Nikon F90X (N90S)

Nikon N90s with Kodak CCD

The Nikon N90s is a 35mm autofocus SLR which was targeted at the advanced amateur. (Its featureset is comparable to that of Nikon's current D100/200/300 SLRs.) The name N90s was used for marketing in the United States; everywhere else, the camera was called the F90x. This camera was also used as the base for the Kodak DCS 400 series of digital SLRs.

The N90s/F90x was introduced in 1994 and discontinued in 2001. The camera's predecessor, the N90/F90, was introduced in 1992 and discontinued in 1994. The successor to the N90s, the F100, was introduced in 1998.

Features & Specifications

Nikon F90X with AF Nikkor 24/2.8 D

• Bright viewfinder with 92% coverage, .78x magnification
  • Current settings are displayed at the bottom of the finder; information area is automatically backlit in dark conditions
• Top LCD displays current settings and facilitates changes
  • Backlit for use in dark conditions; the backlight switch is near the left die of the viewfinder
• Cross-Type Wide Area AF System
  • Choice of wide-area or spot AF
  • One CAM246 AF sensor
  • Continuous AF mode with release priority in addition to standard AF with focus priority
• 4.1FPS capable with continuous AF; 4.3FPS with standard AF
  • 2FPS mode available
• 3D Matrix Meter when used with a D or G-type Nikkor lens
  • Center-weighted and spot metering are also available and usuable with AI lenses
• 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash capability (with Nikon Speedlights SB-800/80DX/28DX/28/27)
• Seven Vari-Programs: Portrait, Portrait with Red-Eye Reduction, Hyperfocal, Landscape, Silhouette, Sports, Closeup
  • Explained in detail in the instruction manual, available online
  • Also explained on Ken Rockwell's page
• Four exposure modes: Program, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, Manual
• Shutter speeds of 1/8000 - 30 seconds + Bulb
• Flash sync speed of 1/250
  • Flash sync modes: normal, slow, rear, red-eye, FP high-speed
• Self timer: 2-30 seconds
• Overall strong build throughout (comparable to Nikon's current D100/200/300 SLRs)
  • Stainless steel lens mount
• Requires 4 AA Batteries
• Extensive system compatibility & accessories; see below

Accessories & Compatibility

The N90s/F90x is compatible with nearly all Nikkor F-mount lenses as well as all Nikon SB series speedlights.

Additional, camera-specific accessories available are:

• MF-26 Multi-Control Back
  • Long Exposures to 100 hours
  • Freeze Focus: triggers the shutter as soon as a subject comes into focus
  • Custom Reset: customizes which settings are affected by the green-button reset
  • Date Imprinting: can also imprint shutter speed and aperture information
  • World Clock
  • Flash exposure compensation
  • Interval timer: up to 100 hours between pictures for 99 frames
  • Limit frame count in continuous shooting mode
  • Multiple exposures
  • Customize which settings are affected by AE-L and AF-L (auto-exposure lock and autofocus lock)
• MF-25 Data Imprint Back
• MB-10 Vertical Grip (Additional Information from Ken Rockwell)
  • Takes 4AA batteries or, with the MS-11 battery holder, two CR123 lithium batteries
• Interchangeable focusing screens
  • E screen provides grid lines in the viewfinder

Lens Compatibility

• All functions, including autofocus, work properly with Nikkor AF, AF-I, AF-D, and AF-S lenses.
• AI and AI-S lenses are usable, with the loss of these functions:
  • Autofocus
  • Shutter-priority exposure mode
  • Programmed exposure mode
  • Vari-program exposure modes
  • 3D Matrix metering (center-weighted and spot metering remain functional)
• The camera does not use VR with any lens.
• G-type lenses (lenses without aperture rings) can be used, but in manual or aperture-priority exposure modes, the lens' smallest aperture will be used.

TC-16A

The N90s/F90x is one of the few cameras compatible with Nikon's TC-16A AF Teleconverter. This teleconverter contains special optics which are driven by the camera's AF system to provide some autofocus capability to AI and AI-S lenses! More information is available here.

Data Link System

With the proper hardware, the N90s can be linked to some Sharp electronic organizers to set additional custom functions. More Info: Ken Rockwell has some more detailed information about this function.

Limitations

Some notable features are missing in the N90s/F90x compared to similar prosumer and professional cameras. These include:

• Mirror lock-up
• Built-in flash
• Viewfinder diopter adjustment (screw-in diopters are available)

Links

Manuals

• N90s Manual (source: here)
• N90s Manual - higher quality images, but plastered with ads
• MF-26 Multi-Control Back Manual
• MB-10 Repair Manual(source: here)

Reviews

• Thom Hogan's Review of the N90s
• Ken Rockwell's Review of the N90s

Recommended Resources

• Liang-Wu Cai's Nikon N90s Page
• Nikon F90X on Nikon Imaging site (source of this page)
• N90s Data Link Protocol Page
• The Magic Lantern Guide to the N90s, ISBN 1883403456
• Nikon SLR/Lens Compatibility Guide
• The TC-16A Teleconverter

Nikon Cameras