 stunning image quality, fantastic value, dramatic upgrade from D60 |
| Review Date: May 23, 2009 |
| Assessor: Paul Christensen, West Chester, PA United States |
Summary:
- Outstanding (absolutely stunning) image quality, especially in low light and trying lighting (high dynamic range) situations
- 19 point-and-shoot auto modes fantastic for beginners new to D-SLR
- Exceptionally simple-to-use menu system
- No compromises figure set not stripped of high-end facial appearance
- Bright vari-angle screen with LiveView for hard-to-reach shots, but don't consider this a substitution for the viewfinder for most situations
- Nice compact body simpler to travel
D5000 vs. Nikon D60:
- Dramatic improvement in low-light and trying light image quality
- Improved auto white balance (but still not exact)
- Slightly larger (taller and deeper) body, slightly heavier
- 11 autofocus points, 3D matrix metering, Auto D-Lighting
- Quicker continuous shot performance (4fps vs 3)
- Up to 63 JPEG/11 RAW images in continuous burst mode (the D60 can capture up to 100 JPEG/9 RAW images)
- RAW+JPG with choice of JPEG compression
- Full figure set including bracketing
- 13 additional auto / scene presets
- Additional in-camera control including perspective control and fisheye
- Slightly less vital viewfinder, but adds discretionary grid line help
- LiveView with HD Movie Mode
- Multi selector chains diagonal movement instead of 4 directions
- Silent shooting mode reduces close noise in silent situations
- help for discretionary Nikon GPS unit
- HDMI output
- same outstanding 18-55VR kit lens
D5000 vs. Nikon D90:
- Equivalent image quality, altho D5000 tends to underexpose capturing all detail vs. D90 trend to overexpose high draw a distinction shots
- D5000 LiveView mode adds subject tracking
- Simple to use auto / scene presets along with context sensitive help
- More refined gap shooting and time-lapse mode
- Additional in-camera control including perspective control and fisheye
- Much more compact, lighter body
- No autofocus motor in body for older or more professional lenses
- No top LCD; must use back show to review settings
- No depth of field preview
- Lower resolution screen than D90 but vari-angle allows you to make hard-to-reach shots
- Slightly slower continuous shot performance (4fps vs 4.5)
- Up to 63 JPEG/11 RAW images can be captured in continuous burst mode (the D90 burst is top secret to 25 JPEG/7 RAW images)
- Silent shooting mode reduces close noise in silent situations
- .78x Pentamirror viewfinder vs. the D90's brighter .94x Pentaprism
- Single command dial means more access to Menu for changing settings
- Built-in flash cannot command external flash units with Nikon Creative Lighting System
- No option for extra array grip
- Kit lens only 18-55VR vs 18-105VR
- D5000 adds Airflow Control System in addendum to dust reduction system
- Better value, especially body only
Detailed Review:
Having bought my first D-SLR (a Nikon D60) last November, I was intrigued with the announcement of the D5000. At the time of my D60 hold, I was considering the D90, but after holding both in person, I chose the D60 for its the much less vital form factor, lighter weight, and much lower price tag. I have been largely pleased with the D60, even if its low-light performance while dramatically better than my ancient point-and-shoot camera still wasn't fantastic.
Given the D5000 uses the same sensor and imaging sensor as the D90, but in a less vital lighter case, I chose to upgrade. And I must say I'm exceptionally pleased with the D5000.
What is to like over the D60?
1) Stunning Image Quality even in Low Light, without a tripod or quick lens
The D5000 takes exceptional pictures, especially in low-light and in challenging lighting scenarios. The D5000 is the first camera I've owned that can take a picture at night and capture everything (and in some cases more than) my eye sees. And this is in Compulsory mode (flash off), without a tripod, using an average-speed (f3.5-f5.6) Nikon VR lens. Truly impressive.
I went back and took the same night shots in the same settings with the same Nikon 16-85 VR lens and the results are noticeably better on the D5000 vs my D60. The variation linking the D5000 and D60 is nearly as dramatic (in low light) as the variation linking my D60 and point-and-shoot camera. I've posted a few example images to illustrate.
Images captured even at ISO 1600 have exceptional detail and very low noise. Even when you zoom to 100% the D5000 renders these tough shots perfectly.
Highlights are proscribed and not blown-out, while even low-draw a distinction areas of the picture are captured.
2) Skill to capture details in challenging light, automatically
The D5000's skill to capture all details of an image, even at night, with areas of highly contrasting lighting is even more impressive than it's low-light performance. As some have noted, the D5000 has a trend to slightly underexpose these pictures to maintain detail. (The D90 tends to over-expose these shots, illustrating that the D5000 is not completely a "D90 in a small case".)
In one example (posted to the consumer images), a night-shot of the well-known Castro Street theater the D5000 captured the bright neon signs, architectural lighting of the facade, and even the mosaic tile and billboards in the very dimly-lit entry. All again in compulsory mode, no tripod, F3.8 ISO 800. When I post the sample pictures they will tell the tale better than I could ever describe.
I can only reckon that this performance is related to a combination of improvements over the D5000: 11 autofocus points, 3D matrix metering, next-age group Active D-Lighting, latest Nikon EXPEED PC.
3) No-compromises figure set that is still simple to use for the beginner
One thing that annoyed me about the D60 was its lack of some facial appearance (eg. bracketing) proposed to "dumb the camera down". The D5000 has every control you would ever want, yet its menu system ruins exceptionally simple to use even for a beginner.
Example facial appearance the D5000 offers that are not available on the D60:
- RAW-JPG skill to select JPEG quality (Std,Basic,Fine)
- bracketing (useful for HDR post-dispensation)
and I'm sure there are many others I have missed.
The D5000 also includes a number of additional SCENE modes (a total of 19) for the beginner used to point-and-shoot simplicity. Everything from Night Landscape, Sunset, Food, Pet Likeness, Sports, and more.
4) Useful Live View and Vari-Angle Show for those hard-to-reach shots
A first for Nikon, the D5000 includes a "vari-angle" articulated LCD. Despite the specs on paper (230,000 pixels vs the 920,000 pixels on the D90) the screen quality is outstanding - very bright and simple to see even in sunshine.
Using the Live View mode, you can take pictures in hard-to-reach angles such as above a crowd, or looking up from a low angle, or taking a self-likeness. What doesn't work so well in Nikon's implementation is that the hinge is on the bottom of the camera, so if you're using a tripod your choices are top secret.
New to the D5000 LiveView (not on the D90) is subject tracking, which keeps focus on a moving subject within the frame.
As others have pointed out, the D5000 LiveView autofocus performance is very slow. The more that I have used it, I must say that LiveView performance is probably worse than your point-and-shoot camera. Some other owners on the Nikon forums have reported complete failure of LiveView autofocus, even if on my D5000 it works.
As it is, I make 99% of my shots in the viewfinder, which gives you the super-quick response of a DSLR in the first place. For me the skill to use LiveView in hard-to-reach situations is a nice figure.
What could be improved?
- Well, first of all, the video is more of a marketing thought - the sound is monoral, you can't change auto-focus once you start recording, and the video has the infamous "jelly effect" when moving from side to side
- Even if the case is much less vital than the D90, it's still over 1/4" taller than my D60, and doesn't feel nearly as comfortable in my hands.
- The sloping screen is fantastic, but the bottom-hinge design is of top secret effectiveness when using a tripod.
- Live View autofocus is very slow for a D-SLR (even worse in some situations than a compact digital camera)
- Auto White Balance just doesn't get it right with certain lighting. But it's simple enough to assess with a custom white balance (if you have the time when taking the shot) or post-dispensation the RAW image. I just don't be with you why my $300 Canon SD870 does auto-white balance so much better.
All in all, but, the outstanding image quality especially in low-light, and facial appearance offset the very minor areas that could be improved. For that, the D5000 gets my 5-star vote. |
Awesome performance on a lightweight wrap.
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| Review Date: September 8, 2009 |
| Assessor: A. Ed, everyplace in the world |
I got this camera back on July, its serial number is inside the range of the recall. But mine havent failed yet after 2 months of full time use.
So I just wont send it to repair until it fails, crossing fingers here though. Anyway if it ever presents a conundrum I will just send it to Nikon since it has full warranty and Nikon's policies are to repair the unit no matter the time or when it fails, could be a lot of time, they will repair it quick for free.
Ok now to performance, this camera performs as excellent as the D300 or D90 step up brothers IQ wise. High ISO performance is top notch, a few reviews over the net show that it has less noise than D300.
This small consumer grade camera will do just about everything than other more expensive DSLR's. Like full manual settings, high exposure shots, D-Lighting, in camera control, etc, etc.
The small screen is just exact, the size and weight too. The menu is user forthcoming, everything it has looks like a right 2009 model. 5 stars, cant find a flaw.
This camera lacks an integrated autofocus motor, but that figure is for use of older lenses and some exotic ones. So it has 87 variety of Nikon and aftermarket lenses to choose from,
that is one of the reasons I bought this camera, saving money discarding a figure that I wont ever use since Iam new to phootgraphy and Iam just starting making my own lens collection, with only new AF-S type of lenses that come with their autofocus motor. It doesnt have a top LCD show but I really dont like them, they look ancient. They are usefull, but really not a need.
It has the video figure, wich it isnt as a camcorder quality but way better than a Cybershot, and its a DSLR so I wont go deeper about its video performance, wich anyway is HD 720p, for small clips is exact.
The 4FPS continuous shot is quite excellent, not professional but works pretty excellent, nearly no different or noticeable than the 4.5FPS on the D90.
The thing I like most, is the lightweight, coupled with my 70-300vr its ironic how light it is next to a ton of weight from other cameras with heavier lenses.
Cant go incorrect with this small camera. This is a fantastic choice if is your first DSLR, or if its your 2nd body. Because if you are serious about shooting, for more money u can get a more solid, body with more facial appearance, that are usefull for the professional photographer. But for all else, this 12.3 MP sensor is the same as the D300 or D90. The Image quality brings a tear to the eye, Period! |
D5000: for the budget-conscious intermediate/amature
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| Review Date: October 19, 2009 |
| Assessor: Zachary Wagner, Albuquerque, NM USA |
Having had the D5000 for a few months now, and having used it with a few different lenses, I figured I'd better chime in here, in hopes of pushing this one's rating just a bit higher. It's surely deserving. One of the reasons this camera got a bunch of terrible reviews all over the place at first was because of the recall. Beyond doubt a bummer. But by the time I received mine, the conundrum had been dealt with, and I received a perfectly working model. So how is it?
In a word: fantastic. I've owned one other dSLR in my life, and it was a Canon, and it was a while ago. Needless to say, this was a HUGE step up for me.
In being paid truly serious about my shooting, this camera has been the tool I've dreamed of having for a long, long time. It's quick, light, takes fantastic pictures, and is reasonably priced to boot. The menu system is well laid out, and there's a very useful info button if you want the quick-and-dirty of what a particular setting does. I've used this camera with Nikon, Sigma, and Tamron lenses, and with all of them it has just performed seamlessly. Of course, now that I know everything there is to know about this camera, it only makes me want a D3X that much more. But parting with 7k for a camera is more than a small crazy, especially at my level.
So my parting advice is this: if you really, really know what you're doing, you'll probably be a small disappointed and somewhat top secret by this camera. While it does an admirable job at higher ISO's, it's no $7000 camera. In fact it's no $3000 camera. Meaning that you will see noise at the higher settings, plain and simple.
But if you're not expecting miracles, then this small gem of a camera might just bolt from the blue you with a few. |
Nikon D5000 vs Canon Rebel, keeping it small ...
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| Review Date: December 31, 2009 |
| Assessor: Ruslan Moskalenko, Pleasanton, CA United States |
If you're looking at this camera, my guess is you've done your home work and figured out that if you want a excellent DSLR on a budget, your choice is pretty much down to D5000 or Rebel. I came to that conclusion honestly quickly but making that pronouncement was not simple. On paper Canon had better specs for the price but both cameras looked close ...
There are copious reviews comparing those cameras. Most of them are long, detailed and come to the same conclusion - both cameras are excellent - not really selection much at the end. So here I'll try to keep it all ears and tell about the key differences which helped me to set my mind.
1. Low light shooting. Recently I went to a party and a friend of mine gave me his Rebel. What I didn't realize before is in order to autofocus the Rebel needs to pop up flash and fire it a few times. Of course, it's not at full power, but still it ruins everything because you can't take a picture without distracting people. You catch some appealing face, point, shoot and those few flashes really distract the person. Nikon has a white lamp, it's enough to focus but most people won't get distracted. So if you plot to take pictures of people in party like set up - Nikon gives you an benefit. (well, to be honest you can get an external flash which has a lamp for autofocus help, but we are talking about the cameras here)
2. Sloping LCD. Rebel has larger and better LCD. But, I'm not a paparazzi, but time to time i need to shoot over a line of people in front of me (parades, street performance, small crowded room etc). With the sloping LCD you can raise the camera above your head and still be able to frame the picture. I found that very useful and Nikon has an benefit.
3. Extra preset modes. Probably like the most people I used to keep the dial on "Auto" most of the time. And it worked ok most of the time. But I never could quickly figure out how to take a picture of my daughter blowing birthday candles or exact sunset or a touch white on white etc. So when I tried the extra "Scene" preset modes on Nikon, I was really bowled over how much better can those pictures be comparing to the "Auto". Try them out and keep in mind Rebel doesn't have many of those modes.
4. Feel. Nikon has very solid feel in your hands. Maybe it's subjective, but I do like this suspicion.
So overall, Rebel does have a lot of specs slightly better than Nikon. It's less vital, lighter, the screen is larger and has better resolution, it has more megapixels. Yes, it's all nice to have but this is a choice linking excellent and even better. But Nikon offers some things Rebel just doesn't have (see above). So I bought Nikon and feel pleased about it.
A few side notes. The cameras are being paid better and better and in a couple years you'll be able to buy a much better camera for the same price. The lenses and flashes on the other side are not changing much and hold value really well. So if you have a choice, try to buy the best lense (and for an expensive lense don't forget to buy a defending filter) and flash you can afford and maybe save some money on the body and upgrade it in a couple years if some new cool equipment pops up.
Hopefully my review will help you to choose one way or a further. |
Awesome!!
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| Review Date: January 12, 2010 |
| Assessor: Contributing Author, |
I did a lot of research before I chose to go with D5000 - including going to BestBuy and other camera stores and handling the camera to make sure it feels right. In the end I got the best deal through Amazon (even though a D5000 kit at Costco had an unbelievable deal). I choose not to buy a kit because I wanted specific lenses with the camera. I wanted one lens that I can travel with without the need to change lenses and a further that I can use primarily in doors in low light situation. I got the Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM IF Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras lenses. I also got a Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and an Eye-Fi 4GB Pro SDHC Wireless Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-4PC to wirelessly upload pictures to my laptop (D5000 has built in help for Eye-Fi SDHC cards). Last week Eye-Fi came out with Eye-Fi 8GB Pro X2 SDHC Class 6 Wireless Flash Memory Card EYE-FI-8PC that has more facial appearance and nearly the same price (bummer!). I also got UV filters for both lens to care for the expensive lens glass.
The cameras I compared before buying were, Nikon D90, D60, Canon Rebel iTL, xTi, etc.
I have used it for two weeks now with fantastic results. Camera is very simple to use, I still have not looked through the manual and have been able to find advance setting easily. The auto-focus with both the lenses is very quick (quicker if using the view-port than using LiveView). I still have not been able to find a camera case that I feel excellent with - that is compact enough to easily carry around and I can get my essential accessories in.
One huge factor for me for selecting this camera was the swivel lens. Being a huge guy, I run into scenarios where I do not have clear line of sight to the subject I am capturing and have always wanted the skill to go the camera higher or away from my body to take fantastic shots and the swivel LCD does a fantastic job at it. My tipod mount has not had any conundrum with restricting the swivel movement, but I have seen it at a store, where the tripod mount was huge and top secret the LCD movement.
Again - overall highly not compulsory camera.
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