Nikon's 2009 24x superzoom bridge — 12.1MP CCD, 26-624mm f/2.8-5.0 VR lens, tilting 3-inch LCD, EVF, EN-EL5.
The Nikon Coolpix P90 was a superzoom bridge camera launched on 3 February 2009 as the successor to the P80, sitting below the digital SLRs in Nikon's line-up. It pushed the P-series zoom race to 24x at a time when 20x was the class norm, wrapped in an SLR-styled body with an electronic viewfinder.
Its 12.1-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD sits behind a 24x Zoom-Nikkor covering 26-624mm equivalent at f/2.8-5.0, steadied by sensor-shift Vibration Reduction. The 3.0-inch 230,000-dot LCD tilts for high and low angles, backed by a 0.24-inch electronic viewfinder of matching resolution. Macro focusing reaches 1cm, sensitivity extends to ISO 6400, storage is SD/SDHC plus 47MB internal memory, and power is the EN-EL5 lithium-ion battery.
The P90 suits budget wildlife, airshow and holiday shooting where one camera must cover wide to extreme telephoto. Full manual exposure control adds flexibility, and the tilting screen helps awkward angles. The small CCD limits low-light quality and the contrast-detect autofocus can hunt at the long end, so bright conditions and steady technique get the best from it.
Confirm the EN-EL5 battery holds charge; the cell was shared across many Coolpix models so replacements remain available. Test the long zoom for smooth, quiet travel and check stabilisation works at 624mm equivalent. Inspect the tilting LCD hinge and ribbon, check the EVF for clarity, and use SD/SDHC cards — SDXC is not supported on this generation.