Description
Nikon D5000 DX DSLR for the
hobbyist and for family fun. The D5000 is essentially a D90 squeezed into a smaller lighter body (of course it lacks the internal AF motor,
has an inferior grip, and a slightly smaller pentamirror
viewfinder instead of the pentaprism in the D90 - along
with a few other things, but hey it's not as expensive for a reason - also
I should mention that the D5000 has an additional live view mode, a few more in camera editing tools, and more scene modes
than the D90 - all useful for someone new to the
DSLR. They are there
so you can learn from them or just employ them to make your life less
complicated and your
photos look
impressive). Bundled with features that make
taking pictures easy and fun, this camera stands out above the
competition with its unique vari-angle LCD monitor, which allows you to
shoot with less effort from any angle.
The D5000 has inherited the D90’s groundbreaking HD movie capability,
Nikon’s proprietary D-Movie function. Coupled with extensive in-camera
editing features, a wide choice of
scene modes, 12.3MP sensor and
high-sensitivity between ISO 200 and 3200 (which can be extended to ISO
100 and ISO 6400 equivalent) for shooting in a wide range of lighting
conditions, this camera makes it easier than ever to take great quality
pictures. Lenses must have a built-in motor
to autofocus with this camera.
View life from a different angle
The D5000’s 2.7-inch vari-angle LCD monitor offers a whole new
perspective on photography, allowing you to take pictures easily from
any angle. Its flexible, moving screen allows you to position the camera
perfectly to suit the angle or shot you’re trying to take - so whether
you’re at a concert and you want to get a clear view above the crowd for
your shot or you want to take a picture from ground level, you can
adjust the vari-angle monitor to give you the best view of your subject.
Close it to protect the monitor or place it in the standard position for
regular shooting using the viewfinder. You can even reverse the monitor
for effortless, perfectly-framed self-portraits. Thanks to Nikon’s
ergonomic design values and the downward opening direction of the
screen, it will never get in your way, and you’ll be able to maintain a
steady grip on the body which will prevent
camera shake. The choice is
limitless.
D-Movie and Live View
Shooting movie clips with a DSLR will allow you to get really creative.
For example, you can change the lens for a new perspective and enhance
the emotional impact of your movies using the Picture Control settings
before you even start shooting. The D5000 offers D-Movie (with audio) -
high-definition movie capture perfectly compatible with the latest
television screens and an HDMI output for easy connection. The single
button access to the Live View function allows you to view and compose
your shot or movie on the vari-angle LCD monitor for optimal framing.
When taking still shots, the camera offers four types of contrast AF
(wide area, normal area, face detection and new subject tracking) to
make capture as easy as possible. In subject tracking AF mode, the
camera will even restart tracking the subject once it leaves the frame
and then returns, so your target will always be in focus.
Setting the Scene
With a total of 19 scene modes, you don’t have to know the ins and outs
of digital photography to take great pictures. Simply turn the dial to
‘scene’, choose the appropriate scene mode setting and the camera will
do the rest for you. The camera will even display a sample scene to make
the scene selection easier for you. Another easy-to-use feature is the
camera’s extensive range of built-in editing function, with which you
can edit your pictures and create visual effects in-camera, before you
even get to a computer.
There’s more
In addition to all these features, the D5000 is a high quality camera in
its own right. With its high-sensitivity 12.3 effective megapixel
CMOS
image sensor, Nikon’s innovative EXPEED high-speed image-processing
system, fast and precise 11-point AF system and highly-durable,
high-performance shutter, it is also perfectly suited to those with a
higher level of photographic knowledge. Image quality is guaranteed
further by the image sensor cleaning mechanism with airflow control
system, Active D-Lighting and Picture control. The different playback
options of the D5000 are as enjoyable as they are practical. You can
view photos in batches of up to 72, and there is also a calendar view
that organizes images by date and time. And for serious photo
enAs a resultiasts, the D5000 can display a
histogram on magnifies areas of the
image to facilitate exposure control. It feels good to handle, too, with
Nikon’s typically ergonomic design in a compact, light-weight body.
Those who shoot pictures in quieter settings will appreciate the new
Quiet shooting mode and, the built-in pop-up
flash which will
automatically detect when the flash is needed. For those on the move,
GPS-compatibility with Nikon’s GP-1 unit will come in handy when
pinpointing shooting locations as will the
HDMI output when you finally
want to present your great shots to your family and friends. The Nikon
D5000 is compatible with a wide variety of AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses.
The D5000 works with Nikkor AF,
AF-I,
AF-D and
AF-S lenses in fact it works with all
AF lenses made since 1986, But
they need to to be AF to autofocus with the D5000.
The camera lacks a built in autofocus motor, which means that only Nikon lenses designated with
AF-I and
AF-S can be used in autofocus mode with the D40, D40X, D60, D3000, D3100 and D5000), and the lenses designated AF,
AF-D,
AF-G, or
AF-N can only be used in manual focus mode. Many recent third-party lenses now support
compatible
integrated focusing motors.
Reviews
Your mileage may vary, August 22, 2009
By bmoag "ae" (California)
I have been using Nikons for over thirty years. I am a great fan of Nikon although the price point of some of their products does not alway reflect actual quality compared to other vendors and Nikon has the same problems with production quality control as everyone else.
I knew this camera had a tiny, dim pentamirror viewing system but based on its size and sterling reviews of its D90-like auto-focus I purchased it anyway assuming I could rely on the autofocus.
The D90 is a nice size compared to larger body dSLRs and once you get used to the controls handles well. The video function is quite useful; I have never been a fan of live view. The low noise of the sensor is very impressive compared to just the prior generation of Nikon/Sony image capture devices.
Nikon now has the camera only in part because of the recall based on potential early failure of the on-off switch. I commend Nikon for taking pre-emptive action. However potential buyers of this camera should be aware of reports that virtually every D5000 currently in the reatil chain is subject to a recall for this problem.
I hope it is only my particular specimen but this camera could not reliably autofocus and systematically underexposes.
Exposure issues are partly a matter of taste and can be easily compensated.
However the execrable viewing system forces one to rely on autofocus and this particular unit needs bifocals.
As I said, your mileage may vary.
My first DSLR and I love it!!, August 21, 2009
By Leandro Biondo (São Paulo, Brasil)
I got this camera on the 25th of july and will try to tell my experience with it so far. Actually trying to pass the happiness I am having for getting such and amazing product in hands, after so many good options I looked over!!
Got it with 18-55mm lenses, a small tripod and a 16GB class 4 SDHC card. Was in doubt between nikon's D5000, D90 or D60, Canon's EOS Xsi and T1i, Sony's A200 or A350 and Olympus E520 or E620.
First, I have had some diferent digital cameras (and also a couple analogic before that), the better ones being sony's DSC W7, H9 and H50 (not mine, but I used for some days), so I don't know how the D5000 compares to other DSLR, but I can feel the great lap between this amazing camera and those other simpler ones I am used to...
My first impression was that it really can take good color, bright and lively pictures from the box, on auto mode... maybe the one I am least using by now, but good to know it will work when you can't or don't want to set anything before the shot. So the camera goes great on full AUTO. Same for video, easy to focus with the kit lenses and pretty professional looking movie results.
My dad was with the camera for 2 weeks before I put my hands on it, and he shot amazing pics from simple places and situations, even at night... and he was on AUTO all time, so this nikon can be used as a point-and-shoot, actually the best I've ever seen... it is funny to see that any picture taken with it looks like it would be very hard or impossible to be taken with the cameras we used before.
I havent posted any video so far, but I had put some pics here [...]
I've done a lot of research on the DSLR world and the most useful site was [...] where I found the info that made me decide between the Canon EOS 500 (or T1i) and this Nikon D5000 that I got here on amazon.com .
So, knowing some previous things about aperture, shutter speed, focus, depth of field an ISO from the previous cameras and some books I've read in the past fell weeks I tried the Nikon on the other modes, A,M,S and P...
Ok, P is also as good as the AUTO, but it is almost just AUTO, I found it hard to change to the type of exposure I wanted while rolling the control. So between this and AUTO I stay with AUTO.
"A" mode (aperture prior)works great for me... the control with the DOF is good and the kit lenses on auto focus are great.
The "S" mode is normal, but I have not used it too much, havent had action scenes so far.
The "M" mode is easy to use as all controls are at reach, the only change I did was to make the Fn button control the ISO, so I have the shutter on the main wheel with my right thumb, click with a finger on the button behind the shutter and have the wheel to control aperture, with my left thumb I make it control the ISO or flash (2 buttons well placed close to the lenses) and if I use manual focus the left hand is already in place and stays there, zooming and focusing.
About the kit lenses (18-55mm nikkor lenses), the focus has a really short turn (about 30 degrees, but fells like 5) from 28cm to infinity, it is handleable on manual focus but a bit too sensitive... the zooming is perfect though.
I already bought a used nikkor 28mm 2.8 AF-D lenses, that goes well with the D5000 (with manual focus only, cause it is not DX) and have a much better focus ring, with about 160 degree turn from 25mm to infinity that fells like 360... this made me fell good for not buying an olympus because the nikon DX format has a 1.5 relation for lenses and the four third had a 2.0 relation, at this point I realise that finding good old used lenses that can work well on the D5000 is easy, and this 28mm lense made me remember using my father's yashica 45mm focus when I was 6... very good felling.
For the manual focus the camera helps with the green light that goes on when on focus, and changing the menu to show distance info on the viewfinder I got it to show arrows that indicate to witch side to change the focus.
Live view... I did not mention, but my father took all his picures on this mode and liked it, so again can be used as p-a-s, but I have not used it too much, just loved the viewfinder and the 11point AF.
The picture reviewing is also nice on the LCD panel and it being articulated is good for awkward shots, but even greater to protect it and to maintain the screen off when using the viewfinder (when I don't want more info than that on the small window).
I did record some movies and they all look great, only did on 720p and no complains, all them look better than any other camera I used, only inconvenience is the focus but it is easy to learn... and zooming during video looks nicer than on video cameras that have digital controls for zooming.
Battery lasts long, about 6 days traveling on my father's hands and 1 or 2 full shooting days on my hands... you notice that the camera is all the time saving power and even turning the LCD off when you are looking is not annoying because it comes back nicely.
Flash is powerful and have a good range, also very tunable for adding light to a scene or to freezing someone or something on a shot... helped with some exposures...
The retouching options are fast, easy to understand and vastly usable, I did some shots on a cloudy day and with some NEF processing on camera and one or two other adjustments (also in the camera) I got images that seemed taken at noon!!
In conclusion on this messy review, the D5000 is a great camera and I would recommend to anybody who wants good pictures and movies... take that from a DSLR newbie and a nature, travel, sports and technology lover.
And also, on my personal experience, it fells amazing to handle this camera, hear it shooting, bursting at 4fps (the sound is lovely), doing everything well and much more than I would expect. (I am not a brand person, but the nikon name helped on my choice and I am pleased it did).
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