Nikon® D90 Digital Field Guide

Chapter 1. Exploring the Nikon D90

In This Chapter

Key components of the D90

The D90 DX CMOS sensor

Viewfinder display

Control panel

Shooting Info Display

This chapter covers the key components of the Nikon D90. These are the features that are most readily accessible because they're situated on the outside of the camera: the buttons, knobs, switches, and dials.

If you're upgrading from another Nikon dSLR, some of this may seem like review, but there are some new features that you may or may not be aware of, so a quick read-through is a good idea even if you're an experienced Nikon dSLR user.

For those of you who are new to the world of dSLRs, this chapter is a great way to become acquainted with some of the terms that are used in conjunction with your new camera.

So, let's explore the D90!

Key Components of the D90

If you've read the Quick Tour, you should be pretty familiar with the buttons and switches that you need for basic settings. In this section, you look at the camera from all sides and break down the layout so that you know what everything on the camera's surface does.

This section doesn't cover the menus (see Chapter 3), only the exterior controls. Although there are many features you can access with just the push of a button, you can usually change the same setting inside of a menu option. While the D90 doesn't have the same amount of buttons as some of its bigger siblings in the Nikon line, it does have quite a few of them. Knowing exactly what these buttons do can save you a lot ...