One day after Canon launched its new EOS 50D, Nikon introduced its new D90 digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR).

Besides taking still pictures, the 12.3 megapixel D90 can also take 24fps HD movie clips with sound, first for an SLR camera.

The various controls for the camera can be used for shooting HD video as well. But the catch is you can shoot video for a maximum of up to five minutes.

The D90 is the successor to the 10 megapixel Nikon D80 that we own to much pleasure.

Nikon D90 Digital SLR

Other highlights of the D90:

* 3-inch 920,000-dot high-resolution LCD screen
* 11-point auto focus (AF) system based on Nikon’s Scene Recognition System and Face Detection technology
* Burst rate of up to 4.5 frames per second
* Wide range of ISO 200 to 3200 (expandable to Lo 1 ISO 100 and Hi 1 ISO 6400)
* Image Sensor Cleaning to free dust particles from the sensor’s optical low-pass filter
* Maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 second
* New playback function lets users show images in either four, nine or 72 thumbnail images, or use a calendar format to find photos
* Built-in Flash
* Provides geotagging when used with the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit (available separately in November 2008) with latitude, longitude and altitude data imprinted on the images’ metadata

The D90 will ship in September 2008 and cost $1,000 for body only and $1300 for body plus the new AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.

In his review of the Nikon D90, this is what David Pogue of the New York Times had to say:

Even with its 1.0 limitations, the D90 is an outstanding still camera and an eyebrow-raising video camera. Check it out, people: the era of the video S.L.R. has begun.