Is the Nikon D90 getting too close to the D300?

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Is the Nikon D90 getting too close to the D300?

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How many of you bought the D70 thinking it was new and fresh, when suddenly a younger and prettier sister appeared?
Can this be the case of the D300 with the D90?
Probably it cannot. The D300 still wins over the first reflex camera with movie mode ever.

The Nikon people are glad to present a reflex camera that introduces us a new way to understand the photography; the movie mode.
They're proud to say "hey, we did that, we incorpored video and gps into a DSLR not done especifically for professional photographers". what makes think, how do those professional value these news? Is the fact that the Nikon D90 has the same CMOS sensor (and the 3.0-inch VGA screen) of the D300, along with improved and added functions compared with the D80, a progress, or instead, is it getting too close to the D300?

I've talked to some people who own D300 (and people who don't, but are into photography), and we can find a bit of everything.

On one hand, we have the person who admits it's amazing a reflex camera can be able to record movie with high resolution (720p HDTV quality) because this opens a world of possibilities, and to be getting better for moments.

On the other hand, the person who claims this is the beginning of the end of the photography we knew, heading to a new step where frames will be the new photography.

Lastly, we found those who stand for the "we're not doomed, it's not a must to use the movie mode, but you've got it there just in case you ever need it". Yes, I guess this is the most logical thing. This wouldn't have been interesting if I hadn't got surprised at the big amount of people contained in the first group.

Setting that apart, let's gonna see what's new in the Nikon D90, being this an upgrade rather than a total construction.

If we have a look at the outside (see photo) and don't stare at it, we could think this is the D80 because the changes we perceive are in the sharper lines and the heavier weight.
More than that, it's very similar to the D60 interface as well. This is meant to catch the biggest possible audience, the little photographers who come from a compact (also known as the "point and shoot") camera and for the amateurs that want a DSRL with great features without having to carry with heavier and more expensive cameras such as the D300.

The upgrades we were missing in the previous cameras were the dust removal system and the livepreview, both included in the Nikon D90.
As we've stated before, the screen's been switched to 3.0-inch VGA (D3/D300), and the sensor has turned from CCD (D80) to the CMOS sensor.

Other features are:

-12.3 MP (D80: 10.2 MP)
- Wider ISO range (200 - 3200 / 100 - 6400 with boost)
- Movie Mode (with 1280 x 720px maximum resolution at 24 frames per second and HDMI ouput)
- Active D-lighting
- AF upgraded system with 3D bracketing and faces detection (which can detect up to 5 faces)
- 4.5 fps (D80: 3fps)
- 96% Viewfinder Frame coverage (D80: 95%)
- Image processing EXPEEDTM
- More retouching functions
- And others such as Scene Recognition System, Vignnetting control from the camera, fisheye, or more information displayed in the LCD

The body of the Nikon D90 will have a price of around $1000, but it'll be accompanied by the NIKKOR AF-S DX 18-105 mm lens as a kit, what is another presentation. In this last case, the kit will be about $1300. 

Besides that, on November, the Nikon GP-1 will be out, which is a GPS receptor compatible with D90 capable of to find the geographic area where we are, saving length, latitude and altitude in the data of the pictures.