I've been a Nikon user all along, at least for 35mm equipment. The Nikon F90X is my current camera, and my second Nikon after the F-301. I have used the Nikon F-301 from 1988 to 1995. In 1996, I bought the F90X together with the MB-10 grip, and it has always been my preferred camera ever since.

The F-90X is not marketed as a professional camera, although it certainly had the making of one. This is probably due to the marketing policy of Nikon Corp. No other cameras other than the F1 to F5 are considered professional. The F90X shares the same fate as the earlier F-801. Both offers professional features and performance, but lacks the extreme robust built of the professional series.

The F90X started it's life as the F90, before evolving to its current status in 1995. The improvements include a faster motor for focusing, new software, 1/3 stop in shutter priority and the capability to accept a vertical release grip MB-10. A lot of F90 owners felt played out by Nikon, and dumped their F90s' on the second-hand market for either the F90X or simply changed over to Canon EOS to "get back at Nikon". The F90s in the shops are probably very good value for money. If you do not need the 1/3 stop capability or the vertical release, you should get one of the F90s.

The F90X is a beautiful camera. It is logically laid-out, and I managed to learn the basic features of the camera in an hour without flipping the instruction manual. I must state that I've never used the F-601 or F-801 before this, and users of the 2 cameras will find it even easier, because it follows a similar layout. The only complex part is the flash system. There are various levels of flash capability, depending on your choice of flash units and types of lens. The Nikon jargon about the different types of flash capability is inherently confusing. Other than that, the other functions of the camera do not require a electronics PhD to decipher.

One of the most stupid feature in the camera must be the Picture modes, where you find Portrait, Action, , Close-up, Scenic modes etc. Set the camera to the Portrait mode, and the camera will set a larger DOF etc. This is one camera that is targeted at advanced users or professionals. Why on earth would they let the camera make such a decision when they are more than capable of making such a choice, and which is second-nature to them ? It is such a waste of resources. I'd rather use the memory of the camera chips for things like programmable film-leader out (more on that later) or letting users store their preferred settings.

The F90X is an impressive camera in terms of built, AF speed and features. Nikon cameras had always been criticized for slow AF speeds. This is especially true when you compare the Nikons and the Canon EOS system. All this talk is stopped when the F90 appeared. Focus is almost instantaneous and the lens zips into focus effortlessly. Hunting is very much reduced. The F90X builds on this spectacular performance and brings it even further with a new motor type and new focusing algorithm programming. As a result, the F90X is 25% faster than the original F90, and it's almost as fast as the EOS series. Although the EOS series is a few milliseconds faster than the F90X, it is more prone to hunting.

The F90X is choke-full of features. It has most features that professionals need, such as depth-of-field preview, high shutter speeds, high sync speeds, PC connector, AA power supply (as opposed to lithium), 1/3 stops capability etc. Some glaring omissions include the lack of mirror lock-up (MLU), multiple exposure capability, 100% viewfinder view and interchangeable viewfinder. But then, if all these are found in F90X, who's gonna buy the F5 ?? MLU is essential to close-up photography where camera shake caused by the mirror slap is magnified several times. Multiple exposure capability can be added on by buying the MF-26 camera back. This back contains several useful features that SHOULD be included in the camera itself, instead of making the user buy it separately. It has programs such as multiple exposure capability, auto-bracketing, focus-zone trapping (trips the shutter when the subject comes into the focus zone) etc.

Also, the camera can be linked to a Sharp Electronic Organizer. You'd need to buy the organizer, a card for it, and the cable to link up to the camera port (the magic of marketing eh ??). This enables you to custom set some features of the camera, such as beeps or the program settings. It also allows you to download your shooting data (aperture, & shutter speeds) into the organizer. The data is recorded when you shoot, but you can't access it without buying the organizer, card and cable.

But, all these gadgets will not enable you to leave the film-leader out. For that, you'd need to bring your camera down to the authorized workshop to program the film-leader out option. I brought my camera down to the local Nikon agent and they charged me S$25 for what is basically a 5 minutes job. What I heard from someone on the Internet that the reason they didn't allow us to do it ourselves was because programming the film leader out requires reprogramming of the EPROM (Erasable ROM) inside the camera, not just simple data in/out sequences. So letting users DIY may mess up the metering, focusing and whatever stuff that is in the EPROM. So much for technological advances !!!

The MB-10 is a grip that is attached to the underside of the F90X. It slots into the battery compartment and is fastened by a large screw to the tripod mount. It accepts 4AA batteries in its battery compartment and enables quick change of batteries because it clicks in and out, rather than the conventional screw-on battery compartment. It also features a tripod bush at the bottom, to replace the hidden camera tripod bush. Most importantly, it has a vertical release button on the side, so that you don't need to contort your wrists when trying to take vertical shots. This feature is why I bought the MB-10. I take portrait frequently, and the vertical format suits my subjects well. I can hold the camera steadier with the vertical holding, and it enables me to change the batteries in a jiffy. Moreover, when using a long lens, the MB-10 provides a better leverage for your left wrist.

The battery consumption of the camera is fairly high. Maybe it is because I'm used to the low battery consumption of the F-301, but I think that an average 15 rolls per set of AA batteries is a bit on the high side. Perhaps that is the price we have to pay for technological advances. I'm just too glad that it isn't eating up lithium batteries. The cable requires a electronic cable release, and that'll cost $80 for the most basic electro-cable release. Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance of the camera, but I just wish that it doesn't cost so much to make full use of its potential features.

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