Is the D90 worth buying?
 

I’m seriously considering buying this camera (mostly because of the video feature). I was looking to buy a DSLR anyway, so the D90 with the built in video would be an added bonus. But if the video feature just isn’t there yet, then I’ll just as well wait and go for a D300 or 50D. Anybody used this camera that can comment on it?

Nikon D90 Tryout and links
 

I'm in the same boat as you so I took the leap and bought it last Thursday. So far the video looks good in combination with a tripod. I would not suggest shooting without a tripod. The video will just look to jumpy doing a hand held pan. I'm sure there's more I have to learn about the camera. Audio seems to be fine so far.

Here's a few links I found that helped me make the choice on the D90.

Tibet D90: Nikon D90 in Tibet on Vimeo

D90 Demo Video: Chase Jarvis and friends try the D90

Japanese Sample: D90 Japanese sample on Vimeo

Other Notes: Shoots a 720p 24fps AVI video file format.

In Final Cut Pro used a 720p HDV Easy Setup - video needed to be rendered

Clips: Will post once I have more samples.

I just bought one also, a few days ago.

I made the purchase almost impulsively, but after getting my hands on it for a few days, I really love it.

As a DSLR, it's wonderful.

As a video camera, it's got issues...but it also has a lot of potential. I agree with Jeff that a tripod of some sort is strongly recommended. The rolling shutter is severe, but the excellent DOF, lowlight performance, and color are exciting. Mastered, there's no reason the D90 can't help create a beautiful film.

I'm sure the upcoming Canon will outperform the D90, but at twice the cost, it certainly should. The D90 is something of a bargain. For my purposes (as an easily portable "b-roll" camera for Web delivery) it should work well.

I'm posting a video tomorrow on my blog with a few D90 shots. In the coming weeks I will try to use it more extensively, and if I create anything worth posting, will do so.

Someone has posted a fix to help the "stair-stepping" artifact for use in After Effects (but the principal could probably translate to a NLE which allows masks). This fix should make the D90 image more viable for some folks...

I have a running request for a D90 owner to connect the camera with HDMI to an HDTV and measure (with a ruler, if that's what you have) how many lines are un-obscured by the menu graphics. (I'm interested to know if you can get a clean 2.25:1 aspect ratio.)

Also, does the picture look cleaner than the M-JPEG video recorded to the card?

Thanks!