, you must set all the parameters according the conditions every time(dark, bright, cloudy, etc). The wide automatic scene options the camera has are useless because ISO settings are usually very high (automatic), so the pictures usually are so grainy. You will need to set the parameters all the time, so buy another camera, because unless you are a professional, you are going to miss a lot of memory moments with this camera.

Cheap, nice look, impressive zoom, but you will pay the price with quality…

5 Stars Deal of the century
I shopped around a long time before choosing this camera. Compared to other offerings from the big names, this camera has a big sensor and glass lense for clear photos, all of the manual options in addition to the automatic ones, and it is a nice size. I though that I would miss the rechargeable battery of my old Nikon, but in reality, I don’t miss the tyranny of the rechargeable battery. I always had to plug it in the second that I was done with it, and if I forgot then it was dead the next time that I wanted to use it.

The LCD is big and bright. I have the image quality set to max and I out in a 12GB card. The pictures are 5mb each, but they transfer very quickly to my MacBook – if there are only a couple I have to check to see if it worked because they are done so fast. I can’t get over how well this camera takes photos. There are a lot more features than I realized, too. It is good to read the book when you get the camera. I really like that the flash doesn’t automatically pop up if it is dark. The Nikon flash would pop up and I would have to manually change the flash mode to off if I wanted natural light. This camera informs you that your photos might be blurry because it is going to have to step the shutter speed down so much, but you get to pick if you want the flash. If you do, you just push a little button to pop it up. If you don’t, you just shoot the photo. Great. I think this camera can do everything for you, but doesn’t try to hold your hand and tel you that it knows best.

5 Stars Excellent value & customer service
I have enjoyed photography since childhood and have been a serious amateur for the last 20 years. Being disabled now I could no longer afford or handle a DSLR. I bought the S1500 as it has all the bells & whistles of other much more expensive super zoom cameras. It’s 10 mp, 12 X zoom, manual shutter/aperture control, macro and super macro modes were all features I wanted. I was a Fuji fan already as I had taken many many photos of my son’s first 5 years with a Fuji point & shoot with great results. I have taken several dozen photos with the S1500 and have been very happy with the results. It is a solid well built camera and all though I am now used to using a viewing screen it is nice to have the option of looking through the viewfinder. Other than manual focus there is very little I would hope for, especially at this price.

I also want to share my buying experience with Amazon. When my camera arrived I could not get it to work properly. After 2 calls to Fuji they said it was a software problem and that I should return it to Amazon. I have bought many things from Amazon but never had to return anything. Being a bit old school I much prefer to handle these things over the phone with a fellow human being rather than by e-mail. It took just a bit of looking to find the customer service phone number and make the call. A mechanical voice informed me that I would receive an immediate call back which seemed a tall order. Sure enough, within 10 seconds a customer service rep called and in less than 5 minutes I had a return shipping label and a new camera shipped and set to arrive in 72 hours. The rep could not have been any better. He was apologetic, professional and really made a wonderful effort to get the problem resolved quickly, which it was. The new camera is perfect and I am now an even a bigger fan of Amazon than I was.

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Nikon D3000 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 18 55mm f 3 5 5 6G AF S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

Breathtaking digital SLR image quality and easy operation highlight the 10.2-megapixel D3000, Nikon’s friendliest D-SLR ever. Compact and capable, the D3000 is compatible with a broad range of world-famous NIKKOR lenses and includes the versatile 3x, 18-55mm Zoom-NIKKOR with Silent-Wave Motor autofocusing and Nikon VR image stabilization to combat picture blur caused by camera shake for sharper handheld pictures. Special moments are captured faithfully at up to 3 frames-per-second and displayed on a bright, 3-inch LCD monitor. The D3000’s split-second shutter response eliminates the annoyance of shutter lag. To further simplify picture-taking in special situations such as portraits, sports, landscapes, and more, the D3000 features icon-identified Scene Modes that deliver beautiful results automatically in otherwise complex situations. Additional Nikon technologies elevate picture quality and guard against picture-taking mistakes. Fast, accurate 11-point autofocus delivers razor sharpness. 3D Color Matrix Metering II and Nikon EXPEED image processing work with an exclusive Scene Recognition System for precise automatic exposures and rich, vivid color. Making the D3000 an even smarter choice are its exclusive Retouch functions for creative fun and the onboard Guide Mode that’s ready to lend a reassuring hand to take the pictures you’ve always wanted. Continuous Shooting at up to 3 fps Captures fast action, precious moments and fleeting expressions easily 6 Automatic-Exposure Scene Modes Including Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in otherwise challenging conditions 3-inch Color LCD Monitor – Bright, high-resolution, 170-degree wide-angle viewing for easy picture review and sharing. The Retouch Menu provides creative freedom, without the need for a computer, offering 13 easy editing functions, including Trim, Red-eye Correction and Soft Filter.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great new Nikon
New to DSLR, this works great right out of the box. After a class, am amazed at how well it does. This will be enough camera (more than enough, really) for a long time.

3 Stars Mixed emotions
I bought this camera when it first came out over a month ago and I have been using it quite a bit. It replaces my old D50 which I gave to my son.

I really like how small and light the camera is. It is easy to use and I am happy to have a VR lens. I was also excited to get ADR – but, that’s where a huge problem arises: I was stunned and disappointed to discover that enabling the ADR inexplicably slows the speed from 3 frames per second to an excruciating 3 seconds per frame (after the five-frame buffer is full). Of course ADR can be turned off, however that was one the main reasons I bought the camera.

I am also a little disappointed that it so much more expensive than the D40 that it replaces. And the picture quality seems about the same as my D50, which is not bad but I was hoping for a noticeable improvement.

3 Stars BUYER BEWARE: Defective product
I just got this camera last week. It lived up to all of the positive comments that I read in many reviews. HOWEVER, my camera has a defect that I suspect other cameras might also have. When I compose a shot with horizontal or vertical lines, they appear straight in the viewfinder, but in the picture that is taken, they are skewed by about 10-15 degrees. I take a lot of architectural photos, and my lines need to be straight. Otherwise, I would have to spend a lot of time editing in Photoshop. I called Nikon, but the juvenile at the other end of the line said this was the first time he heard of this problem, and offered no help at all. Just thought you guys should be aware. I’ll update this if Nikon can solve the problem.

5 Stars wow this camera is so nice !
After having the Nikon D50 i was thinking i was not going to like any cameras.,

but this one is much better. lovely pictures ! sharp colorful.

i love it !

i got this camera just today i cant stop looking at the pictures !

go for this camera.

its cheap its nice. 3 INCH LCD ! WHAT ELSE YOU WANT?

4 Stars Nikon D3000 getting started with DSLRs
I had the Camera for a month or so now and i must say that i was used to Point and shoot cameras with above average performance when it comes to specific areas (point and shoot are fine in their own right)… So i wanted to “migrate” into the next level and really focus on my plating photography…I Blog regularly at [...] and i soon realized that despite my old Sony zoom and daylight pics were good there were lacking that essence ….And then when shooting plated food there is all kind of things to have in mind , specifically lighting conditions…. So i browsed and compared and decided that i like both canon and Nikon Platforms ,only to make a final decision to go with Nikon D3000…And why D3000?

well the features on this camera are more than enough for someone to handle especially someone coming into more serious attempts of photography … At the price range right now there is little competition or none…And the picture quallity is great and you will start shooting as soon a you get it… I got a crash course into using it on a trip to NYC where i had the opportunity to take a lot of indoor shots and some outdoor shots with great results (and then some with not so great) but bare in mind that i am as picky as i can be..I will take several pictures , as many as possible and then choose the best angles and results to go on and use or print…

Overall i am really happy…This camera has enough features for the serious amateur that wants to learn how to use DSLRs and the basics of good photography…. Of course if you are looking into more serious cameras i am sure there are plenty of Nikon and CANON cameras to fit anybody’s needs , but for the little guy that is just starting on DSLRs the d3000 is perfect… And its pretty light too…I was carrying around without much trouble all day….

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