Budding shutterbugs looking into buying their first D-SLR are often surprised to discover that, despite the digital SLR's many admirable qualities, it lacks one feature that most simple point-and-shoot models these days have: the ability to shoot video. That's no longer the case, thanks to the $999.95 (list, body only), 12.3-megapixel Nikon D90, which along with fulfilling its role as a solid, mid-range D-SLR also acts as a video recorder. And it shoots in 720p HD, no less. Although Canon quickly countered with its own video-capable D-SLR (the EOS 5D Mark II), Nikon has the distinction of being the first out of the gate.

The D90 is a handsome camera trimmed in black, except for a little red chevron beneath the front-facing control wheel. The same size as its predecessor, the Nikon D80, the solid-feeling D90 measures 4.1 by 5.2 by 3 inches (HWD). It weighs 1.6 ounces more, for a total of 1 pound 6 ounces. It's notably larger and heavier than the slightly more basic Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, our Editors' Choice for entry-level D-SLRs, which sells for $300 less.

Controls abound on the D90. There are two command dials—the unlabeled wheels you can flip through to change functions such as ISO and shutter speed. In addition, a mode dial lets you select among settings such as automatic, automatic without flash, program, aperture or shutter priority, as well as typical scene modes such as macro, portrait, and landscape. There is also the multi selector, an iPod-style scroll wheel, 19 more buttons, and two toggle switches. Granted, the D90 is a serious camera, a step or two above an entry-level D-SLR, but the glut of controls is nonetheless confusing. Until you're thoroughly familiar with its functions, you won't want to take the camera anywhere without lugging the manual. When caught without the guide, I wasn't always able to figure out how to make the camera do what I wanted, despite Nikon's decent menu system.

While the earlier D80 features a 2.5-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD in back, the D90's is 3 inches, with a screen that's four times as sharp (920,000 pixels). There's also a small black-and-white secondary display on top, for use in changing settings. You get a 12.3MP sensor, a bump up from the 10MP one in the D80, and comparable to the Rebel XSi's, For the D90, Nikon switched to a DX-format CMOS sensor, similar to the one in the Nikon D300, our high-end Editors' Choice D-SLR; the D80 has a CCD sensor. This change does wonders for reducing noise and helps to eliminate traces of blue fringing in nearly all photos with high-contrast areas—although instead of being blue-fringed, thin branches against a white sky tended to disappear altogether. Another upgrade from its predecessor is the added Live View, which allows you to use the camera's LCD as a viewfinder. While point-and-shoot cameras have had that feature for years—these days often replacing optical viewfinders altogether—Live View is a fairly recent addition to D-SLRs. It is helpful in framing shots, particularly at night when I often rested the camera against a firm object in lieu of a tripod for non-flash shots. Without Live View, I would have had to contort myself trying to look through the tiny optical viewfinder.

My test unit came with an image-stabilized 18mm-to-105mm zoom lens, which sells for $300 (street). There was one obvious lens-related glitch. Infrequently (but often enough to be annoying), the camera would freeze up, and an error message that reads "F---" would appear on the top LCD. The problem: a break in the electrical connection between camera and lens, which could be remedied by unseating and reseating the lens. Our Nikon rep wasn't sure whether the problem was with the camera or the lens, but suggested it was either a bad unit or had gotten damaged in shipping. Although I've seen some reports of similar problems on user forums, it doesn't seem to be a pervasive problem.

In lab and real-world testing, daylight still shots tended to be bright, with pleasing, seemingly natural color, nicely (but not overly) saturated. The 11-point autofocus was effective under a variety of settings, distances, and light conditions, producing very few fuzzily botched shots. That said, focus in general was somewhat on the soft side. This wasn't helped by the camera's relatively low resolution—I measured it at 1,950 lines, which is on the low end for a 12MP camera. (You can adjust image sharpness in-camera over a range of 0 to 9; the factory default on our review camera is a sharpness of 3, at which we tested resolution and I did most of my real-world shooting. Though you may want to experiment, be aware that higher sharpness settings are not a panacea, as they also increase noise significantly.)

ISO ranges from 200 to 3200, with 11 settings between those values. I took a number of low-light shots at ISO 3200, generally with only moderate noise. In some cases noise was inconspicuous even when I viewed the images at 100 percent. The camera can reach an ISO of 6,400 in Boost mode, but I wasn't so lucky with photos taken at that ISO; most were hopelessly noise-ridden.

The difference between the D90's flash and that of my Canon Digital Rebel XTi (which is somewhat on the dim side for a D-SLR) is dramatic. The D90's flash shots were well lit at distances ranging from close-ups to more than 20 feet—even better lit than ones I've taken with the Rebel XSi and its quite-capable flash.

This camera is fast. Its boot (0.85 second), recycle (1.42 seconds), and shutter lag (0.25 second) times were all excellent. In several tests of the camera in burst mode, it consistently averaged just over 4 shots per second. This is even better than the Rebel XSi's 3.5 and the D80's 2.4 shots per second, though both those scores were impressive in their own right when those cameras were released.

I took a number of HD video clips with the D90, both handheld and with the camera braced on a tripod substitute. Video quality was decent; it didn't blow me away. But the video features are limited: no stereo audio recording, no autofocus, no power zoom, no articulated LCD, and minimal choices in settings. An upside is that you get a D-SLR's versatility in selecting lenses when shooting video. And the camera does offer an HDMI output for displaying your clips on an HDTV. The bottom line on the D90's video is that it's a nice extra on a D-SLR, but no substitute for a digital camcorder for serious videographers.

While the D90 shoots its HD video at 720p (1,280-by-720-pixel) resolution at 24 frames per second, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II shoots in full 1080p (1,920-by-1,080) at 30 fps. Although I didn't compare them head-to-head, the clips I've seen from the 5D Mark II are more impressive than those I took with the D90. That said, the Canon is a much-higher-end D-SLR, with a 21MP sensor, numerous special features, and its $2,699 price tag (sans lens) is more than twice that of the D90.

The D90 takes SD memory cards. The battery is rated at a phenomenal 850 shots per charge (with Live View off), though during my testing period, I had to charge it somewhat more often than that figure would indicate.

The Nikon D90 will be remembered as the first D-SLR to shoot video, though it's a fine camera in its own right, building on the D80. The rest of the camera world hasn't been idle, though. The D90's video functions have already been surpassed by the Canon 5D Mark II. What I'd like to see, even more than the higher resolution of the latter, is more video features on the D90's next iteration; as it is, the D90 is no substitute for an HD camcorder. Still, the video capabilities are a nice extra. If you don't need it, though, you can get the excellent Canon Digital Rebel XSi, which is nearly as feature-rich as the D90, for about $300 less.

Benchmark Test Results
Check out the Nikon D90's test scores.

Compare the digital cameras mentioned above side by side.