Steve Weinrebe's Mode Studio

Nikon announced today the D90 (12.3 megapixel DX format Digital SLR, $999.95 MSRP), successor to the well regarded D80. One of the prominent features of the new D90 is a “cinematic 24fps D-Movie Mode”. Long the province of point-and-shoot consumer level cameras, this is the first time a DSLR has incorporated a video mode (albeit 24 fps Motion Jpeg with mono-sound). From the Nikon USA web site: “D-Movie Mode—Cinematic 24fps HD with sound: Record cinematic-quality movie clips at up to 720p HD (1280 x 720 pixels) in Motion JPEG format, enhanced by NIKKOR interchangeable lens quality and versatility.” As I have discussed in previous entries on convergence, the manufacturers of video cameras have been advancing the convergence of still and video for some time. HD quality stills from video cameras are suitable for both web and small newsprint and magazine images. To date the DSLR manufacturers have been slow on the uptake, that many photographers want to shoot both stills and video and do not want to lug two sets of gear into the field.

It is understandable, from a marketing standpoint that, most notably, Canon may not want to advance video technology in their DSLR offerings because Canon offers still photo capability in many of their mid-range video cameras. The radically different form factors of video cameras and DSLR cameras, and the need for each to be best at one or the other imaging technologies, makes for a tough decision for a company like Canon that makes both. But Nikon is not a video manufacturer. What they are known for, in the field of video, is their lenses. With adapters like the Letus Extreme, Nikon lenses can be adapted to video cameras for the depth of field and bokeh that video shooters lust after.

Clearly this is a beginning for DSLR manufacturers. If Nikon is successful with this offering (of video capability in a DSLR), look for similar from Canon and Sony. And while the D90 offers only Motion JPEG format video, we will hopefully see MPEG-4 in a future iteration.

Meanwhile, check out the Nikon web site and watch the multimedia and video presentations produced with the D90, shot with lenses ranging from a fisheye to a 400mm, and edited with “software commonly included with many personal computers” (read: iMovie). And from the spec sheet, here are the movie modes available on the D90: “HD 1280 x 720/24 fps; VGA 640 x 424/24 fps; QVGA 320 x 216/24 fps”.

Posted by Steve Weinrebe