post your best results with the D90

Here's some test footage I shot with the D90 at night:

http://www.vimeo.com/1721898

This camera really shines at night. I'm assuming this is straight from the camera with no post processing?

More experienced video people can correct me, but I'm just not able to find samples from the DVX100, HVX200 that compare with the D90 in contrast and rich saturation of colors. Everything I see with DVX or HVX looks somewhat flat in comparison. Most of what I see from the D90 seems more from "Three Kings" or "Saw" movies. I really could care less about shadow details at this point. I'm looking for "punch" and this camera is a knockout in that regard.
 
not sure if it's the same vimeo page I saw earlier, because I'm at work, but if it's the one with the planes, there should be a link to all his raw footage...it definitely shines at night.
 
Agreed. There seems to be very very little noise and the colors are very rich. Not to mentions the 35mm DoF without the light loss of an adapter (even if it is only a half stop).
 
"Most of what I see from the D90 seems more from "Three Kings" or "Saw" movies."

..and most of the tests are with kit lenses...wait until someone will put a Zeiss glass on this baby...I should get mine next week:)
 
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the base minimum is AIS and up lenses.

some AI lenses have to be hacked to work with dslr's. (ie http://www.aiconversions.com/compatibilitytable.htm)

i

NOTE- I accidentally found that some Pre-AI lenses, at least my formerly pre-ai Nikkor-S 50mm f1.4, will mount on the D90 without apparently binding. Upon close examination I found that it did bind slightly upon a switch on the outside of the lens mount at roughly 8 o'clock as you look towards the lens.

Furtermore, many so called AI'ed lenses often only had a certain portion of the aperture ring ground out, often only near the old claw foot for mating with early bodies. Inspect any third-party modified (only has the primary f-stop display, not the second one closer to the camera) Pre-AI lenses. If they touch this switch, don't use them... if that switch breaks its a really bad thing.

Finally, I modified my Pre-AI Nikkor today. I needed a lens right away and had little choice. It was easy- I used instructions from here:
http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/repair/aimod/aimod.htm

I had to do the EE post too for it to be safe to use on a D90. For the D90 this conversion really does nothing other than make it safe to mount the Pre-AI lens- but for other cameras putting the post in the right place helps them meter light for still photography..

AI and AI-S lenses are only slightly different and for our purposes they function the same. Pre-AI lenses don't (normally) fit the D90 safely.

Also, while I had the lens apart I ground down the ring metal for the f-stop detents. This makes it much easier to smoothly adjust iris while filming. If I did it again I might remove the detent spring instead, I didn't do that good of a job with the grinding, perhaps a piece of felt would smooth it more than my hack job did- but it is still worlds better for video.
 
Agreed. There seems to be very very little noise and the colors are very rich. Not to mentions the 35mm DoF without the light loss of an adapter (even if it is only a half stop).

The colors really are amazing, aren't they? And the dynamic range it captures. Really, I am liking these things as much as the DOF, and originally it was just the DOF that excited me.

BTW, with a DOF adapter you lose the half (or more) stop PLUS the amount of light your acquisition camera eats with its own lens. So, a DOF adapter losing 2/3rds of a stop plus, say, the built-in f1.8 lens on a HV20 means you lose over 2 stops!
 
Test footage with 18-105 VR kit lens (not mine ...yet)
5 star cooking ...This makes me want to buy a D90 ....right after I eat dinner ;-) Good aquarium footage towrd the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dF5xZtx7P8&fmt=18

Quote from the videographer of this footage about the his D90:

"I honestly get better results with the D90 than most of the Digital Video Cameras I have ever used."
 
this is good

take care using vr lenses with video since if you keep shaking the vr will "accumulate" then suddenly jump when it can no longer fix it.
no quick jumps.

Thanks for the tip Ando, I didn't know that.
 
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