Nikon D5000

Note: This is more of an impression report from one pro to another so if you are new to the DSLR world you may be better off looking up a proper review elsewhere, though you are welcomed to continue reading.


Intro
After a recent trek in the mountains near my home I realized, apart from having to lose some weight that I had to lighten my backpack. At first I looked at everything that could be reduced both in volume and in weight apart from my trusty D300 of course. But after a recent visit to my local camera store where I had the chance to try a D5000 I suddenly realized that a smaller and lighter “D300” (the D5000 uses the same 12.3MP sensor as the D90 and D300) with the inclusion of an articulating LCD screen could turn out to be a trekker’s dream camera, so I bought one to try out in the field.


First impressions
Having large hands, when I first grabbed the camera I was surprised that it matched my grip so well. It felt larger than the typical small DSLR (D40 & D60) with a better grip. So considering my x-large status, for such a small camera, the feel was a big plus. Then I switched it on and I must say that it isn’t like any of the cameras I’ve used before. It took me a little while to figure where everything was but I soon had it figured out so no need for the user’s manual. What took the longest to figure out was how to set the aperture since there is no sub-command dial on the front of the camera (combination of the compensation button with the command dial). What also pleasantly struck me was the new graphical menu system that seems very user friendly. This will obviously turn out to be a hot seller for Nikon.

I shot this using the old AF 50mm f/1.4 lens in manual focus mode since the D5000 doesn't have a built-in AF motor. Thankfully most people buying this camera will be using AF-S lenses.

The first minus point
The most obvious drawback are the controls. The arrangement of the controls and dials are totally different to that of a pro caliber camera such as the D300. Most are missing but replaced by commands in the new graphical menu system. So the question arises, how do you work with two such different cameras?

Well it’s a bit nerve racking and I definitely would not suggest this camera to a pro unless he really needed what the D5000 had to offer.

As I have already mentioned I bought this little cam and have been using it for the last couple of weeks out in the field, both on treks and on other assignments, but whether I will be keeping it or not will be revealed at the end of this post. I only wished it had at least a dedicated ISO button and the sub-command dial in place, but as it is its OK, especially for the price.

The Nikon D5000 is a great candidate for a trekkers backpack.

Live view
Even though I have live view with the D300, I don’t use it since it’s a hassle to use. You need to turn the drive mode dial to the LV position and then press the shutter release to lock the mirror in the up position and then press the shutter again to take the shot - if you could focus that is. In most cases I was never sure whether I had taken the shot or not – a real pain.

Another minus point of the live view mode is that when it was most needed it was pretty useless anyway since I was shooting from some weird angles and couldn’t see the LCD screen.

Now with the dedicated LV button of the D5000, the articulating screen and the better performance of the AF during LV, I can finally use live view in real life situations capturing crowd shots from above or landscape shots from below the flowers. In combination with a lightweight VR zoom lens, this is a nice feature for the trekking photographer and probably the best reason to add this in your kit.

With the articulating LCD screen I can now take shots from ground level without getting dirty!

LCD screen hinge
There has been a lot of talk about the placement of the hinge and personally I find it ok and much better than no hinge at all. Of course the current position can be problematic when the camera is mounted on a tripod, but in most cases the screen does not need to be moved once the camera is mounted.

The LCD screen on the D5000 can only move 180° to the left and 90° to the right. Personally I would have thought that Nikon could have provided a full 360° movement.

Video
I haven’t much to say here since I’m not really interested in video myself but would like to pass on some interesting info. Switching video on took me a while to figure out, but eventually found the trick (while in live view mode and watching the live feed you just press the OK button to start recording and again to stop). If you are seriously interested in this feature I would highly recommend the use of a tripod. I should also point out here that there is no support for stereo sound or a directional microphone, no ability to use autofocusing while recording video and the use of VR can produce noise that may be recorded as well. To use this feature I would guess you would have to be really dedicated, so I figure videographers who have other equipment might add a modern DSLR like this only to get certain shots (shallow DOF).


Dials
On three occasions in the last few weeks while placing the camera in my backpack the power switch was knocked into the on position. I have also noticed that the AF points are easily changed accidently by hitting the thumbwheel on the back of the camera. I wish they were a bit tougher to turn or press.

Things that you may miss
If you are a pro or semi pro and are thinking of using this little camera, the following are some of the things you may miss. If you are a newbie, don’t take the following as minus points, they aren’t! They are just some of the more common things found on more expensive bodies.

1. No CLS support: One of the most important features of the modern Nikon DSLR’s that have built in flash is the ability to control other flashes wirelessly. This is called CLS support and unfortunately this feature is missing on the built-in flash of the cheap D5000.

2. No built-in AF motor: Not surprisingly the second thing missing is the onboard AF motor for the older screwdriver type lenses. This makes economic sense since targeting new DSLR buyers.

3. No sub-command dial: The third thing I’m listing as missing is the sub-command dial that I’ve already mentioned.

4. No top LCD display: Most pro’s will also miss the top LCD status display mostly due to habit than need. Of course all relevant info is now displayed on the rear LCD.

5. No DOF preview button: Landscapers and macro shooters might also notice that the DOF preview button is gone as well.

6. Only 11point AF: Some may even miss the 51 AF points, but to be fair, this is a 600€ camera and it still manages to impress with its 11 point AF system.

7. Only 2.7inch LCD: The LCD screen is only 2.7 inches but you won't notice the smaller size since the ability to swing it in any position doesn't give you the chance to notice the smaller size.

8. Only 4fps: Some of you may miss the 5 or 8fps of other cameras, but this little camera can shoot at 4fps which is a very respectable framerate.

Those 8 items are what I was still looking for while out in the field testing the camera to write this report but to be fair, I bought this to use only for trekking, so some of the items listed above aren’t really relevant such as CLS support (won’t be carrying multiple flashes and support equipment on a trek), the AF motor (since preference is given for a smaller and lighter DX zoom), the 11point AF system (even manual focusing would be fine for trekking) and the frame rate (at 4fps I could even attempt real action, but even 2fps would have sufficed).


Image quality
Well, like most of you should know by now, I only shoot RAW so my comments are based on comparing NEF from a D5000 and a D300. And the results show that both cameras produce the same results. The only difference is the better noise reduction on jpeg files from the D5000. In other words, the image quality performance of the D5000 is excellent.

Same image quality as my marvelous D300!

Overall performance
I was very surprised with the very good AF performance and especially liked the AF performance in Live View mode where the difference is very noticeable. Overall the camera is snappy and its speed in general is very good, since I never noticed a need for faster operation.


Final words
So will I be keeping this camera? Well as impressive as it may be, with the same sensor as the D300, with an articulating screen, with the better live view performance, with a smaller and lighter body and a very respectable price there is a lot to like about this little camera, but there is one thing I just can’t find myself overlooking, and that’s the missing dials and buttons that I have come to expect from all my Nikon bodies. So the wonderful D5000 goes up for sale but if I don’t sell it for the price I want, I will happily keep it.




For more pics with the D5000 look here (in greek)



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